03-14845. Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on [phone].

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments to Dale Verell, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project: Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL) 2004-2007, (OMB No. 0920-0222)—Revision—National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The QDRL conducts questionnaire pre-testing and evaluation activities for CDC surveys (such as the NCHS National Health Interview Survey) and other federally sponsored surveys. The most common questionnaire evaluation method is the cognitive interview. In a cognitive interview, a questionnaire design specialist interviews a volunteer participant. The interviewer administers the draft survey questions as written, but also probes the participant in depth about interpretations of questions, recall processes used to answer them, and adequacy of response categories to express answers, while noting points of confusion and errors in responding. Interviews are generally conducted in small rounds of about 12 interviews; ideally, the questionnaire is re-worked between rounds and revisions are tested iteratively until interviews yield relatively few new insights. When possible, cognitive interviews are conducted in the survey's intended mode of administration. For example, when testing telephone survey questionnaires, participants often respond to the questions via a telephone in a laboratory room. This method forces the participant to answer without face-to-face interaction, but still allows QDRL staff to observe response difficulties, and to conduct a face-to-face debriefing. In general, cognitive interviewing provides useful data on questionnaire performance at minimal cost and respondent burden (note that respondents receive remuneration for their travel and effort). Similar methodology has been adopted by other federal agencies, as well as by academic and commercial survey organizations. There are no costs to respondents.

Respondents	Number of respondents	Number responses per respondent	Average burden per response (in hrs.)	Total burden (in hrs.)
Test Volunteers	500	1	72/60	600
Total				600

Dated: June 6, 2003.

Thomas A. Bartenfeld,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.