National Crime Victimization Survey

NCVS-546
(Revised November 2010)

National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS) CAPI
REINTERVIEWER’S MANUAL

DISCLAIMER: This document does not contain any Title 13 data
or other Personally Identifiable Information. All data are fictitious
and any resemblance to actual data is coincidental. Consistent with
Field Division Policy, any names referenced in practice interviews
or other exercises are not meant to refer to any actual persons,
especially any current or former Census Bureau employees.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

NCVS-546 (November 2010)

NCVS CAPI Reinterviewer's Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC 1. OBJECTIVE OF THE NCVS CAPI REINTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
TOPIC 2. OVERVIEW OF QC REINTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eligible Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ineligible Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Observed Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eligible Respondents and Callbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telephone Preferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Personal Visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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TOPIC 3. SAMPLE SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How the QC Sample is Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How the Respondents are Chosen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Supplemental QC Reinterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Prior to Assignment Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
During Interview Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activating Inactive Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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TOPIC 4. LAPTOP OPERATIONS FOR QC REINTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reinterview Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting NCVS CAPI QC Reinterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reinterviewer Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Case Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Reinterview Respondent Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Reinterview Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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TOPIC 5. CONDUCTING THE QC REINTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Reinterview Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Don’t Know” and “Refusal” Response Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Reinterview Questions for Cases Treated as Original Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Household Respondent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RE Sample Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QC Reinterview Questions for Cases Treated as Original Noninterviews . . . . . . . . . .
With Contact Person Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Without Contact Person Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reinterview Noninterviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RO Discretion Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Reinterview Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Accessing Notes from the Reinterview Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Accessing Notes Through Case Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Function Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
F10 Function Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
TOPIC 6. FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What is Falsification? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What You Should Do If You Suspect Falsification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Form 11-163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When Should You Contact the Original (S)FR? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Discrepancies between Original Interview and Reinterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Minor Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Serious Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Requesting (S)FRs Be Placed In Supplemental Reinterview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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TOPIC 7. QC OUTCOME, REINTERVIEW (RI) OUTCOME, AND ACTION CODES . . . 7-1
Reinterview (RI) Outcome Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Assignment of Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

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NCVS CAPI Reinterviewer's Manual

TOPIC 1. OBJECTIVE OF THE NCVS CAPI REINTERVIEW
The reinterview program for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Computer
Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) consists of a CAPI Quality Control (QC) reinterview.
Questions about age are included, after roster verification, in order to determine if all teenagers
(12 to 18 years of age) in the household are being reported. Teenagers who have been in school
within the last six months are eligible for the School Crime Supplement (when it is collected).
Other demographic characteristics (sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status), household income,
and household tenure (own or rent) will also be verified and/or collected during reinterview.
Included in the NCVS CAPI QC instrument are questions for a response error (RE) analysis.
The RE analysis will be used as an additional tool to determine the quality of the NCVS data.
The RE questions, asked only for complete original interviews, are asked of the household
respondent and of a randomly chosen RE sample person.
The primary purpose of the NCVS CAPI QC reinterview is to detect and deter (senior) field
representatives ((S)FRs) who may be falsifying data. The NCVS reinterview determines whether
the original (S)FR knowingly falsified information or needs retraining because of a high number
of errors. The reinterview consists of a sample of units that were interviewed or were classified
originally as Type B or C noninterviews.

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TOPIC 2. OVERVIEW OF QC REINTERVIEW
QC Sample

The QC Sample is selected by Headquarters (HQ) and sent
to the Regional Offices (ROs) to make assignments.

Eligible Cases

The QC reinterview sample includes complete original
interviews and Type B and Type C noninterviews (with and
without available telephone numbers).

Ineligible Cases

Original NCVS CAPI cases not eligible for QC reinterview
are:
•
•
•

Type A noninterviews,
Observed cases, and
Cases reassigned to an FR in a different RO.

Note: Original Type A noninterviews and reassigned cases
are not selected by HQ for either QC random or
supplemental reinterview. However, the RO can
activate them as supplemental reinterview cases if
they are among the inactive supplemental cases.
Observed Cases

Once an observed interview is completed, the observer
should mark the case as “observed” in the SFR Functions
on the FR’s laptop. If this is done properly, the “observed”
flag will come in with the completed case. Observed cases
are not eligible for reinterview.
If the RO identifies an observed case in the reinterview
workload that was not made ineligible, the RO can assign it
to a laptop in the office and code the case as a RO
Discretion, “Observed during the original interview.”

