2007 Classification Error Survey

3

2007 CLASSIFICATION ERROR SURVEY

(Overview of Survey)

Respondents to the 2007 Census of Agriculture report their "total acres operated" which defines the reporting unit for their census report. A subset of census respondents are also selected for the 2007 June Agricultural Survey, which uses the same "total acres operated" reporting unit. During the Classification Error Survey (CES) a subset of respondents who reported different figures in the census and the June survey, some of which lead to inaccurate farm/non-farm classification, will be asked to verify and reconcile these figures and explain possible reasons for the difference. The CES will help suggest reasons and possible solutions for reporting errors, as well as appropriate edits for these items.

DRAFT 4/07/08
Project			OMB No. 0535-1 Approval Expires 1/28/2008
	2007 CLASSIFICATION ERROR SURVEY						NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
	Authority for collection of information on the 2007 CES INTERVIEW is Title 7, Section 2204 of the U.S. Code. The information will be used to compile and publish agricultural estimates for individual States and for the United States. Individual reports are held confidential. Response is voluntary.				U.S. Department of Agriculture Rm 5829, South Building 1400 Independence Ave., S. W. Washington, D.C. 20250-2000 1-800-727-9540 Fax: 202-690-2090 E-mail: [email protected]

POID	LINK GROUP
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	_______________

INTRODUCTION:

[Enumerator note: Introduce yourself and ask for the operator]

You recently completed two important National Agriculture Statistics Surveys – the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form and the 2007 June Agricultural Survey. We really appreciate your cooperation with our program. Since both of these surveys are conducted within 6 months of each other we expected that you would report the same data for certain items in both questionnaires. In order to better understand the data differences, I would like to ask you some questions regarding these two questionnaires.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Are you the person who completed the 2007 June Agricultural Survey?

¹ Yes ³ No

2. Are you the person who completed the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form?

¹ Yes ³ No

[If answer is no to both questions 1 and 2 confirm that the person you are talking to can accurately answer this questionnaire].

3. Are you the primary operator of this operation?

¹ Yes ³ No

4. Do you operate this operation as a partnership?

¹ Yes [Continue] ³ No [Go to Item 5]

a. Did you report the entire total acres for the partnership on the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form?

¹ Yes ³ No

b. Explain why you did not report the entire total acres for the partnership on the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Show respondent both questionnaires]

5. You reported ______ acres on this operation on the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form and ______ acres on the 2007 June Agricultural Survey. Can you tell me which, if either, of these numbers is correct?

¹ 2007 June Agricultural Survey only [Go to 5b]

² 2007 Census of Agriculture report form [Go to 5b]

³ Both are correct [Go to 5a]

⁴ Neither are correct [Go to 5b]

⁵ Don't know [Go to 5b]

a. You stated that both acreages are correct. If so, why are the acreages different?

[Check all that apply]

¹ Land was sold

² Land was rented out

³ Land was purchased

⁴ Land was removed from agricultural production

⁵ Other

b. If EITHER OR BOTH ARE INCORRECT, why are the acreages different?

[Check all that apply]

¹ Someone different reported the acreages (different respondents)

² One or both of the acreages were estimated (incorrectly)

³ Respondent thought these questions referred to different operations

⁴ A specific type of land was included/excluded on one report

⁵ Partnership or other joint operation reported differently on the two questionnaires

⁶ Don't Know

c. Explain your answer to 5b:_______________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[If k46 is NOT equal to k798 continue, otherwise go to 7].

6. These acreages should be equal. Now I would like to ask you some questions pertaining just to the 2007 Census of Agriculture report form. The operator reported ______ acres in item code 0046 and ______ acres in item code 0798

Why are the acreages different?

[Check all that apply]

¹ I did not include the entire operation in item code 0046

² I did not include the entire operation in item code 0798

³ I left out rented land

⁴ I reported the same acres twice in the Land section

⁵ The Land section was too complicated so I skipped it

⁶ I just overlooked the Land section

⁷ I do not know the total acres in my operation

⁸ I don’t know why they are different

a. Explain your answer to question 6:_______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Now, let’s look at SECTION 1, your acreage in 2007. [Show respondent SECTION 1 of the Census of Agriculture report form). What source do you use to report the acres of land that you own (reported in SECTION 1, Item 1, K0043)?

[Check all that apply]

¹ No records, I just know my acreage

² Tax records

³ FSA records

⁴ Operation’s books

⁵ Other records…Explain______________________________________________________________________________________

8. Now let’s look at SECTION 2, LAND. Do you have land that could be duplicated/reported in more than one of the items listed in SECTION 2, items 1 – 4 (Items 0787 – 0797)

¹ Yes ³ No

If YES, explain which items may be duplicated: ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Is it clear that we are asking for acres of land to be reported only once in items 1 – 4 (0787 – 0797)?

¹ Yes ³ No

10. Do you think farm operators might report the same land multiple times in items 1 – 4 (0787 – 0797)?

¹ Yes ³ No If YES, explain in which items you think land might be duplicated? ___________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. In SECTION 2, LAND, which of these items would be more difficult to report than others?

[Check all that apply]

¹ Cropland harvested

² Cropland on which all crops failed or were abandoned

³ Cropland in cultivated summer fallow

⁴ Cropland idle or used for cover crops or soil-improvement but not harvested or pastured

⁵ Permanent pasture and rangeland

⁶ Woodland pastured

⁷ Cropland used only for pasture or grazing

⁸ Woodland not pastured

⁹ All other land

a. Explain your answer to question 11:______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Respondent Name:

Phone: ( )

9910 MM DD YY Date: __ __ __ __ __ __

Response

Respondent

Mode

Enum.

Eval.

1-Comp 2-R 3-Inac

9901

1-Op/Mgr 2-Sp 3-Acct/Bkpr 4-Partner 9-Oth

9902

3-Face-to-Face

9903

098

100

S/E Name

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The time to complete this information collection is estimated to average 0 minutes per response.

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