U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Census Bureau Quality Standards

The Census Bureau's Quality Standards further define the required survey or statistical methodology procedures for all Census Bureau programs. These standards include:

Definitions for Survey and Census Metadata
This standard establishes an approach for informing data users about survey and census metadata associated with all Bureau survey and census documentation and data products by establishing standard definitions for the metadata. This standard has application for both research users and production users.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS10-0_v1.4_Metadata_Definitions    
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS10-1_v1.4_Metadata_Organization    
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS10-2_v1.4_Alphabetized_Metadata    

Pretesting Questionnaires and Related Materials for Surveys and Censuses
This standard sets forth four standards: a minimal standard required for all demographic and economic censuses and surveys, and three recommended standards pertaining to specific situations in which consequences of lapses in data quality are especially high.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document format S11-0_v1.2_Pretesting    
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS11-1_v1.2_Test&Eval_Methods 
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS11-2_v1.2_Key_Indicators    

Minimal Information to Accompany Any Report of Survey or Census Data
The purpose of this standard is to define the minimal information that should accompany any public release of data by the Census Bureau. The standard applies to published reports, releases of electronic microdata, and news releases. It does not apply to product announcements.
Census Bureau Quality Standard: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS12-0_v1.2_Minimal_Info  
Supporting Document A:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS12-1_v1.3_Examples     

Review of Census Bureau Documents and Presentations
The purpose of the review standard is to ensure that all reports, abstracts, papers, articles, and presentations prepared by U.S. Census Bureau staff in all directorates are reviewed for technical content and are of high quality.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS13-0_v1.10_Review
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS13-1_v1.2_Checklist
Supporting Document B:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS13-2_v1.2_Routing_Form
Supporting Document C:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS13-3_v1.2_Participation_Form

Disclosure Review
Title 13 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) mandates that the Census Bureau protect the confidentiality of respondents to our censuses and surveys. This standard will aid the Disclosure Review Board in ensuring that the disclosure risk of data released by the Census Bureau is sufficiently low.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS14-0_v1.3_Disclosure
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS14-1_v1.3_Checklist

Describing the Sources and Accuracy of Tabulations and Estimates
This standard establishes a three tiered approach for informing data users of statistical reliability of data as part of the release of tabular survey and census data through all electronic and paper formats.
Census Bureau Quality Standard: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS15-0_v1.4_Source&Accuracy 
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS15-1_v1.5_Examples_Headnotes 
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS15-2_v1.5_Examples_Hyperlinks  
Supporting Document C: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS15-3_v1.5_Tech_Doc_Statements  

Response Rate Definitions
The purpose of this standard is to ensure that response rates calculations are comparable across all Census Bureau programs. The standard will align Census Bureau reporting of response rates with emerging standards from OMB and will provide guidelines where existing external standards are ambiguous or incomplete.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS18-0_v1.4_Response_Rate
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS18-1_v1.2_Requirements_Demo&Decennial
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS18-2_v1.6_Requirements_Economic
Supporting Document C: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS18-3_v1.2_References

Dissemination of Census and Survey Data Products
This standard ensures that all data published and statistical statements made satisfy the required level of statistical rigor. The Standard accomodates varying types of data products and the nature and extent of the information available on the types of errors that affect the published estimates.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS17-0_v1.3_Dissemination_Data
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document format S17-1_v1.2_Examples
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document format S17-2_v1.3_Req_1_Items

Quality Requirements for Releasing Data Products
This standard defines the Public Data Release Criteria and describes how to handle the release of any data products based on surveys or censuses that do not meet the Census Bureau's quality standards.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS20-0_v1.0_Data_Release
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS20-1_v1.1_Metadata-All_Releases
Supporting Document B: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS20-2_v1.0_Metadata-Unsatisfactory_Releases

Waiver Procedure
This procedure provides a standard mechanism to manage noncompliance with a Quality Standard.
Census Bureau Quality Standard:Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS19-0_v1.0_Waiver_Procedure
Supporting Document A: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS19-1_v1.0_Waiver_Form
Waiver: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatPublic_Employment_Survey

Correcting Information That Does Not Comply with Census Bureau Section 515 Information Quality Guidelines
This standard describes the procedures the Census Bureau will follow if a party outside of the Census Bureau, alleging that the Census Bureau has not adhered to its information quality guidelines, requests correction of data dissemination by the Census Bureau and the data are not covered by the program listed in the document.
Census Bureau Quality Standard: Symbol indicating a file using the Adobe portable document formatS16-0_v1.3_Corrections    

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Methodology and Standards Council
This page is maintained by the Quality Program Staff