Eligible Respondents and
Callbacks

The QC reinterview respondent is the person who
responded in the original interview. For complete original
interviews in reinterview, there will be a household
respondent and an RE sample person (possibly the same
person). If the household respondent is unavailable when
conducting reinterview by telephone, a proxy is NOT
allowed for the household respondent. Proxies are also
not allowed for the RE sample person.
For cases treated as Type B and C original noninterviews in
reinterview, if the contact person is unavailable, proxies are
acceptable. The proxy respondent must be 18 years of age

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or older and knowledgeable about the status of the sample
unit. A callback is necessary if a proxy can not be reached.
Telephone Preferred

Conduct QC reinterview by telephone whenever possible.
If reinterview treats the case as an original Type B or C
noninterview, use the B/C contact person information to
conduct reinterview.
When a QC reinterview case does not have a telephone
number, or the number listed is not valid, use all resources
available to obtain a valid telephone number. Some
suggested resources are: contact person(s), phone discs,
management offices, post offices, web sites, and interview
notes. If unsuccessful, contact the RO.

Personal Visit

Do a personal visit if you cannot conduct a QC
reinterview by phone and the unit is within 50 miles
AND you have RO permission to conduct a personal
visit reinterview.
Some situations that require a personal visit are:
C

The household does not have a valid telephone
number.

C

The telephone number provided in reinterview case
management is not the correct number for the
household the (S)FR interviewed.

C

The household does not want to give information by
telephone.

C

The noninterview case does not have a valid contact
person telephone number.

Note: The “50-mile rule” allows the RO to classify cases
that have no phone number and are more than 50
miles from a NCVS CAPI reinterviewer as a RO
Discretion, “More than 50 miles from nearest
reinterviewer and no phone number.”
Timing

2-2

Conduct QC reinterviews as soon as possible once
assignments for the NCVS CAPI are certified and HQ has
loaded the reinterview cases into the RI_STATUS table.

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NCVS CAPI Reinterviewer's Manual

You will generally receive a QC reinterview case on your
laptop two to three days after the original case is
completed. Each QC reinterview case should be completed
within two weeks of the completion of the original case.
QC reinterview for the NCVS CAPI is expected to begin
one week after NCVS CAPI production starts in 2006. For
each interview period:
•

Reinterview begins one to three days after the start
of production interviewing,

•

Reinterview ends two weeks after interview
closeout in the ROs, and

•

Reinterview closeout in the ROs is three business
days after reinterview ends.

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TOPIC 3. SAMPLE SELECTION
How the QC Sample is
Selected

For the NCVS CAPI, HQ selects the QC reinterview
sample in two stages after the original assignments are
certified. First it selects a sample of (S)FRs who work on
the NCVS CAPI. Then it selects cases to be reinterviewed
for each experienced (S)FR and for each inexperienced
(S)FR. The RO supervisor will then assign the selected
reinterview cases to you.
For this survey, an inexperienced FR is one who has less
than five years of Bureau experience. An inexperienced
SFR is one who has less than two months of Bureau
experience.

How the Respondents are
Chosen

The household respondent is the person who answered the
majority of the questions. This is set by the NCVS
instrument. The RE sample person is randomly selected at
Headquarters from among the household members age 12
or older who have complete original interviews.

Supplemental QC
Reinterview

The RO may add any interviewer with an original
assignment for supplemental QC reinterview. The RO may
place an (S)FR in supplemental reinterview if:
•

The (S)FR is suspected of falsification,

•

The (S)FR has had trouble classifying
noninterviews correctly, or

•

The (S)FR has problems with other aspects of the
interview procedures.

Prior to Assignment
Certification

The RO can assign an (S)FR to supplemental QC
reinterview for a subsequent interview period or before
assignments are certified for the current interview period.
HQ will then select the cases for the supplemental QC
reinterview.

During Interview
Period

A day or two after the regular NCVS cases interview cases
are assigned, eligible NCVS cases that are not part of the
QC regular or supplemental reinterview samples become
“inactive” reinterview cases. If necessary, the RO staff can
activate any of these “inactive” cases and assign them to
SFRs for reinterview.

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Activating Inactive
Cases

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Call the NCVS Supervisor to have inactive cases activated,
that is, assigned to you, if you need more cases to better
detect whether falsification occurred, or if you feel you
need to check more cases for some other reason. The RO
may also choose to activate more cases for an (S)FR.
If an inactive case is activated, it will appear on the laptop
exactly like the other reinterview cases. You must
complete all cases that have been activated.

Timing

Confidentiality

3-2

The input file for activated cases will be transmitted to you
when you make your reinterview transmission.
It is imperative that you and office staff understand the
importance of keeping confidential the names of (S)FRs
and cases selected for reinterview. Reinterview is
compromised if the (S)FR has advance knowledge that any
of his/her cases will be reinterviewed.

