| Dates: | Tuesday March 6 through Thursday March 8, 2007. |
| Place: | Bureau of Labor Statistics Conference Center, Postal Square Building, 2 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. 20212 |
| Sponsors: | The U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Workshops Program
Opening Day - Tuesday, March 6, 2007
A. Plenary Sessions (Tuesday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon)
The meetings will begin with a brief welcome and announcements by John Bosley and two 80-minute, consecutive, plenary sessions.
P-1. Opening Keynote Plenary: Where Do We Go From Here?
Reg Baker <reg_baker@marketstrategies.com>, Chief Operating Officer, Market Strategies ( presentation (
, 3.8mb) ).
P-2. Panel Plenary: Which Technologies and Methodological Developments Should We Emphasize for the Next Decade?
Where do federal/government CASIC surveys currently stand in their use of technology and new methodologies? How have we changed in the last decade and what will both federal and private sector surveys be like in 2017? Where should agencies devote their resources to save time, reduce costs, or improve data quality in the coming decade? Panelists will be asked to look into their crystal balls and make predictions we can revisit in 10 years.
Panelists:
| Panelist | Organization |
|---|---|
| Bob Bass | National Agricultural Statistics Service |
| Susan Lensen | Statistics Canada |
| Patty Maher | Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan |
| Elizabeth Miller | DatStat Inc. |
| Susan Mitchell | Research Triangle Institute |
| Jim O'Reilly | Westat |
| Mark Pierzchala | Mathematica Policy Research |
Coordinator: Bill Mockovak <mockovak.william@bls.gov>.
B. Concurrent Sessions (Tuesday 1:30-4:30 pm)
B-1. Recent Innovations and Lessons Learned at Participating Organizations
Schedule of Speakers:
| Presenter(s) | Organization | Time | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls & Bosley | BLS and Census Bureau - Introduction | 1:30 | presentation (, 141kb) |
| Cheryl Landman | Census Bureau | 1:35 | |
| Jane Shepherd | Westat | 1:47 | presentation (, 53kb) |
| Karen Davis | Research Triangle Institute | 1:59 | |
| Judy Petty | NORC | 2:11 | |
| Robert Dana | Macro International Inc. | 2:23 | |
| Lon Hofman | Blaise- Statistics Netherlands | 2:35 | |
| BREAK | 2:50 | ||
| Bill Mockovak | Bureau of Labor Statistcs | 3:05 | |
| Mark Pierzchala | Mathematica | 3:17 | |
| Susan Lensen | Statistics Canada | 3:29 | |
| Patty Maher | SRC-Michigan | 3:41 | |
| Reg Baker | Market Strategies | 3:53 | |
| Tom Schnetlage | CASES - U.C. Berkeley | 4:05 | |
| Bill Nicholls | Summary | 4:20 | |
Coordinators: Bill Nicholls <wlnicholls2@verizon.net> and John Bosley <bosley.john@bls.gov>.
B-2. Software and Application Demonstrations
This year we will continue to offer demonstrations of CASIC instruments and software in a mini exhibit hall setting, where attendees can move among exhibitors throughout the demonstration period. Space is anticipated for nine (9) concurrent demonstrations.
Please note that BLS LAN security rules have been tightened. Exhibitors are prohibited from using non-BLS computers to access the internet through the BLS LAN. Wireless access is not available. A limited number of BLS computers will be available if internet access is required. Non-BLS computers may be used for stand-alone presentations. For addition technical information, contact the session coordinator.
Organizations interested in demonstrating should send a brief proposal describing the nature of the demonstration and equipment required to Louis Harrell <harrell.louis@bls.gov>.
Only representatives of Federal agencies or Federal survey contractors may make presentations. Software vendors may participate in demonstrations only when invited by a Federal agency or Federal survey contractor to assist in its presentation.
Coordinator: Louis Harrell <harrell.louis@bls.gov>.
B-3. CAI Data Documentation Workshop - How to Bridge the Gap
In small organizations, survey authors do it all: propose the survey, develop the questions, author the instrument, supervise the collection, publish the analyses, and maintain the documentation. As projects and organizations grow in size, each of these functions become more complex. In large organization they can not be done by one person, but are carried out by separate teams. How do we as large organizations maintain the level of understanding about our surveys that a one person operation does?
