The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing monthly survey that collects detailed housing and socioeconomic data from about 3.5 million addresses in the United States and about 36,000 addresses in Puerto Rico each year. The ACS also collects detailed socioeconomic data from about 195,000 residents living in Group Quarter (GQ) facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico. Resulting tabulations from this data collection are provided on a yearly basis. The ACS allows the Census Bureau to provide timely and relevant housing and socioeconomic statistics, even for low levels of geography.
An ongoing data collection effort with an annual sample of this magnitude requires that the ACS continue research, testing, and evaluations aimed at improving data quality, reducing data collection costs, and improving the ACS questionnaire content and related data collection materials. The ACS Methods Panel is a research program designed to address and respond to survey issues and needs. As part of the Decennial Census Program, the ACS also provides an opportunity to research and test elements of survey data collection that relate to the decennial census. As such, the ACS Methods Panel can serve as a testbed for the decennial census. From 2021 to 2024, the ACS Methods Panel may test ACS and decennial census methods for reducing survey cost, addressing respondent burden, and improving survey response, data quality, and survey efficiencies. The ACS Methods Panel may also address other emerging needs of the programs.
At this time, plans are in place to propose several tests related to self-response, group quarters, and nonresponse followup data collection operations. Tests may also be conducted to explore the use of administrative records. Because the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging issues, we may propose additional testing as needed. Any testing would focus on methods for reducing data collection costs, improving data quality, improving the respondent experience, revising content, or testing new questions that have a need to be included in the Decennial Census Program.
As an ongoing testing program, the ACS plans testing in 3-year increments in line with the OMB Clearance process. Testing proposed here is in reaction to emerging issues related to improving data quality, reducing data collection costs, and improving the ACS questionnaire content and related data collection materials. Changes in technology, emerging societal issues, and cutting-edge survey methodology necessitate testing to maintain the highest relevance for ACS survey estimates. Additionally, since the ACS Methods Panel can serve as a testbed for the decennial census, census methods that showed promise in the 2020 Census but could not be fully evaluated due to Census environment constraints are good candidates for ACS Methods Panel testing from 2021 to 2024. The agility of this ongoing testing program benefits the larger field of survey methodology, as well as contributing specifically to reducing survey cost, addressing data collection efficiencies, and improving data quality for the ACS and decennial census.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
ACSMethodsPanel_SupportingStatementB_052521.docx
ACS Methods Panel Test