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TOPIC 4. LAPTOP OPERATIONS FOR QC REINTERVIEW
Location

NCVS CAPI QC reinterview is selected as a separate
survey option in case management.

Reinterview Software

Reinterviewers authorized to conduct the NCVS CAPI QC
reinterview must have the NCVS CAPI reinterview
software loaded on their laptop before they will be able to
receive the NCVS CAPI reinterview cases.
SFRs and office staff can pick up the QC reinterview
software once it’s available on the server by performing a
pre-set transmission.

Selecting NCVS CAPI QC
Reinterview

Select the “Reint NCVS” icon from the Windows desktop.

Reinterviewer
Transmissions

Until the first NCVS CAPI QC reinterview case appears in
your case management, your laptop will not indicate if you
will receive a reinterview assignment. After each
transmittal, check case management to see if you received
any reinterview cases.
Check your mail messages daily to see if the supervisor has
sent a message alerting you to a reinterview assignment.
To send completed reinterview cases, select the
“Transmissions” icon. Select “Reint NCVS” and perform
either a “Daily” or “Final” transmission. Note: Do not
perform a FINAL transmission until all work has been
completed. After each transmittal, check the NCVS CAPI
reinterview case management to see if any (more)
reinterview cases transmitted to the laptop.

Case Management

QC Reinterview
Respondent Name

QC reinterview case management screens and functions are
almost identical to the NCVS CAPI case management
screens and functions. Information that appears on the
reinterview case management screens will come from the
NCVS CAPI original interview.
The Original Data Tab displays the QC reinterview
respondent name. For complete original interviews, this
name will be the household respondent’s name. For
original Type B/C noninterviews, the reinterview
respondent is the contact person listed on the Contacts Tab.

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Reinterviewers can access the contact person’s name by
selecting the Contacts Tab.
QC Reinterview
Codes

4-2

For each QC reinterview case, the reinterview (RI)
“Outcome” and “Action” codes are displayed on the
Assignment Tab in the details pane. The “QC Outcome”
code is displayed on the Original Data Tab in the details
pane. A list of these codes appears in Topic 7 of this
manual.

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TOPIC 5. CONDUCTING THE QC REINTERVIEW
QC Reinterview Instrument

The QC reinterview instrument has two paths, depending
on whether the reinterview is conducted by telephone or
personal visit. Within each of these two paths, the
instrument also has different paths based on whether it
treats the original case as a complete interview or a Type B
or C noninterview.
The questions asked in the QC reinterview attempt to
determine if the (S)FR properly completed the original
survey and to detect any falsification. The instrument also
asks response error questions to measure consistency in
response.

“Don’t Know” and
“Refusal” Response
Choices

The QC reinterview instrument allows “don’t know” or
“refusal” as possible responses to certain questions. These
two response choices are not displayed, but the
reinterviewer can enter CTRL-D for “don’t know” and
CTRL-R for “refusal” when allowed.

QC Reinterview Questions
for Cases Treated as
Original Interviews

Interview Verification
•

CONTACT_C asks if an interviewer contacted the
household respondent on or about the original
interview date and asked questions about crime
incidents that happened to the household during the
reference period.

•

ORMODE asks if the interviewer visited in person
or called on the telephone.

•

POLITE asks if the interviewer was polite and
professional.

•

LENGTH_H and LENGTH_M are filled by the
respondent’s answer to a question about the length
of the interview.

•

LAPTOP asks if the interviewer used a laptop
computer.

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Household Roster Verification
The ROSTER_1 thru ROSTER_4 screens list the
household roster (each person’s name and information such
as relationship, age, sex, race, and household composition
code) collected or determined during the NCVS CAPI
interview. The household composition code (HHCCODE)
describes changes in household status for each person. (See
Table 1, below, for the values of HHCCODE.) The roster
line will be shaded blue if the individual entered the
household (HHCCODEs 10 - 14) but will be gray if the
individual left the household (HHCCODEs 15 - 19). If the
individual’s status did not change (HHCCODE = “21”) ,
then the roster line is not shaded.
Table 1. HHCCODE - Membership status this period
HHCCODE Description
10

Person turned 12

11

Returned from school or college

12

Returned from institution

13

Entered because of
marriage/separation/divorce

14

Person entered HH for reason other than
above

15

Person died

16

Left for school or college

17

Entered institution

18

Left because of
marriage/separation/divorce

19

Person left HH for reason other than above

20

Visitor - residence elsewhere

21

No change to membership

The roster screens list household members first, followed
by non-household members. The listing of non-household
members (visitors or individuals who left the household) is
in gray. Use these roster screens when reinterviewing cases
treated as original interviews to verify that the household
roster reported in the original is correct.

