Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Topics
Data & Maps
Surveys & Programs
Resource Library
Protocol for Pretesting Demographic Surveys at the Census Bureau
Protocol for Pretesting Demographic Surveys at the Census Bureau
SM93-04
Abstract
The Census Bureau is interested in increasing the amount of pretesting performed on the surveys it conducts and also encouraging the use of recent innovations in pretesting activities. To this end, an interdivisional committee was established within the Bureau to experiment with alternative pretesting activities for surveys in the demographic area and to produce a monograph that develops guidelines for pretesting questionnaires, and specifies a range of pretesting options based on the amount of time and resources available. This monograph covers the following pretest methods: cognitive interviewing techniques, focus groups, behavior coding and analysis, respondent debriefing, interviewer debriefing, split panel tests, and item nonresponse and response distribution analysis. It provides overviews of the methods themselves as well as a discussion of issues involved in their use (e.g., time and cost, study design, reporting of results). It also presents three case studies of the use of these methods in pretesting demographic surveys.
Others in Series
Working Paper
Research on the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals
The Census Bureau recently undertook a research effort to revise the Individual Intake Questionnaire for the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals.
Working Paper
Research on Sources of Undercoverage Within Households
As part of coverage research in the 1990 census, the Census Bureau sponsored ethnographic studies to investigate behavioral causes of coverage errors.
Working Paper
Cognitive Research on the Household Food Consumption Survey
Cognitive testing of the list of foods used by sample households in a given 7-day period in the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey.
Related Information
Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
✕
Is this page helpful?
Yes
No
Yes
No✕
NO THANKS
255 characters maximum
255 characters maximum reached
255 characters maximum reached
✕
Thank you for your feedback.
Comments or suggestions?
Comments or suggestions?
