[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84526-84529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24529]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; American Community Survey Methods Panel Tests

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the 
proposed revision of the American Community Survey Methods Panel Tests, 
prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to 
OMB for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before December 23, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#315052425e1f4143507152545f4244421f565e47"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93f2f0e0fcbde3e1f2d3f0f6fde0e6e0bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference American Community Survey 
Methods Panel Tests in the subject line of your comments. You may also 
submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2024-0027, to the 
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments. All comments received are part of the public 
record. No comments will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov for 
public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will 
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to G. Brian Wilson, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 
Office, 301-763-2819, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f082a203d282a610d3d262e21611826233c20210f2c2a213c3a3c61282039"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e5c7cdd0c5c78ce0d0cbc3cc8cf5cbced1cdcce2c1c7ccd1d7d18cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing monthly survey 
that collects detailed social, economic, housing and demographic data 
from about 3.5 million addresses in the United States and about 36,000 
addresses in Puerto Rico each year (where it is called the Puerto Rico 
Community Survey). The ACS also collects detailed data from about 
150,000 residents living in group quarters (GQ) facilities in the 
United States and Puerto Rico. Resulting tabulations from this data 
collection are provided on a yearly basis. The ACS allows the Census 
Bureau to provide timely and relevant social, economic, housing, and 
demographic statistics, even for low levels of geography.
    An ongoing data collection effort with an annual sample of this 
magnitude requires that the Census Bureau continue research, tests, and 
evaluations aimed at improving data quality, reducing data collection 
costs, and improving the ACS questionnaire content and related data 
collection materials. The ACS Methods Panel is a research program at 
the Census Bureau designed to address and respond to survey issues and 
needs of the ACS. As part of the Decennial Census Program, the ACS also 
provides an opportunity to research and test elements of survey data 
collection that relate to the decennial census. As such, the ACS 
Methods Panel can serve as a testbed for the decennial census. From 
2025 to 2028, the ACS Methods Panel may test ACS and decennial census 
methods for reducing survey cost, addressing respondent burden, and 
improving survey response, data quality, and survey efficiencies for 
housing units and group quarters. The ACS Methods Panel may also 
address other emerging needs of the program.
    At this time, proposals are in place for several tests related to 
self-response. Tests may also be conducted for nonresponse follow-up 
data collection and other ACS operations. Because the ACS Methods Panel 
is designed to address emerging issues, we may propose additional 
testing as needed. Any testing would focus on methods for reducing data 
collection costs, improving data quality, improving the respondent 
experience, revising content, or testing new questions for the 
Decennial Census Program. The proposed tests are outlined below.
    Questionnaire Timing Test: In an effort to boost self-response 
rates and decrease survey costs, the Questionnaire Timing Test will 
test whether changing the timing of when the ACS paper questionnaire is 
sent to sampled addresses can increase self-response (overall and by 
data collection mode) and/or reduce data collection costs. The test 
will also evaluate the impact of including a Quick Response (QR) code 
directing respondents to the internet data collection instrument. If 
successful, adopting these changes could decrease data collection costs 
associated with the paper questionnaire and the Computer-

[[Page 84527]]

Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) nonresponse follow-up operation.
    Internet Instrument Response Option and Error Message Design Test: 
This test will provide information to aid the development of web design 
standards for household and group quarters data collection instruments 
used throughout the Census Bureau. This test will focus on design 
standards related to response options and error messages to increase 
data quality and the response experience. The test for the response 
options will compare the use of standard radio buttons (the current 
design) to the use of response buttons, which have a border around the 
radio button and response option wording. The response buttons will 
highlight when hovered over and change to green once selected. This 
test will determine if these changes decrease response time, change 
response distributions, or affect item nonresponse. An additional 
change is a modification to error message design to explore how 
respondents react to a different display. Current error messages 
display at the top of the page within a box and use an exclamation mark 
and color to draw attention. For missing write-in fields, an arrow 
shows where the error occurred. This experiment will test a change in 
colors used to draw attention to the error. Instead of an arrow showing 
where there is a missing write-in, a change in the write-in border will 
be used.
    Additional Internet Instrument Testing: In 2013, the ACS 
incorporated the use of an internet instrument to collect survey 
responses. The design of the instrument reflected the research and 
standards of survey data collection at that time. With a growing 
population using the internet to respond to the ACS, as well as the 
increased use of smartphones and other electronic devices with smaller 
screens, an evaluation of the internet instrument is needed. Design 
elements will be developed and tested based on input from experts in 
survey methodology and web survey design. Testing may include revisions 
focused on improving login procedures and screen navigation, improving 
the user interface design, as well as methods to decrease respondent 
burden. Multiple tests may be conducted.
    Self-Response Mail Messaging and Contact Strategies Testing: In 
response to declining ACS response rates and increasing data collection 
costs, the Census Bureau plans to study methods to increase self-
response to the survey, as this mode of data collection is the least 
expensive. The Census Bureau currently sends up to five mailings to a 
sampled address to inform the occupants that their address has been 
selected to participate in the ACS and to encourage them to self-
respond to the survey. The proposed tests would evaluate changes to the 
mailings, including the use of additional plain language to improve 
communication, redesigning the visual appearance of the mail materials, 
improving messaging to motivate response, and adding or removing 
materials included in the mailings. Changes to the contact method, the 
number of contacts, and the timing of the contacts may also be tested. 
Multiple tests may be conducted.
    Content Testing: Working through the Office of Management and 
Budget Interagency Committee for the ACS, the Census Bureau will 
solicit proposals from other Federal agencies to change existing 
questions or add new questions to the ACS. The objective of content 
testing is to determine the impact of changing question wording and 
response categories, as well as redefining underlying constructs, on 
the quality of the data collected. The Census Bureau evaluates changes 
to current questions by comparing the revised questions to the current 
ACS questions. For new questions, the Census Bureau proposes comparing 
the performance of two versions of any new questions and benchmark 
results with other well-known sources of such information. The 
questions would be tested using all modes of data collection. Response 
bias or variance may also be measured to evaluate the questions by 
conducting a follow-up interview with respondents. Multiple tests may 
be conducted.
    Nonresponse Follow-up Data Collection Testing: The Census Bureau is 
proposing to test modifications to nonresponse follow-up data 
collection operations to increase response to the survey. The proposed 
tests would evaluate changes to the materials used by ACS field 
representatives (FRs), including changes to the messaging to motivate 
response or changes to the types of materials used. Testing may also 
include evaluation of modifications to operational approaches and data 
collection procedures, such as contact methods and timing. Multiple 
tests may be conducted.