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C

ROSTER_1 asks if the roster (list of individuals in
the household) is correct.

C

ROSTER_2 instructs you to enter the line numbers
of the household members who weren’t living or
staying at the household on the interview date.

C

ROSTER_3 asks if anyone is missing from the
roster.

C

ROSTER_4 instructs you to enter the name of each
missing household member who was living or
staying there on the interview date.

Function key Shift-F1 allows you to access the household
roster at any time in the reinterview instrument.
Demographic Characteristic Verification/Collection for
Household Members
After verifying the roster (as correct or incorrect), you ask
the household respondent questions about the demographic
characteristics of household members. These screens are
described below.
•

RI_AGECHECK asks if the age reported for a
household member was reported correctly.

•

RI_AGERANGE asks for the age range for a
household member if the age wasn’t reported or
wasn’t reported correctly.

•

RI_SEX_VER asks if the sex reported for a
household member was reported correctly.

•

RI_SEX asks for the sex of a household member if
the age wasn’t reported.

•

RI_RACE_VER asks if the race reported for a
household member was reported correctly.

•

RI_RACE asks for the race of a household member
if the age wasn’t reported or wasn’t reported
correctly.

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•

RI_RACE_SPECIFY collects the race of a
household member if “some other race” was the
response to RI_RACE.

•

RI_ORIGIN_VER asks if the Hispanic origin
reported for a household member was reported
correctly.

•

RI_ORIGIN asks for the Hispanic origin of a
household member if the Hispanic origin wasn’t
reported.

•

RI_MARITAL_VER asks if the marital status
reported for a household member was reported
correctly.

•

RI_MARITAL asks for the marital status of a
household member if the marital status wasn’t
reported or wasn’t reported correctly.

Verification/Collection of Household Income and Tenure
After verifying and/or collecting demographic data about
household members, you will ask questions to verify and/or
collect information about the household income and
household tenure (own or rent).

Household
Respondent

5-4

•

RI_INCOME_VER asks if the household income
was reported correctly.

•

RI_INCOME asks for the household income if the
household income wasn’t reported or wasn’t
reported correctly.

•

RI_TENURE_VER asks if the tenure (whether the
household owns or rents) was reported correctly.

•

RI_TENURE asks for the tenure if the tenure wasn’t
reported or wasn’t reported correctly.

After age verification/collection for household members,
you re-ask the household respondent questions about
household thefts, break ins, and vehicular thefts. These
screens are described below.

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•

RI_SQTHEFT asks if anything was stolen during
the reference period.

•

RI_SQBREAKIN asks if anyone broke in, or
attempted to break in, to the household during the
reference period.

•

RI_SQTOTALVEHICLES asks for the total number
of vehicles owned by any member of the household
during the reference period.

•

RI-SQMVTHEFT asks if any vehicle, or part of any
vehicle, was stolen or used without permission
during the reference period.

The wording of the crime questions differs from that in the
original interview to ensure that the same time period is
referenced in both the reinterview and the original
interview. Associated with these questions are follow-up
questions, as in the NCVS, that request more details about
the crimes. If the household respondent is not available
after a number of attempts, the reinterview instrument will
NOT allow a proxy.
RE Sample Person

After asking the household respondent the household crime
questions, you ask the RE sample person about crimes
affecting him/her. If the RE sample person is not available
the reinterview instrument will NOT allow a proxy to
answer questions for the RE sample person.
•

RI_SQATTACKWHERE asks if, other than any
incidents previously mentioned, the RE sample
person was attacked, threatened, or had anything
stolen during the reference period.

•

RI_SQATTACKHOW asks if the RE sample
person was attacked, threatened, or had anything
stolen in any of a list of ways.

•

RI_SQATTACKKNOWNOFF asks if the RE
sample person was attacked, threatened, or had
anything stolen by someone he/she knows.

•

RI_SQSEXUAL asks if the RE sample person was

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forced or coerced into unwanted sexual activity.
•

RI_SQCALLPOLICECRIME asks if the RE sample
person reported any incidents not previously
mentioned in reinterview that he/she thought was a
crime and happened to him/her during the reference
period.

•

RI_SQNOCALLPOLICECRIME asks if the RE
sample person did NOT report any incidents that
he/she thought was a crime and happened to
him/her during the reference period.

