1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Moving Towards a User-Friendly Diary

Safia Abdirizak

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology

March 8, 2018
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Outline

1. Background

a. Consumer Expenditure (CE) Surveys

b. CE Diary Survey

2. Findings

a. Diary form change

b. Full diary double-placement

c. Earliest/Latest Placement Date (EPD/LPD) removal

3. Summary
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Background
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Background

 The CE Surveys collect information from U.S. households on 

their buying habits (expenditures), income, and household 

characteristics. 

CE Quarterly Interview Survey: collects data on large and recurring 

expenditures that consumers can be expected to recall for a period of 

3 months or longer, such as rent and utilities

CE Diary Survey: collects data on small, frequently purchased items, 

including most food and clothing
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Diary Survey

 Self-administered

 Respondents record a detailed description of all expenses for 

two consecutive 1-week periods

 Diary asks for expenses that the household incurs during the 

survey week
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Pre-2017 Diary Survey Procedures

Interviewers normally conducted three visits:

 First Visit- deliver first diary and collect demographic 

information

 Second Visit- review/collect first diary and deliver second diary

 Third Visit- collect and review the second weekly diary, and 

complete the sections on work experience and income
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Diary Form Change
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Purpose

 Simplify the details that made the Diary task seem imposing 

 Make it easier for respondents to fill out
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Diary Survey Categories

 Food and Drinks Away from Home 

Ex. Fast Food, Full-Service Places, Vending Machines, School or Work 

Cafeteria

 Food and Drinks for Home Consumption 

Ex. Grocery Items

 Clothing 

Ex. Dress, Pants, Shoes, Jewelry & Accessories

 Other 

Ex. Gasoline, Movie Tickets, Dry Cleaning
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Diary Form (Before)

Page 1 Page 2
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Diary Form (Before cntd.) 

Page 3 Page 4
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Diary Form (After)

Page 1 Page 2
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New Diary Form

 Design based on original 70s diaries - all sections viewable across 

two pages

 Attempts to implement suggestions for improvement from Don 

Dillman

 Modified the number of rows necessary for each section

 Food 36 rows, Meals 6, Clothing 8, Other 12 

 Reduced instructions and examples

 Moved the “General Instructions” and “How to Fill Out Your Diary” 

to the front flap
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Diary Form Change- Entries (2016 vs. 2017)

 Changes in diary design 

associated with marginal 

changes in respondent 

entries.

Percent Change

Section Rows Entries

Meals -72.7 -8.2

Food 44.0 7.7

Clothing -68.0 -16.7

Other -48.0 1.1
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Diary Double Placement
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Diary Double-Placement

What is double-placement? 

 Interviewers make one visit to place both diaries and one visit to pickup 

diaries for the entire household. 

What Changed? 

 Pre-2012: diaries double placed in select instances.

 2012-2016: a minimum of 40% of diaries were double-placed

 2017: protocol has all diaries double-placed
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Purpose

 Reduce the cost of data collection activities

 Simplify data collection procedures

 Simplify interviewer training
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Diary Double-Placement Procedures

Before 

 At the first visit, interviewer 

places first week diary

 At the second visit, interviewer 

collects the first week diary and 

places second week diary

 At the third visit, interviewer 

collects the second week diary

After

 One visit to a household for 

placement of both week 1 and 

week 2 diaries 

 One visit for diary pickup, 

eliminating the prior betweenweeks visit
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Diary Double-Placement Risk

 The between-weeks visit may 

have prompted greater 

reporting by diarists in the 

second week, leading to less 

‘drop off’ in diary entries. 

 There could be more nonparticipation in the second 

week without the betweenweeks visit.
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Diary Double Placement- Drop Off

 Before the change, in 2016, 

there was statistically 

significantly more drop-off 

when diaries were doubleplaced.

 After the change, in 2017, the 

extent of drop-off remained 

the same (51 percent).

2016 average drop-off (%)

Non-double placed 46.6

Double-placed 52.0

Overall 51.4
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Change in # of Contact Attempts (2016 vs. 2017)

 The move to double-place all 

diaries did not lead to an 

overall reduction in 

interviewer effort 

% Change

Mean 10%

Median 20%

Min 0%

Max -19%
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Contact Attempts- Interviewer Mode

 As expected, there was a slight 

increase in average contact attempts 

by phone and in-person visits 

decreased.

% Change

Mean (in-person) -1.6

Median (in-person) 0.0

Mean (telephone) 41.3

Median (telephone) 0.0

Mean (total) 7.9

Median (total) 25.0
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Earliest/Latest Placement Date (EPD/LPD ) removal
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Background 

EPD/LPDs were used to place diaries uniformly throughout the 

month and year to make sure cyclical expenditures were captured 

by the diary. 

Example: Rent, Valentine’s Day 
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Purpose

 Increase response rates 

 Simplify the collection process for interviewers 
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EPD/LPD Procedure Comparisons

Before

 Each case assigned an EPD 

 EPDs spread throughout the 

month & year

 Interviewer has 7 days (EPD + 

6) to place week 1

 If week 1 not placed in time 

(by LPD), interviewer then has 

7 days to place week 2

After

 Each case will still have an EPD 

 EPD = 1

ST day of interview month

January 1 for January cases, 

etc.

 Interviewer has from the 1

st to 

the last day of the month to place 

the diaries
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Diary – Placement

 Comparing actual placement dates between 2016 and 2017 

suggested that 2016 diaries were placed more evenly 

throughout the month and the diaries in 2017 tended to be 

placed more in the beginning and end of the months. 
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Diary – Placement

 Trend in Placement Dates by Monthly Segments

Jan

(Int 1)

Jan

(Int 2)

Jan

(Int 3)

Feb

(Int 1)

Feb

(Int 2)

Feb

(Int 3)

Mar

(Int 1)

Mar

(Int 2)

Mar

(Int 3)

Apr

(Int 1)

Apr

(Int2)

Apr

(Int3)

May

(Int 1)

May

(Int 2)

May

(Int 3)

Number of Diaries

2016 2017
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Diary – Placement

 Trend in Placement Dates by Monthly Segments

Jan

(Int 1)

Jan

(Int 2)

Jan

(Int 3)

Feb

(Int 1)

Feb

(Int 2)

Feb

(Int 3)

Mar

(Int 1)

Mar

(Int 2)

Mar

(Int 3)

Apr

(Int 1)

Apr

(Int2)

Apr

(Int3)

May

(Int 1)

May

(Int 2)

May

(Int 3)

Number of Diaries

2016 2017
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Non-Response Finding

 In 2017, there was a 63 percent decrease in ‘Temporarily 

Absent’ Households 

 There was also a decrease in ‘placed too late’ diaries
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Overall Response Rates

 In 2017, the simplification of placement methods appeared to 

have a positive impact on the response rate for CE diaries.
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Summary

 Diary Form Change

Diary form is simpler and easier for respondents to complete

No overall decrease in number of entries

 Diary Double-Placement

Respondents reported entries at consistent rate across both weeks

Increase in average number of telephone contact attempts

 EPD/LPD 

Increased flexibility of placement associated with increased participation 

Placement was not uniformly distributed across the month and the CE 

program will monitor the effect, if any, on expenditure reports 
Contact Information

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Safia Abdirizak

Economist

Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys

www.bls.gov/cex

202-691-5137

Abdirizak.Safia@bls.gov