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BJS has initiated projects to identify, develop, and test the best methods for collecting self-report data on rape and sexual assault. In June 2011, BJS charged an expert panel from the National Research Council's Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) to examine conceptual and methodological issues surrounding survey statistics on rape and sexual assault and to recommend to BJS the best methods for obtaining such statistics on an ongoing basis. In September 2011, BJS made a competitive award to Westat, Inc., to develop and test two different survey designs for collecting self-report data on rape and sexual assault. One design is to be an optimal design identified by the CNSTAT panel and the other will be similar to designs used in the public health approach for measuring rape and sexual assault. Estimates from these two designs will be compared to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).

Additionally, in 2015, BJS conducted the Campus Climate Survey Validation Study (CCSVS). The purpose of the study is to develop and test a survey instrument and methodology for efficiently collecting valid school-level data on campus climate and sexual violence. Please see the project summary for more information.