What Counts as Group Quarters? A Glimpse of Total Coverage Errors and Costs Model in Census

• Activity Number: 25
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, July 29, 2012 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Asaph Chun*+ and Anna Y. Chan and Diane Barrett and Andre Williams and Judy Belton
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: Coverage error ; Census ; Cost model ; Total survey error ; Group Quarters

Abstract

Group Quarters (GQs) population data inform policies affecting institutionalized population in correctional and juvenile facilities and nursing facilities, as well as non-institutionalized population in college/university resident halls and military barracks. In this paper we examine practices and standards of identifying and classifying GQs facilities and enumerating the population residing in them. One size of standards does not fit all types of GQs and their complexities. We apply a census total coverage error and cost model to review and assess GQs census measurement tools and best practices. Census error and cost models for the enumeration of GQs are developed by benchmarking to total survey errors and cost models that integrate statistical and social science approaches (Groves, 1989; Groves, 2010). We use case studies to illustrate potential sources of census coverage errors and cost components appropriate for GQs. The intent is to demonstrate how the total survey error and cost paradigm might be extended to GQs for optimizing data quality within budgetary constraints.