Census Bureau Seeks Comment on Proposed Elimination of ACS Questions
On October 31, the U.S. Census Bureau within the Department of Commerce issued a request for public comment related to the 2014 Content Review of the American Community Survey (ACS). According to the Federal Register Notice, the 2014 review āis the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken by the Census Bureau to review content on the survey, seeking to understand which federal programs use the information collected by each question, the justification for each question, and assess how the Census Bureau might reduce respondent burden.ā The review looked at the ACSās 72 questions and proposed removal of seven from the annual questionnaire. Among the seven questions slated for elimination is the question on āUndergraduate Field of Degree.ā This potential move raises concerns for many in the social and behavioral sciences community, as well as the National Science Foundationās National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, which uses the data collected via the āfield of degreeā question in its efforts to measure and track the U.S. science and engineering workforce.
More information can be found in the Federal Register Notice. Comments are due December 30, 2014.