A new attempt to deal with this issue is being conducted within the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI). The soon-to-be-released version 3 of the DDI includes an instrument documentation module as a part of the comprehensive documentation of a study. The presentations in this session will describe the structure of the new DDI instrument documentation module and will also review current instrument documentation efforts at Statistics Canada, the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center and other organizations (to be announced). Presentations and/or panellists welcome. Please contact the coordinators.
Coordinator: John Ladd <john.ladds@statcan.ca> and Tom Piazza <piazza@berkeley.edu>.
WEDNESDAY MORNING - March 7, 9:00 am -12:00 noon
Concurrent Sessions
WA-1. Best Practices for Web Surveys .
As Web-based surveys continue to increase in popularity across many content areas, various best practices of web survey design and implementation have evolved. This session will explore the types of best practices currently being utilized by research organizations. Presenters will discuss a variety of topics surrounding best practices including, but not limited to: web-survey design, web-survey implementation, security regulations, respondent contact, and data processing. The session will close with a panel discussion with all presenters and the audience. Audience participation and input will be strongly encouraged.
| Topic | Speaker(s) | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Web Survey Work at GAO | Kevin Dooley, GAO | presentation (, 249kb) |
| Best Practices for an EIA Corporate Internet Data Collection | Paula Weir and Betty Barlow, EIA | presentation (, 418kb) |
| Data Collection and the Challenges of a Disconnected Population | Ed deWolfe, Macro International Inc. | |
| Best Practices for Establishment Web Surveys | Grace O'Neill, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 227kb) |
| Balancing Best Practices with Innovative Approaches | Elizabeth Miller, DatStat | presentation (, 358kb) |
Coordinators: Duston Pope <duston_pope@marketstrategies.com> and Andrew Zukerberg <andrew.l.zukerberg@census.gov>.
WA-2. Best Practices in CAI Application Development.
This session will discuss best practices for the development of CAI instruments, specifically best practices in the development and implementation of CAI questionnaire specifications. Presentations by CAI system developers and content specialists responsible for writing specifications will address tools and methods for developing and managing changes to questionnaire specifications that help reduce development and implementation burden and increase the quality of fielded software.
Coordinators: Mike Egan <mike.egan@statcan.ca> and Charlotte Schleper <cschleper@rti.org>
WA-3. Security in CASIC Surveys.
This session will begin with a conceptual overview of security in survey organizations and discuss current problems faced by several major survey organizations as reported by a panel or their representatives. Topics will include: Why do we care about security? What are the potential costs of failure? Where does risk reside? and Approaches to mitigating risks.
Presentation Materials:
- CASIC Security Issues (, 143kb), Tim Gabel <tjg@rti.org> - RTI International
Coordinators: Bill Connett <bconnett@isr.umich.edu> and Jim Kennedy <kennedy.jim@bls.gov>.
WA-4. Federal Management Challenges: Coping with 9/11, the IRS modernization failure, and retiring baby boomers.
In recent years, bureaucratic organizations have reacted to high profile events in characteristic fashion - with regulations, standards, and enough red tape to circle the globe several times. 9/11 brought us Continuity of Operations Planning; large profile IT fiascos like the IRS modernization failure brought us Capital Planning and Investment Control oversight by the Office of Management and Budget. And as if that weren't enough, our aging workforce is retiring faster than we can say "retention bonus".
If these woes sound familar, this is a workshop you won't want to miss. An expert panel will share ideas for how to cope with these and other managerial challenges. Audience members are encouraged to add to the discussion - with questions, ideas, and stories from your organization. Misery loves company...and maybe the company will bring some "chicken soup" for the harried manager.
Coordinators: Anne Stratton <astratton@cdc.gov>, NCHS and Karen Deaver <karen.d.deaver@census.gov>, U.S. Census Bureau.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON - March 7, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
Concurrent Sessions
WP-1. Multimode Survey Management .
