Results and Data Analysis for the 2013 Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife--Associated Recreation Survey's Pre-Screener Test

• Activity Number: 536
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Matthew Herbstritt*
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: Address-based survey ; household survey ; self-response ; web questionnaire ; contact rates ; sample design

Abstract

The U.S. Census Bureau must develop new methods to reach households for the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR) while keeping the address-based survey within budget. Telephone contact rates were a major problem for the previous FHWAR survey (2011). As a result, the Census created a pre-screener test to help contact households and potential wildlife-related activity participants through self-response. The15,000 household pre-screener test was implemented in two vastly differently states, New Jersey and South Dakota, with a new sample design using historical knowledge and administrative data aimed to locate wildlife-related activity participants. The test included an embedded experiment between a paper only questionnaire, a web questionnaire, and a paper/web option. The pre-screener test results were reasonably positive with response rates between 21 and 32%. There were little differences between the rural and urban state in response rates, which is a beneficial finding for the National Survey. The test and research findings indicate the pre-screener will likely produce higher contact rates thus saving time, money, and resources.