December 2006
Responses to OMB comments on Partnership for a Nation of Learners Professional Development Activities Survey
3137-NEW
Please clarify the universe for the survey. In section A5 it implies organizations (“the universe of respondents includes museums, …”), whereas in section A12 it is explicit for program participants. Is this anyone who participated in a professional development activity at any point?
The survey universe is all museum, library, and public broadcasting personnel who participated in professional development videoconferences or interactive online/phone conferences associated with the PNL grant program and partnership.
How did you estimate the anticipated response rate?
This a standard target for IMLS surveys. It provides a desirable confidence level for data. The universe of people who will be asked to respond are staff of institutions that are potential beneficiaries of IMLS grant funding. We believe with this engaged group of individuals, we can expect a high response. Further, the survey is short and easy to complete. We will use standard survey strategies such as multiple follow-up notices to strengthen response. We will assess response rate mid-way through the survey process, and, if needed, work with OMB to increase the rate of response.
Please explain why IMLS believes it is necessary to survey the universe of 3,000 respondents, rather than gathering data from a smaller sample.
The universe is small enough to include all participants with reasonable economy in an online survey. In addition, there are multiple variables including number and type of activities experienced and diversity of participants (geography, institutional types, institution size) to make sampling less desirable than a survey of the entire universe. Demographic information such as type of institution and zip code will allow trends associated with institution type, and locationto be identified.
The survey cover page indicates that “IMLS, in exercising its statutory authority, can ensure that your responses will be kept confidential.” What statutory authority are you referring to? The supporting statement (A10) does not discuss this statutory authority.
IMLS does not have such authority; we will revise this language to assure respondents that responses will be aggregated in the analysis and that individual identity of responses will be protected in any reports of the data.
On the survey, why do you need to collect the name of the respondent’s organization (Q1)?
This is non-essential information and will be omitted.
In your rating scales for the questions on the surveys, you provide between three and five response options depending on the questions. Please standardize to allow the same number of response options for all questions. Generally, we recommend an odd number of options (five) with a N/A option (if appropriate).
We will revise the rating scale and will use the same scale for all questions. We will add N/A to questions for which it is appropriate.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | December 2006 |
| Author | Rachel Potter |
| Last Modified By | Barbara Smith |
| File Modified | 2006-12-22 |
| File Created | 2006-12-21 |