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Activity Number: 67
Type: Topic Contributed
Date/Time: Sunday, July 31, 2016 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
Abstract #319857
Title: Removing Survey Questions Through Aggregation: Assessing the Balance Between Specificity, Accuracy, and Burden Through Cognitive Interviewing
Author(s): Jennifer Crafts* and Rachel Tesler and Brandon Kopp and Erica Yu-Wright and Laura Erhard
Companies: Westat and Westat and Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics
Keywords: Consumer Expenditure Survey ; cognitive testing ; expenditure data ; global questions
Abstract:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is redesigning the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE), which provides data on the buying habits of America's consumers. One of the new components, the in-person recall interview, requires respondents to report their household's expenditures for 38 expenditure categories for the preceding three-month period. Theoretically, asking a "global" question -- about expenses for an aggregate or high-level expenditure category -- requires less time and is less burdensome for both interviewer and respondent than asking a longer series of questions about individual items within a category. A study to test 116 global questions covering all 38 expenditure categories was completed in 2015. The main objective was to identify the appropriate level of aggregation and wording of questions needed to capture accurate expenditure data. Westat conducted a total of 85 cognitive interviews in nine iterative rounds to test and refine the questions. This presentation will cover the study methods and results. The focus will be the lessons learned in balancing specificity vs. generality in wording of the questions, with the goal of achieving accurate expenditure reporting.


Authors who are presenting talks have a * after their name.

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