Census Seeks Approval to Keep Testing Its Online Surveys
Published Date: 11/5/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau is asking for approval to keep testing online surveys and messages to make them easier and better for people to use. This affects about 67,600 participants who spend just 15 minutes each helping improve future surveys. The goal is to reduce hassle, boost data quality, and keep everything running smoothly without changing current rules or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Short volunteer testing sessions
The Census Bureau plans to collect responses from 67,600 individuals who will each spend 0.25 hours (15 minutes) once helping test internet-panel surveys and messages; total burden hours are 16,900. Participation is voluntary, the activity is a regular extension without change under OMB Control Number 0607-0978, and tests may include split panel experiments, remote usability testing, cognitive interviews, focus groups, and debriefings.
Testing to reduce future survey burden
The Census Bureau will use these internet-panel and qualitative tests to try to reduce respondent burden, improve online questionnaires and procedures, and increase data quality for future decennial and demographic censuses and surveys. Results from these tests are for research purposes (not official statistics) and may be included in research reports, presentations, or professional publications.
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