NOTE: The household respondent and the RE sample
person may be the same person; you will not select either of
them. The NCVS RI instrument automatically fills the
names of the household respondent and RE sample person
when appropriate.
QC Reinterview Questions
for Cases Treated as
Original Noninterviews

With Contact Person Information:
•

CONTACT_N asks if an interviewer visited or
called regarding the sample unit address.

•

STATUS asks if the Type B/C noninterview status
is correct, if the noninterview status would be
understandable to a respondent (e.g., demolished)..

•

STAT_PROBE asks what the status of the sample
unit address was on or about the interview date, if
the noninterview status would not be
understandable to a respondent (e.g., outside
segment boundaries).

Without Contact Person Information:
There are no special questions for original Type B/C
noninterview cases which have no contact person
information. Rather, the reinterview instrument paths to
the VERBYOBS screen, which instructs you to use any
available resource to verify the noninterview status reported
by the (S)FR.
Reinterview Noninterviews

5-6

Make a reinterview case a reinterview noninterview only if

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you cannot complete it after several attempts. For cases
treated as original Type B and C noninterviews, a case is a
reinterview noninterview only if you cannot verify the
original noninterview status.
If you make a reinterview case a reinterview noninterview,
the reinterview instrument directs you to enter the outcome
which describes the type of reinterview noninterview. The
question “WHICH OUTCOME DESCRIBES THIS
REINTERVIEW CASE?” on screen NONINT pertains to
the reinterview noninterview type and not the original
noninterview status.
Remember, for a complete reinterview of an original
noninterview, you must verify whether the original
noninterview status reported by the (S)FR is correct or
incorrect. For a reinterview noninterview, you must enter
the noninterview type that describes why you are not able
to complete the reinterview case.
RO Discretion Cases

You may make a reinterview case a “RO discretion”
case only if the RO approves or requests it. The RO
discretion reinterview outcome is only for certain types of
QC reinterviews that cannot be completed (i.e. hard to
interview original case, more than 50 miles from nearest
reinterviewer and no phone number, observed during
original interview, personal visit needed but not authorized,
etc.).
To make a case a RO discretion case, choose “5 - RO/HQ
Discretion - Type A (Contact Supervisor)” on the
METHOD screen in the reinterview instrument. The next
screen, RO_DISC, cautions you to obtain your supervisor’s
permission before choosing one of the listed RO discretion
options.

Reinterview Notes

Reinterview Notes can be accessed either through the
reinterview instrument or through Case Management.
Accessing Notes from the Reinterview Instrument:
Enter details that further explain the reinterview case in the
reinterview notes. The RINOTES_PRE screen at the end of
the reinterview instructs you to enter reinterview notes
about the case, or to view and edit existing reinterview

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notes.
You can view the original interview notes, enter
reinterview notes, or view or edit existing reinterview notes
at any time in the reinterview instrument.
•

Press SHIFT-F12 to view the original interview
notes.

•

Press CTRL-F7 to enter new reinterview notes or
to view or edit existing reinterview notes.

Accessing Notes Through Case Management:
The “Main Display” will indicate whether a case has notes
by an “R,” for reinterview, or an “O,” for original, in the
notes column.
For opened and incomplete reinterview cases, such as cases
that need a “call back,” you can view reinterview notes by
selecting F7 “Notes” at the “Main Display” screen.
You can also view reinterview notes and original interview
notes for reinterview cases that have been wrapped up and
deleted from your case list in the “Main Display.” To do
this, select F8, “View” from the “Main Display,” then
select “Display Cases.” At the “Display Cases” screen,
select “All.” Next highlight the case you are interested in
and select F7 “Notes” to view reinterview notes and
original interview notes.
Frequently Asked
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for the reinterview. which can
also be accessed by Shift-F3 from inside the reinterview
instrument, can be found by clicking on the “FAQs” tab in
the instrument.
Frequently Asked Questions for the original survey, which
can also be accessed by Shift-F2 from inside the
reinterview instrument, can be found by clicking on the
“FAQ” tab in the instrument.

Instrument Function Keys

5-8

Descriptions of the functions keys, comparing original
interview and reinterview, are listed in the table below.

