[Federal Register: August 7, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 152)]
[Notices]               
[Page 42365]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au98-63]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of the Census.
    Title: Questionnaire Pretesting Research.
    Form Number(s): Various.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0725.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 5,500 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 5,500.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 1 hour.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau maintains a generic clearance 
which relaxes some of the time constraints and enables the Census 
Bureau to conduct extended cognitive and questionnaire design research 
as part of testing for the censuses and surveys it conducts. This 
research program is used by the Census Bureau and survey sponsors to 
improve questionnaires and procedures, reduce respondent burden, and 
ultimately increase the quality of data collected in Census Bureau 
censuses and surveys. Pretesting activities are generally small-scale 
and involve one of the following methods for identifying measurement 
problems with the questionnaire or survey procedure: cognitive 
interviews, focus groups, respondent debriefings, field tests, and 
split sample experiments.
    A block of burden hours is reserved at the beginning of each year, 
and the particular activities that will be conducted under the 
clearance are not specified in advance. The Census Bureau provides 
information to OMB about the specific pretesting activities on a flow 
basis throughout the year. OMB is notified of each pretesting activity 
in a letter that gives specific details about the activity, rather than 
by means of individual clearance packages. At the end of each year, a 
report is submitted to OMB that summarizes the number of hours used as 
well as the nature and results of the activities completed under the 
clearance.
    Two changes are proposed to the current clearance. First, we plan 
to include the possibility of research about incentives. Second, we 
plan to increase the burden by 1,000 hours to cover the possibility of 
split panel experiments with multiple (more than 2) panels.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, Businesses or other 
for-profit organizations, Farms.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Since many different surveys sponsored by the 
Census Bureau and other Federal Agencies may be pretested under this 
clearance, many different authorities may apply. For Census Bureau 
sponsored surveys, the following may apply: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 
131, 141, 142, 161, 181, 193, and 301. For surveys sponsored by other 
Federal agencies, Title 15 U.S.C., Section 1525 and/or other 
authorities will apply.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nancy Kirkendall, (202) 395-7313.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5327, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Nancy Kirkendall, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: August 3, 1998.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-21119 Filed 8-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P