This session focuses on issues related to fielding and management of multimode surveys. This session will include discussion related to (1) staging of modes; (2) running modes simultaneously; (3) development of multimode surveys and maintaining consistency in data quality across modes; and (4) tracking performance of modes. Presenters will discuss these issues in the context of telephone/web, telephone/fax/e-mail, and paper/telephone/face-to-face survey designs.
| Topic | Presenter(s) | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Mode Consistency Guidelines: Asking Questions in Multimode Surveys | Jennifer Hunter Childs, Theresa J DeMaio, Eleanor Gerber, Joan Marie Hill, Elizabeth Ann Martin, and Courtney N Reiser, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 3.3mb) |
| Mixed Mode Survey Management | Patty Maher, University of Michigan | |
| Transitioning Panel Respondents from CATI to Web: The Kauffman Firm Survey Experience | David DesRoches and Tom Barton, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc | |
| Use of Multimode Data Collection and Dissemination Methods in Quick Turnaround Surveys | Benita O'Colmain, Macro International Inc. and Paula Weir, Energy Information Administration | presentation (, 1.8mb) |
| Multimode Data Collection within the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) | Gail Gregory, NASS |
Coordinators: Mark Pierzchala <mpierzchala@mathematica-mpr.com> and Debra Wright <dwright@mathematica-mpr.com>.
WP-2. Collection and Use of Paradata.
Paradata are data about the survey process, at three levels (Couper and Lyberg 2005): the global level (e.g., response and coverage rates), the individual data record level (e.g., flag for imputed data), and survey item level (e.g., question time stamps and keystrokes). This session will begin with brief (15 minute) presentations describing what each of several organizations is doing with paradata. The workshop will take a break and then move into a panel discussion format, with an hour or more of questions and discussion. Attendees will be invited to share what they have been doing with paradata, or to pose lots of questions.
| Topic | Presenter(s) | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Collection and Use of Paradata | Sue Ellen Hansen, SRC, University of Michigan and Megan Henley, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 121kb) |
| Using Audit Trail Data to Evaluate Collection Quality | Mike Egan <mike.egan@statcan.ca>, Statistics Canada | presentation (, 1.1mb) |
| Using Paradata for Production Monitoring of the National Survey of Family Growth | Nicole Kirgis <nkirgis@umich.edu> and Robert M. Groves, SRC, University of Michigan | presentation (, 304kb) |
| Active Management & Analysis of Call Transaction History Files for Statistics Canada Surveys | François LaFlamme <francois.laflamme@statcan.ca> and Mike Maydan <mike.maydan@statcan.ca>, Statistics Canada | presentation (, 370kb) |
| Web Survey Trace File Analysis at the GAO | Carl Ramirez <ramirezc@gao.gov>, U.S. Government Accountability Office | presentation (, 173kb) |
| PANDA - A Dynamic Tool for Tracking Progress and Performance in Real Time | Mark Stringer <mark.c.stringer@census.gov>, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 450kb) |
Coordinator: Sue Ellen Hansen <sehansen@umich.edu> and Megan Henly <megan.m.henly@census.gov>.
WP-3. Collection Technologies (Mobile Computing, GIS, New Collection Options).
Presentations will cover emerging technologies and methodologies in data collection, including the use of mobile computers, event sampling, location-based technologies (e.g., GPS), and geographic information systems (GIS).
Presentation Materials:
- Mobile ACASI (, 860kb), Stephen Litavecz <slitavecz@rti.org> and Kevin Wilson <kwilson@rti.org> - RTI International
- Field Data Collection Automation in the 2010 Census (, 1.2mb), Jack Marshall <john.w.marshall@census.gov> - U.S. Census Bureau
- Mobile and Bluetooth Wireless Technologies in Longitudinal Surveys of Human Exposure-Related Behavior (, 2mb), Ann Zhang <azhang@rti.org> - RTI International
Coordinators: Jean Fox <fox.jean@bls.gov> and Sarah Nusser <nusser@iastate.edu>.
WP-4. Survey Uses of Metadata.