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Table 1. Instrument Function Keys
Reinterview

Original Interview

Item specific Help

Question Help

The “F” Keys
F1
F2

Jump Menu

F3

Display Status

F4

Jump Menu

F5

Jump Menu
Display Status

F6
F7

Enter item specific notes

Item Notes/Remarks

F8

Return from skip

Return

F9
F10

Skip to next Person/Sec
Exit - Skip to END (of the
reinterview - FIN screen)

F11
F12

Exit
Calculator

Copy

Repeat

The “Shift-F” Keys
Shift-F1

Display the household roster
(HHCOMP screen)

Show HH

Shift-F2

FAQs (Display the Original
Survey Frequently Asked
Questions - H_PURPOSE screen)

FAQ

Shift-F3

Reinterview FAQs (RIREASON
screen)

Display History

Shift-F4
Shift-F5

Language

Shift-F6
Shift-F7

View Remarks/Item notes (read
only)

Show notes/Remarks

Shift-F8
Shift-F9

Change Respondent

Shift-F10

Display function keys

Display Function Keys

Shift-F11

Display standard abbreviation list
(H_ABBREVI screen)

Display Standard Abbr.

Shift-F12

Display original CAPI notes

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Reinterview

Original Interview

Don’t know (D)

Don’t Know

The “Ctrl”
Keys
Ctrl-D
Ctrl-E

Blaise Report Error

Ctrl-F

Search Tag

Ctrl-H

Show info

Ctrl-K

Display function key descriptions
(KEY_REF screen)

Display function key descriptions

Ctrl-M

Show Don’t Know and Refusals

Show Don’t Know and Refused

Ctrl-R

Refusal ®)

Refusal

Ctrl-F3
Ctrl-F7

Show Question Text
Access reinterview notes
(read/write)

List of Remarks/Item notes

Special Purpose Keys (on laptop)
Esc

Cancel

Home

Moves to beginning of form

End

Moves to first unanswered field on
path

Moves to first unanswered field on
path

Page Up

Moves backward one page/screen

Moves backward one page/screen

Page Down

Moves forward one page/screen

Moves forward one page/screen

Up Arrow

Move upward or backward one
field

Move upward or backward one
field

Down Arrow

Moves downward or forward one
field

Moves downward or forward one
field

Left Arrow

Moves to previous field

Moves to previous field

Right Arrow

Moves to next field

Moves to next field

F10 Function Key

5-10

Cancel

F10 allows you to exit a case at any time during the
reinterview. Use F10 if you must end the reinterview
because either you or the respondent can no longer continue
at that time or the respondent refuses to continue. F10
brings you to the FIN screen, which in turn leads to the
APPT screen. At the APPT screen you can either schedule
a date and time to continue the reinterview, or you can enter

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“1” if you do not intend to follow up.
•

If you enter a date and time, the instrument sets the
outcome to 202, which allows you to reaccess the
case later.

•

If you enter “1,” the instrument leads you to the
RI_OUTCM screen, where you can make the case a
reinterview noninterview.

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TOPIC 6. FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP
If there are no discrepancies discovered during QC reinterview, you may contact the (S)FR to
commend him/her on a job well done.
What is Falsification?

What You Should Do If
You Suspect Falsification

Data falsification occurs if the (S)FR knowingly deviates
from current interview procedures to avoid interviewing or
interviewing correctly. This includes:
•

making up some or all information,

•

misclassifying eligible units as Type B or C
noninterviews, and

•

deliberately not following all or part of the NCVS
CAPI interview procedures.

Whenever you suspect an (S)FR of falsifying data or
deliberately not following the interview procedures, contact
the RO program supervisor immediately. Do not contact
the (S)FR before speaking to the program supervisor.
If you suspect falsification and need additional information
about the original interview, the RO may request original
interview responses from HQ. These original interview
responses are contained in trace files.

The Form 11-163

The RO program supervisor will investigate the (S)FR’s
assignment and complete a Form 11-163, Field
Representative Data Falsification Follow-up, when you
suspect falsification, unless the RO can clear your
suspicions. The RO program supervisor may require your
assistance in investigating cases and completing the Form
11-163.

When Should You Contact
the Original (S)FR?

When you do not suspect falsification and the supervisor
has no objections with you conferring with the (S)FR, then
meet with the (S)FR as soon as possible after completing
reinterview. The meeting with the (S)FR should be in
person. If a personal meeting is not possible, then a phone
conversation is acceptable.
When meeting with the (S)FR, review the correct
procedures for interviewing and clear up any
misconceptions.

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Before ending the discussion with the (S)FR, verify that the
(S)FR understands how to resolve any detected errors in the
future. Vary the nature and extent of the instructions
according to the seriousness of the errors.
Most importantly, compliment the (S)FR for all the work
that he/she performed correctly.
Discrepancies between
Original Interview and
Reinterview

During the course of the reinterview, the reinterview
instrument checks for certain discrepancies between your
entries and those reported in the original instrument.
•

If the reinterview instrument detects any of these
discrepancies, the FALSIF screen displays “Your
reinterview indicates the following discrepancies:”
and a list of the detected discrepancies.

