Census Bureau Keeps Testing Surveys to Avoid Wasting Time
Published Date: 7/20/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau wants to keep testing online surveys and internet panels to make sure their questions work well and don’t waste your time. They’re asking for your thoughts by September 18, 2026, before getting final approval. This helps keep surveys smart, quick, and less annoying for everyone involved, with no extra cost or big time changes.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Testing Aims To Improve Surveys
The generic clearance will allow the Census Bureau to run internet split-panel experiments and qualitative methods to improve online questionnaires, invitations (emails/texts), procedures, communications, and data tools. A block of hours will be dedicated for these activities for each of the next three years, and methods listed include split sample experiments, remote usability testing, cognitive interviews, focus groups, and debriefings.
You May Be Asked To Pretest Surveys
The Census Bureau plans to recruit individuals and households for internet-based pretesting and qualitative survey-methods testing. The bureau estimates 67,600 respondents per year, about 15 minutes per response, for a total of 16,900 burden hours annually, and an estimated total annual cost to the public of $0.
Comments and Responses Become Public Record
Comments submitted in response to this notice and information voluntarily provided to the Census Bureau as part of these collections will become part of the public record. Personally identifiable information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted may be publicly accessible, and the notice warns not to submit confidential business information or other sensitive data.
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Key Dates
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