Daily Self-Response Check-in Rates and Daily Internet Usage Rates for the January and February 2013 Panels

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Beginning in January 2013, the American Community Survey (ACS) introduced an Internet option for respondents along with a new mailing strategy. Each month, all sample addresses with a complete mailing address receive information on how to access the Internet instrument to provide their response to the ACS. If we do not receive an Internet or telephone questionnaire assistance (TQA) response from the address after about two weeks, the address receives another mailing that includes a paper questionnaire. Respondents then have the choice to either access the Internet to provide a response, complete the paper questionnaire and mail it to the National Processing Center (NPC) for data capture, or provide a response via TQA. Addresses that respond by Internet, mail, or TQA constitute self-response in 2013, which is comparable to mail or TQA response in 2012 and earlier. The term "self-response"€™ indicates that the respondent took the initiative to provide a response as opposed to interview-administered responses from non-responding addresses. This evaluation will examine the rate at which we receive self-responses in 2013 and compare it to the inflow of 2012 self-responses. This study will also investigate daily Internet usage rates to aid in understanding Internet respondent behavior.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021