II. Method of Collection

    The American Community Survey is collected via the following modes: 
internet, paper questionnaire, telephone interview, and in-person 
interview (CAPI). The Census Bureau sends up to five mailings to 
eligible housings units to encourage self-response. Respondents may 
receive help by utilizing an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system 
(though survey response cannot be provided by IVR). Respondents can 
also call our Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA) help line for 
help or to respond. FRs may visit a housing unit or sampled GQ facility 
to conduct an interview in person or may conduct the interview by 
phone. Administrative records are also used to replace, supplement, and 
support data collection. The ACS Methods Panel Tests use all of these 
modes of data collection or a subset of the modes, depending on the 
purpose of the test. Specific modes for the tests are noted below.
    Questionnaire Timing Test: This test will evaluate mailout 
materials, number of mailings, and the timing of mailouts that solicit 
self-response using paper questionnaire responses. The test will 
include housing units only.
    Internet Instrument Response Option and Error Message Design Test: 
This test will assess modifications to the internet instrument 
conducted via a split-sample experiment. Only the internet mode of the 
self-response phase of data collection is included in the testing.
    Additional internet Instrument Testing: This testing will assess 
modifications to the internet instrument conducted via split-sample 
experiments. Only the internet mode of the self-response phase of data 
collection is included in the testing.
    Self-Response Mail Messaging and Contact Strategies Testing: This 
testing will evaluate mailout materials that solicit self-response 
using internet, paper questionnaire, and telephone responses. Tests 
will be done as a split sample and will include housing units only.
    Content Testing: This testing is for item-level changes and will be 
conducted as a split-sample experiment, with half of the sampled 
addresses receiving one version of the questions and the other half 
receiving a different version of the questions. All modes of ACS data 
collection are included in the test. Additionally, a follow-up 
reinterview may be conducted with all households that respond to 
measure response bias or response variance.
    Nonresponse Follow-up Data Collection Testing: This testing will be 
done as a split sample focusing on in-person and telephone interviews 
conducted by FRs. As part of their interaction with respondents, FRs 
also encourage response online and provide materials to respondents. 
Respondents may also mail back a paper questionnaire they received 
during the self-response phase of the ACS.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.

[[Page 84528]]

    Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS-1(GQ), ACS-1(PR)SP, ACS CAPI(HU), and 
ACS RI(HU).
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for a Revision of a 
Currently Approved Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Test                   Estimated number of respondents
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questionnaire Timing Test..............  288,000.
Response Option and Error Message        288000.
 Design Test.
Additional Internet Instrument Testing.  Test A--60,000, Test B--60,000.
Self-Response Mail Messaging and         Test A--60,000, Test B--60,000,
 Contact Strategies Testing.              Test C--60,000.
Content Testing........................  Test A--40,000, Test B--40,000.
Content Testing Follow-up Interview....  Test A--40,000, Test B--40,000.
Nonresponse Follow-up Data Collection    100,000.
 Testing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Time per Response:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Estimated time per
                        Test                               response
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questionnaire Timing Test...........................                  40
Response Option and Error Message Design Test.......                  40
Additional Internet Instrument Testing..............                  40
Self-Response Mail Messaging and Contact Strategies                   40
 Testing............................................
Content Testing.....................................                  40
Content Testing Follow-up Interview.................                  20
Nonresponse Follow-up Data Collection Testing.......                  40
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 Estimated time
                   Test                       Estimated number of respondents     per response     Total burden
                                                                                  (in minutes)         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questionnaire Timing Test.................  288,000...........................                40         192,000
Response Option and Error Message Design    288000............................                40         192,000
 Test.
Additional Internet Instrument Testing....  Test A--60,000....................                40          40,000
                                            Test B--60,000....................                            40,000
Self-Response Mail Messaging and Contact    Test A--60,000....................                40          40,000
 Strategies Testing.                        Test B--60,000....................                            40,000
                                            Test C--60,000....................                            40,000
Content Testing...........................  Test A--40,000....................                40          26,667
                                            Test B--40,000....................                            26,667
Content Testing Follow-up Interview.......  Test A--40,000....................                20          13,333
                                            Test B--40,000....................                            13,333
Nonresponse Follow-up Data Collection       100,000...........................                40          66,667
 Testing.
                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total (over 3 years) *................  1,136,000.........................  ................         730,667
                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Annual Burden Hours...................  378,667...........................  ................         243,556
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* Note: This is the maximum burden requested for these tests. Every effort is taken to use existing production
  sample for testing when the tests do not involve content changes.

    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 141, 193, and 221.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we

[[Page 84529]]

cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-24529 Filed 10-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P


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