•

If there are no detected discrepancies, the FALSIF
screen displays “Your reinterview did not indicate
any discrepancies.”

This listing of discrepancies or statement that there are no
detected discrepancies should aid you in determining
whether or not you should suspect falsification.
The codes and descriptions of the possible discrepancies
the reinterview instrument checks are:
Code

6-2

Description

1

The reinterview respondent said no one
contacted the household regarding the NCVS.

2

The reinterviewer determined that the original
status was incorrect.

3

The status of the case was completed by
observation in the original interview. The
reinterviewer determined that the original status
was incorrect.

4

The case was a Type A in the original interview.
The reinterviewer determined that the original
status was incorrect.

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5

The (S)FR classified the unit as a Type B or
Type C Noninterview and the reinterviewer
determined that it should have been an
Interview or Type A.

6

The reinterview respondent indicated that the
original status was incorrect.

7

The household roster was incorrect.

8

Not all survey questions were asked in the
interview.

9

The (S)FR conducted a telephone interview only
instead of a personal visit interview, as required.

10

This case was conducted by a personal visit and
the reinterview respondent said the (S)FR did
not use a laptop.

11

The (S)FR entered a bad telephone number for
the case.

12

Reinterview sample person answered the crime
incident questions in the interview, but did not
answer them in reinterview.

13

Demographic characteristic(s) was/were
incorrectly recorded on roster.

14

The household income and/or tenure was/were
incorrectly recorded.

Minor Errors

If there are minor discrepancies that do not lead you to
suspect major procedural problems or possible falsification,
call the program supervisor and discuss the discrepancies
with him/her. You or the RO supervisor should then call
and discuss them with the (S)FR. If you are instructed to
call the (S)FR, offer suggestions for correcting faulty
techniques or wrong concepts.

Serious Errors

If the discrepancies are indications of serious errors that
lead you to suspect major procedural misunderstandings or
possible falsification, the program supervisor should be the
one to discuss the reinterview with the (S)FR. In this case,

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you should neither call the (S)FR regarding the reinterview
nor mention to the (S)FR that he/she has been in
reinterview.
It is possible that the supervisor may elect to put the (S)FR
in supplemental reinterview to resolve any questions about
the quality of the (S)FR’s work.
The program supervisor, in consultation with their
coordinator, may elect to retrain an (S)FR whose
reinterview indicates they are having serious problems with
the survey concepts, procedures, or interviews. This may
be done by a phone discussion, by special needs
observation, or by having the (S)FR attend all or part of
initial training again.
Requesting (S)FRs Be
Placed In Supplemental
Reinterview

6-4

You can request the RO to place an (S)FR into
supplemental reinterview for a subsequent NCVS interview
period or for other surveys that the (S)FR works on if:
C

You suspect that the (S)FR falsified data,

C

The (S)FR had trouble classifying noninterviews
correctly,

•

The (S)FR had trouble with other parts of the
interview procedures, or

C

A need to check an (S)FR’s work arises at the end
of the current NCVS interview period, giving
insufficient time to reinterview the (S)FR in that
interview period.

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TOPIC 7. QC OUTCOME, REINTERVIEW (RI) OUTCOME, AND ACTION CODES
No Suspected Falsification:
1
Disposition 2Outcome Action
N/A
200
00
N/A
202
01
1
Type As
003
013
014
015
033
034
035
036
037
Type Bs
017
019
020
021
022
023
038
039
41
Type Cs
024
025
026
027
030
031
042

201

10

Description
New case, not started
Accessed instrument, no interview or insufficient
partial
Original interview or noninterview verified as correct

214
214
216
217
218
213
218
215
219

21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21

Unable to complete, bad telephone number
Unable to locate
No one home
Temporarily absent
Refused
Language problem
Respondent can’t remember
Insufficient partial
Other Type A

226
227
230
231
234
228
224
225
233

31
31
31
31
31
31
31
31
31

Vacant
Vacant, storage of household furniture
Converted to temporary business or storage
Unoccupied mobile home, trailer, or tent site
HH institutionalized or temporarily ineligible
Unfit, to be demolished
Entire HH under or over age limit
Temporarily occupied by persons with URE
Other Type B

240
241
243
245
250
251
248

41
41
41
41
41
41
41

Demolished
House or trailer moved
Converted to permanent business or storage
Condemned
Deceased
Moved out of country
Other Type C

1

Disposition (i.e., variable RI_DISP) equals:

001-059 - No suspected falsification
060+
- Suspected falsification
2
All cases except OUTCOME 200, 202, and 201 go to Supervisory Review.

