[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12979-12980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5353]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request; Questionnaire 
Cognitive Interviewing and Pretesting (NCI)

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the 
information collection listed below. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register on December 
17, 2010 (75 FR 79009) and allowed 60 days for public comment. No 
public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow 
an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of 
Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required 
to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, 
revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Proposed Collection: Title: Questionnaire Cognitive Interview and 
Pretesting. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension. Need and 
Use of Information Collection: The purpose of the data collection is to 
conduct cognitive interviews, focus groups, Pilot household interviews, 
and experimental research in laboratory and field settings, both for 
applied questionnaire evaluation and more basic research on response 
errors in surveys. The most common evaluation method is the cognitive 
interview, in which 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 10-15 interviews. When possible, cognitive 
interviews are conducted in the survey's intended mode of 
administration. Cognitive interviewing provides useful information on 
questionnaire performance at minimal cost and respondent burden. 
Similar methodology has been adopted by other federal agencies, as well 
as by academic and commercial survey organizations. There are no costs 
to respondents other than their time. Frequency of Response: Once. 
Affected Public: Individuals and households, Private Sector (business 
or other for-profits, not-for-profit institutions) and possibly, State, 
Local or Tribal Governments. The table below represents the burden over 
a three-year data collection period, which is a typical request for a 
generic submission. The estimated total burden hours requested is 3,600 
for the three-year clearance period. There are no annualized costs to 
respondents. The annualized costs to the Federal Government are 
estimated at $244,000 and include cost of NCI staff to plan, conduct, 
and analyze outcomes of questionnaire development, contracting for 
pretesting activities and research, travel costs, and additional 
materials needed to conduct and recruit participants for the research. 
There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs, and/or Maintenance Costs 
to report.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Frequency of
               Type of respondents                   Number of      responses/     Average hours   Burden hours
                                                    respondents     participant    per response
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Physicians, Scientists, and similar Respondents.           1,200               1           75/60         1,500.0
                                                                                          (1.25)
Experts in their Field..........................             600               1           75/60           750.0
                                                                                          (1.25)
Administrators/Managers.........................             600               1           75/60           750.0
                                                                                          (1.25)
General Public..................................           1,200               1           30/60           600.0
                                                                                           (0.5)
�������������������������������������������������
    Total.......................................           3,600  ..............  ..............         3,600.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies should address one or more of the 
following points: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions 
regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding 
the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be 
directed to the: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory 
Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on 
the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans 
and instruments, contact: Dr. Gordon Willis, PhD., Cognitive 
Psychologist, Applied Research Program, DCCPS, NCI/NIH, 6130 Executive 
Blvd, MSC 7344, EPN 4005, Bethesda, MD 20892 or call non-toll-free 
number 301-594-6652 or e-mail your request, including your address to: 
[email protected].

[[Page 12980]]

    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: February 28, 2011.
Vivian Horovitch-Kelley,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-5353 Filed 3-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P