The Census Bureau plans to conduct research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). Cognitive interviews will be conducted to evaluate the translations of 2010 Census questionnaire in four non-English languages: Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese.
The research will have several aims:
to examine how speakers of the target languages understand and respond to the translated questions in the 2010 census form;
to identify and document problems associated with the translations of specific terms and concepts contained in the 2010 Census questionnaire;
to identify potential alternative translations for the problematic terms and concepts; and
to test newly-identified terminology.
The cognitive interview results will inform possible revisions to the translations of the 2010 Census form, and will provide improved translations of the census questionnaire in the four target languages.
From early February 2008 through the end of May 2008, approximately 120 cognitive interviews will be conducted by a contractor and staff from the Center for Survey Methods Research (CSMR). The English version of the questionnaire that will be used is enclosed. Of the 120 interviews, 20 will be in English for comparative purposes, and 100 will be in the four target languages (25 in each). We will be targeting monolingual speakers of the target languages in our recruiting efforts. Respondents will be from a variety of educational level backgrounds and will vary by the amount of time they have lived in the United States, by age and by gender.
Respondents will be recruited through flyers, newspaper advertisements, and through the contractors’ ties to local ethnic communities in the Greater Washington, DC area, Chicago, IL area, and Raleigh/Durham, NC area. Interviews will be conducted at the offices of community organizations used to recruit respondents, at local public facilities or locations convenient to interviewees, and at the cognitive labs of the Census Bureau.
Interviews will be conducted using the concurrent think-aloud method. Interviews will be audio-taped, with participants’ permission, to facilitate analysis of the results. Participants will be informed that their response is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential and will be seen only by employees involved in the research project. Participants will receive $40 for their participation in this research.
We estimate that these interviews will take approximately one hour. Thus, the total estimated burden for this research is 120 hours.
The contact person for questions regarding data collection and statistical aspects of the design of this research is listed below:
Yuling Pan
Center for Survey Methods Research
Statistical Research Division
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, D.C. 20233
(301) 763-4950
| File Type | application/octet-stream |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 0000-00-00 |