|
Abstract:
|
The decennial census seeks to maximize household response rates to reduce costs and minimize the number of addresses requiring in-person followup. However there are many challenging factors, including declining survey response rates over time, distrust in government, an increasingly diverse and mobile population, and rapidly changing use of technology. After much research and testing, the 2020 Census will include several key methods to address these challenges and encourage households to self-respond. We will implement a customized communications and partnerships campaign to motivate people. We will also use a tailored contact strategy of mailed invitation materials, including sending a paper questionnaire in the first mailing to areas with relatively lower Internet usage. We will offer an online response option in multiple languages, that allows responses with or without a unique Census ID, to make it easy to respond anytime and anyplace. Finally, Census Questionnaire Assistance will provide telephone help, collect interviews over the phone, and will also include web chat. Mixing modes and tailoring methodology will be core principles for the 2020 Census self-response.
|
