American Community Survey Data Users Group Member Survey

OMB Number: 0607-0760

Expiration Date: July 31, 2017

ACS DATA USERS GROUP Member Survey

DEADLINE IS April 20, 2015 BY 11:59 P.M. EDT

Your responses are voluntary. This survey is being administered by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) through Survey Monkey and resides in a server outside of the Census domain. The Census Bureau cannot guarantee the protection of survey responses and advises against the inclusion of sensitive personal information in any response.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Respondents are not required to respond to any information collection unless it displays a valid approval number from the Office of Management and Budget.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Paperwork Project 0607-0760, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 8H172F, Washington, DC 20233. You may e-mail comments to [email protected]; use Paperwork Project 0607-0760; as the subject.

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and Sabre Systems created this brief survey to collect input from ACS Data Users Group members regarding key ACS issues and data user needs. Results from this survey will be presented in a Plenary Session on May 13 at the upcoming 2015 ACS Data Users Conference. This survey provides a unique opportunity for Data Users Group members to share collective feedback about ACS data issues and user needs with Census Bureau staff and other conference attendees. Individual responses are anonymous; only the aggregate data will be reported and no individual person will be identified. The survey takes 15 minutes to complete. Please respond by April 20, 2015.

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Mark Mather, Associate Vice President of U.S. Programs at the Population Reference Bureau at [email protected] or 202-939-5433.

Thank you for your time and your valuable input!

*1. Are you affiliated with: (Mark all that apply)

1. A federal agency

2. A metropolitan or regional planning agency

3. A state government agency

4. A local government agency

5. A college or university

6. A private, nonprofit organization

7. A private, for-profit organization

8. Other (please specify)

*2. Which comes closest to describing your level of KNOWLEDGE about ACS methods and products?

1. Have basic knowledge of the ACS

2. Have intermediate knowledge of the ACS

3. Have expert knowledge (e.g. know a great deal about ACS methods and products)

*3. Which comes closest to describing HOW OFTEN you use ACS data?

1. Use the data once per year or less

2. Use the data about once per month

3. Use the data about once per week

4. Use the data more than once per week

*4. How long have you been using ACS data?

1. Less than 1 year

2. 1 to 3 years

3. 4 to 5 years

4. 6 or more years

5. The main activities/services of the ACS Data Users Group include an ACS Online Community; an annual ACS Data Users conference; webinars; sessions at professional conferences on key ACS data issues and applications; and a Data Users Group website. Please rate the usefulness of each of these activities/services to your work with the ACS:

(Very Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful Not Applicable)

1. ACS Online Community

2. ACS Data Users Conference

3. Webinars

4. Professional Conference Sessions

5. ACS Data Users Group website (www.acsdatausers.org)

*6. Listed below are some of the key challenges that ACS data users may experience in working with ACS data. Please rate the level of importance of each of the potential challenges below:

(Very Important Challenge Somewhat Important Challenge Not an Important Challenge Not Applicable)

1. Comparing ACS data over time

2. Comparing ACS data to Decennial Census data

3. Combining ACS data with data from other sources

4. Dealing with large margins of error for small geographies (e.g. tracts, block groups)

5. Dealing with large margins of error for small population groups (e.g. Pacific Islanders)

6. Dealing with zero cells in 5-year ACS tables

7. Dealing with table and cell suppression for 1- and 3-year ACS data

8. Changes to ACS survey questions

9. Aggregating ACS data across geographies and calculating the new MOEs

10. Aggregating ACS data across categories and calculating the new MOEs

11. Evaluating whether ACS data are reliable enough for a particular application

12. Changes in ACS geographies (e.g. city boundary changes)

13. Issues associated with the population controls in the ACS

14. Calculating MOEs using Public Use Microdata Sample data

15. Finding the ACS documentation you need

16. Understanding the documentation for ACS data Files

17. Displaying data reliability in maps

18. Deciding on whether to use 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year ACS data

19. Finding the data you need in American FactFinder

20. Working with ACS data for rural or sparsely populated areas

21. Working with the ACS Public Use Microdata Sample files

22. Working with the ACS Summary Files

23. Other Important Challenges (please describe) – open-ended

*7. Listed below are some of the capabilities, tools, or services that might help ACS data users overcome the challenges they experience in working with ACS data. Please rate the usefulness of each of the potential capabilities, tools, or services below:

(Very Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful Not Applicable)

1. Dissemination tool that aggregates standard geographies and calculates MOEs

2. Dissemination tool that aggregates ACS variable categories and calculates MOEs

3. Dissemination tool that allows users to create ACS estimates for custom, user-defined geographic areas (e.g. trade areas) and calculates MOEs

4. Dissemination tool that allows users to create custom cross-tabulations of ACS data for geographies other than States and PUMAs and calculates MOEs

5. Online ACS data visualization tools

6. Data products that provide annual ACS data for small geographic areas (such as the SAIPE estimates)

7. Data products that combine ACS data with information from administrative records or other surveys

8. Ongoing mechanism for providing data user feedback about ACS content, products or data issues

9. Updated handbook for ACS data users, covering key issues, challenges, and opportunities

10. Online training modules showing users how to access and use ACS data

11. Updated presentations with speaker notes that cover key features of ACS data and products

12. Other Useful Capabilities, Services, or Tools (please describe) – open-ended

8. How do you handle ACS data with large margins of error? (Mark all that apply)

1. Suppress the data or do not use it

2. Present the data along with associated MOEs

3. Combine geographies

4. Combine variable categories

5. Move to a multiyear estimate that covers a broader time period

6. Ignore the margins of error

7. Other (please specify)

9. Do you have guidelines you use for determining whether ACS data are reliable enough for a particular application (e.g., based on a particular margin of error or CV)?

1. No

2. Yes

If Yes, please describe: (open-ended)

10. Will the proposed elimination of the three-year ACS data products affect your work?

1. No

2. Not sure

3. Yes

If Yes, please describe how your work will be affected: (open-ended)

11. Any other feedback or suggestions? (open-ended)

Thank you very much for completing this survey.

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