文摘
As part of the Census Bureau’s effort to prove the operational feasibility of the American Community Survey (ACS), the Bureau contracted with local experts to conduct comparative analyses of the 1999–2001 ACS estimates with the 2000 Census data for various test counties. One of the goals of the ACS is to replace the decennial census long form. The resulting research papers analyzed various quality measures (response rates, allocation rates, and so on), conceptual differences in the two instruments, and statistical reliability in an effort to add to our assessment of the ACS as an adequate replacement instrument for collecting long form data. This paper discusses the results of these four research efforts and presents conclusions and recommendations for further Census Bureau action and research. The quality of traditional long form data, the importance of accurate population estimates and an accurate Master Address File (MAF), and continued research on the quality of small area data are discussed.