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Disposition Outcome
Misclassified Cases
043
301
044

N C V S - 5 4 6 (November 2010)

Action
11

301

11

046
301
048
301
058
301
Discrepancy Cases
004
301
005
301

11
11
11
11
11

Description
Originally classified as a B, should have been an
Interview or Type A
Originally classified as a C, should have been an
Interview or Type A
Originally classified as a B, should have been a C
Originally classified as a C, should have been a B
Other misclassification - specify in the notes
Discrepancy - laptop not used
Discrepancy - not all questions asked in original
interview
Discrepancy - use of proxy in original when self
response is required
Discrepancy - use of ineligible proxy in original when
proxy is allowed
Discrepancy - incorrect household roster
Discrepancy - telephone interview when personal visit
required

006

301

11

007

301

11

009
011

301
301

11
11

016

301

11

Discrepancy - incorrect demographic data on roster

028

301

11

Discrepancy - incorrect income and/or tenure data

012
301
RO/HQ Discretion
029
312
052
311

11

Other discrepancy - no suspected falsification

21
21

HQ discretion - permanent (sample adjustment)
RO discretion - permanent (hard to interview original
case)
RO discretion - temporary (more than 50 miles from
nearest reinterviewer and no phone number)
RO discretion - temporary (observed during the original
interview)
RO discretion - temporary (personal visit needed, but
not authorized)
HQ discretion - temporary (case management, CAPI
control problems)
RO discretion - temporary (other)

7-2

053

312

21

054

312

21

055

312

21

056

312

21

057

312

21

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Suspected Falsification:
Disposition Outcome
060
301
Type As
105
067
068
069
086
087
089
090
Type Bs
071
073
074
075
076
077
091
092
094
Type Cs
078
079
080
081
083
084
095

NCVS CAPI Reinterviewer's Manual

Action
11

Description
Suspected falsification of a case turned in as an
interview

214
214
216
217
218
213
215
219

21
21
21
21
21
21
21
21

Unable to complete, bad telephone number
Unable to locate
No one home
Temporarily absent
Refused
Language problem
Insufficient partial
Other Type A

226
227
230
231
234
228
224
225
233

31
31
31
31
31
31
31
31
31

Vacant
Vacant, storage of household furniture
Converted to temporary business or storage
Unoccupied tent or trailer site
HH institutionalized or temporarily ineligible
Unfit, to be demolished
Entire HH under or over age limit
Temporarily occupied by persons with URE
Other Type B

240
241
243
245
250
251
248

41
41
41
41
41
41
41

Demolished
House or trailer moved
Converted to permanent business or storage
Condemned
Deceased
Moved out of country
Other Type C

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Disposition Outcome
Misclassified Cases
096
301
097

N C V S - 5 4 6 (November 2010)

Action
11

301

11

099
301
101
301
103
301
Discrepancy Cases
061
301
062
301
063
301

11
11
11
11
11
11

064

301

11

065
066
111

301
301
301

11
11
11

117
118
112

301
301
301

11
11
11

Description
Originally classified as a B, should have been an
Interview or Type A
Originally classified as a C, should have been an
Interview or Type A
Originally classified as a B, should have been a C
Originally classified as a C, should have been a B
Other misclassification - specify in the notes
Discrepancy - incorrect household roster
Discrepancy - not all questions asked in interview
Discrepancy - use of proxy in original when self
response is required
Discrepancy - use of ineligible proxy in original when
proxy is allowed
Wrong unit/person visited originally
Other discrepancy - suspected falsification
Discrepancy - telephone interview when personal visit
required
Discrepancy - incorrect demographic data on roster
Discrepancy - incorrect income and/or tenure data
Discrepancy – laptop not used (RESERVE)

Reinterview (RI) Outcome
Codes

The reinterview (RI) outcome codes listed above refer to
the outcome of the reinterview, not the original interview.
They are generic among all CAPI reinterviews. Many of
the RI outcome codes correspond to their equivalent in the
original interview. However, some do not. Also, there are
some original outcome codes that are not listed as possible
RI outcome codes because they are not realistic outcomes
for reinterview.

Assignment of Codes

The reinterview instrument sets the QC outcome and RI
outcome codes based on your entries to the reinterview
questions. Case Management assigns the action code based
on the RI outcome code.

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Notes

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N C V S - 5 4 6 (November 2010)

Notes

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