Reengineering the 2010 Census Risks and Challenges (2004) / Chapter Skim
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9 Census Tests
9 Census Tests
Pages 225-238
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From page 225... ...
From all indications, the Census Bureau is not eager to repeat the experience of the 2000 census, in which the lateness in reaching a general census design limited the effectiveness of operational testing. Under the heading "Lessons Learned from Census 2000," Waite (2002)
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From page 226... ...
Of these, one is already complete the 2003 National Census Test, described in Box 9.1 and the 2004 Census Test is currently being fielded (see Box 9.24. Only two major testing opportunities remain prior to 2010: the 2006 census test, which the Census Bureau has described as a systems test, and the 2008 dress rehearsal.
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From page 227... ...
Still, the Census Bureau faces the unique problem of constructing a rigorous testing protoco! under available appropriated funds, and the peak years for census testing at the middle, and not the end, of the decadeare historically lean for funding of decennial census activities.
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From page 228... ...
Experimental settings varied by whether "some other race" was offered as a choice in the categories for race, whether wording was slightly revised to ask respondents if they are Hispanic or if they are of Hispanic origin, and whether instructions directed respondents to answer both questions. The test was rounded out by a control group of 20,000 households; this group's questionnaire included the race and Hispanic origin questions worded as they were in the 2000 census (unlike the 2000 census context, the control group households were eligible for a replacement questionnaire in nonresponse follow-up in the 2003 test)
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From page 229... ...
Treatment groups for which instructions were revised, instructing respondents to answer both the race and Hispanic origin questions, produced the most puzzling results; levels of missing data on one or both questions increased, as did the percentage of reporting themselves as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (relative to the control group)
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From page 230... ...
The operational plan for the 2004 test suggests four ma Or topics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003a:4-5~: · Portable computing devices: The clear primary thrust of the 2004 test is to assess the use of portable computing devices, equipped with GPS receivers, in field work for nonresponse follow-up (NRFU)
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From page 231... ...
In the specific context of the 2010 census, for example, the Census Bureau cannot wait until portable computing devices are fully mature or until the MAF/TIGER database structure is complete and in operation to begin testing those components, and it certainly cannot wait for the MAF/TIGER piece to be completed before PCD development even though the former is a key information input to the latter. EThese examples are merely to illustrate a basic interdependence; we do not imply that the Bureau is waiting until completion for the testing of either of these elements.]
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From page 232... ...
When possible and as resources permit, the Census Bureau should make use of other opportunities to evaluate alternative components of the 2010 design. Such opportunities might include small-scale experiments and feasibility tests, use of focus groups or small-scale laboratory-based studies for issues such as questionnaire format and other matters involving
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From page 233... ...
interactive voice response modes, especially foreign language submissions. Of these, the highest priority is that of the human factors relative to the use of portable computing devices; as we noted in Section 5-A, the ultimate success of the PCDs will rely crucially on their usability by a corps of enumerators
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From page 234... ...
Some of these trade-offs are as follows: Use of PCDs for Follovv-up Interviewing In Section 5-A.2, we describe the primary argument that the Census Bureau has used to support the plans for use of PCDs in nonresponse follow-up work: namely, that the devices will substantially reduce the amount of paper involved in the census. With the reduction in paper, the Bureau has argued that the number and size of local census offices may be reduced and that significant increases in data capture efficiency will further reduce costs.
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From page 235... ...
and will have the benefits of automated data capture and the capacity for in-process edits and consistency checks. The cost of providing an Internet response option will be relatively minor, though the costs of protective security measures to prevent breaches by hackers must also be considered.
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From page 236... ...
should be measured; the 2003 test included an Internet choice as well as an option that pushed both the Internet and telephone-based interactive voice response systems, the latter of which encountered difficulties. Alternative ways of making the Internet response choice more prominent in the mailed materials should also be explored.
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From page 237... ...
. Coverage Evaluation Methodology (Section 7-AJ: Because assessment of the completeness of the census count is essential, the Census Bureau should develop candidate methods for coverage evaluation of the 2010 census, test them in the 2006 census tests, and test final methodology in the 2008 dress rehearsal.
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From page 238... ...
9-C.4 Site Selection As a final remark, site selection for the 2006 census test is extremely important. The Census Bureau typically selects a small number of counties for its test censuses to provide an effective test of its procedures.
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