Metadata are data that describe other data or processes. They are used to document design decisions and to drive processing in an automated fashion. For users of data, the metadata are the record of how those data were produced and what the data mean. As Phil Rones, Deputy Commissioner of BLS, puts it, metadata are analogous to the work you had to show when solving a math problem in high school. In order to understand the data a survey produces, you must know the steps that were taken to solve that problem.
Surveys work provides many opportunities to use metadata fruitfully, throughout the survey life-cycle. This session will explore some of these. Since the opportunities are so many and varied, this session can only touch a fraction of the possible applications. Examples include survey conceptualization, design (sample, question, or database), editing, imputation, coding, classifications, and many more.
The speakers, their affiliations, and presentation titles for this year's session are :
| Topic | Speaker(s) | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Standards-Based Approach | Pascal Heus, Open Data Foundation | presentation (, 4.1mb) |
| The Benefits of Implementing Metadata Documentation: The NORC Experience | Julia Lane, NORC | |
| Data Documentation Initiative, Version 3 | Mary Vardigan, ICPSR | presentation (, 243kb) |
| Metadata Management at Statistics Canada | Alice Born, Statistics Canada | presentation (, 2.9mb) |
Coordinator: Dan Gillman <gillman.daniel@bls.gov>, BLS.
THURSDAY MORNING - March 8, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Concurrent Sessions
TA-1. New Technologies for Surveys.
Taking the idea of collaboration as a loose thread, this session includes the following presentations with ample time for discussion. The third presentation will lead into an informal discussion of the issues involved with instrument design environments that link subject matter experts and technical staff.
| Topic | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|
| Facilitating international collaboration through the Universal Translator ™ | Kevin Wilson, RTI International |
| Decentralizing survey work: Virtual CATI, VOIP and more | Randy Olsen, Ohio State University |
| Technological development for NHANES | Lew Berman, et al, National Center for Health Statistics |
Coordinator: David Uglow <duglow@rti.org>, RTI International
TA-2. Accessibility in CASIC Surveys.
This session will address issues in building accessible data collection instruments and meeting Section 508 requirements. Presenters will share their experiences and lessons learned regarding establishing an accessibility program in general, as well as building accessibile data collection instruments in particular.
| Speaker | Organization | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jim O'Reilly | Westat | presentation (, 248kb) |
| Dana Marlowe | TecAccess | presentation (, 3.5mb) |
| Paul Schafer | U.S. Department of State |
Coordinators: Jean Fox <fox.jean@bls.gov>, BLS and Jim O’Reilly <oreillj1@westat.com>, Westat.
TA-3. CASIC Methods for Establishment and Institution Surveys.
Over the past ten years, agencies and organizations have adopted wide-scale use of the internet and automated tools for collecting, communicating, and disseminating information to data providers and data users. This section focuses on: (a) effective ways that managers of establishment surveys are working with data providers to obtain timely and accurate data; (b) methods being used to electronically collect and transmit data; and (c) policies and practices that better enable the use of the internet for program collection.
| Topic | Speaker(s) | Material(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Using Software to Collect Data Electronically for the Economic Census | Amy Anderson, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 387kb) |
| The Economic Census Business Help Site | Charles Brady, U.S. Census Bureau | presentation (, 1.2mb) |
| Electronic Survey Data Collection at BEA | Stephen Holliday, BEA | |
| Web-Lite Data Collection and Dissemination Systems | Michael Levi, BLS | |
| School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) Data Collection Management System | Ben Harper, Macro International Inc. | presentation (, 1.4mb) |
Coordinators: Daniel Wellwood <daniel.wellwood@census.gov> and Deborah Stempowski <deborah.m.stempowski@census.gov>.
TA-4. Individualized CAI Interviews and Web Designs: Adapting CAI to Individual Respondent and Interviewer Needs.
Short presentations about tailoring help, question wording, and on-line edits for surveys, and about providing display, entry and navigation choices for interviewers and Web survey respondents. This session may also include a panel discussion about research on human-computer interaction to support interpersonal communication (e.g., interfaces for help desk systems, hotline call answering systems).
Coordinator: Brad Edwards <bradedwards@westat.com>.