Panel on Statistical Programs and Practices of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics's Books

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Priorities for the Future

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Panel on Statistical Programs and Practices of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Priorities for the Future

How can the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the nation's newest federal statistical agency, contribute to the work of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)? What is the appropriate role for such an agency as a part of a major department? BTS was authorized in 1991 by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in recognition of the need for more and better data for transportation officials at local, state, and federal levels. While the USDOT has many long-standing data collection programs for particular transportation modes (highways, rail, air, etc.), it has never had a statistical agency with a mandate to improve the quality and relevance of transportation data for important system-wide, cross-modal analyses of the nation's transportation system. This book examines how BTS can provide statistical leadership for USDOT, define and maintain quality standards for transportation data, and improve data documentation. It considers BTS's role in developing national transportation indicators, coordinating data collection throughout USDOT, filling gaps, identifying user needs, and developing analysis programs for transportation data. Anyone concerned with having high-quality, relevant transportation indicators and other data available for policy planning, evaluation, and research will be interested in this book, as will students of effective government.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

161

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

030906404X

ISBN 13

9780309064040

Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on Law and Justice,Committee on National Statistics,Panel to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) of the U.S. Department of Justice is one of the smallest of the U.S. principal statistical agencies but shoulders one of the most expansive and detailed legal mandates among those agencies. Ensuring the Quality, Credibility, and Relevance of U.S. Justice Statistics examines the full range of BJS programs and suggests priorities for data collection. BJS's data collection portfolio is a solid body of work, well justified by public information needs or legal requirements and a commendable effort to meet its broad mandate given less-than-commensurate fiscal resources. The book identifies some major gaps in the substantive coverage of BJS data, but notes that filling those gaps would require increased and sustained support in terms of staff and fiscal resources. In suggesting strategic goals for BJS, the book argues that the bureau's foremost goal should be to establish and maintain a strong position of independence. To avoid structural or political interference in BJS work, the report suggests changing the administrative placement of BJS within the Justice Department and making the BJS directorship a fixed-term appointment. In its thirtieth year, BJS can look back on a solid body of accomplishment; this book suggests further directions for improvement to give the nation the justice statistics-and the BJS-that it deserves.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

379

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309144566

ISBN 13

9780309144568

Measuring International Trade on U.S. Highways

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Bureau of Transportation Statistics International Trade Traffic

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Measuring International Trade on U.S. Highways

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Bureau of Transportation Statistics International Trade Traffic

International trade plays a substantial role in the economy of the United States. More than 1.6 billion tons of international merchandise was conveyed using the U.S. transportation system in 2001. The need to transport this merchandise raises concerns about the quality of the transportation system and its ability to support this component of freight movement. Measuring International Trade on U.S. Highways evaluates the accuracy and reliability of measuring the ton-miles and value-miles of international trade traffic carried by highway for each state. This report also assesses the accuracy and reliability of the use of diesel fuel data as a measure of international trade traffic by state and identifies needed improvements in long-term data collection programs.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309095190

ISBN 13

9780309095198

Effective Tracking of Building Energy Use

Improving the Commercial Buildings and Residential Energy Consumption Surveys

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Board on Energy and Environmental Systems,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Redesigning the Commercial Buildings and Residential Energy Consumption Surveys of the Energy Information Administration

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Effective Tracking of Building Energy Use

Improving the Commercial Buildings and Residential Energy Consumption Surveys

The United States is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's energy consumption. Population growth, and the associated growth in housing, commercial floor space, transportation, goods, and services is expected to cause a 0.7 percent annual increase in energy demand for the foreseeable future. The energy used by the commercial and residential sectors represents approximately 40 percent of the nation's total energy consumption, and the share of these two sectors is expected to increase in the future. The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) and Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) are two major surveys conducted by the Energy Information Administration. The surveys are the most relevant sources of data available to researchers and policy makers on energy consumption in the commercial and residential sectors. Many of the design decisions and operational procedures for the CBECS and RECS were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, and resource limitations during much of the time since then have prevented EIA from making significant changes to the data collections. Effective Tracking of Building Energy Use makes recommendations for redesigning the surveys based on a review of evolving data user needs and an assessment of new developments in relevant survey methods.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

150

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309254043

ISBN 13

9780309254045

Federal Statistics, Multiple Data Sources, and Privacy Protection

Next Steps

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Improving Federal Statistics for Policy and Social Science Research Using Multiple Data Sources and State-of-the-Art Estimation Methods

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Federal Statistics, Multiple Data Sources, and Privacy Protection

Next Steps

The environment for obtaining information and providing statistical data for policy makers and the public has changed significantly in the past decade, raising questions about the fundamental survey paradigm that underlies federal statistics. New data sources provide opportunities to develop a new paradigm that can improve timeliness, geographic or subpopulation detail, and statistical efficiency. It also has the potential to reduce the costs of producing federal statistics. The panel's first report described federal statistical agencies' current paradigm, which relies heavily on sample surveys for producing national statistics, and challenges agencies are facing; the legal frameworks and mechanisms for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of statistical data and for providing researchers access to data, and challenges to those frameworks and mechanisms; and statistical agencies access to alternative sources of data. The panel recommended a new approach for federal statistical programs that would combine diverse data sources from government and private sector sources and the creation of a new entity that would provide the foundational elements needed for this new approach, including legal authority to access data and protect privacy. This second of the panel's two reports builds on the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations in the first one. This report assesses alternative methods for implementing a new approach that would combine diverse data sources from government and private sector sources, including describing statistical models for combining data from multiple sources; examining statistical and computer science approaches that foster privacy protections; evaluating frameworks for assessing the quality and utility of alternative data sources; and various models for implementing the recommended new entity. Together, the two reports offer ideas and recommendations to help federal statistical agencies examine and evaluate data from alternative sources and then combine them as appropriate to provide the country with more timely, actionable, and useful information for policy makers, businesses, and individuals.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

195

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309465370

ISBN 13

9780309465373

Improving Data Collection and Measurement of Complex Farms

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Improving Data Collection and Reporting about Agriculture with Increasingly Complex Farm Structures

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Improving Data Collection and Measurement of Complex Farms

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Improving Data Collection and Reporting about Agriculture with Increasingly Complex Farm Structures

America's farms and farmers are integral to the U.S. economy and, more broadly, to the nation's social and cultural fabric. A healthy agricultural sector helps ensure a safe and reliable food supply, improves energy security, and contributes to employment and economic development, traditionally in small towns and rural areas where farming serves as a nexus for related sectors from farm machinery manufacturing to food processing. The agricultural sector also plays a role in the nation's overall economic growth by providing crucial raw inputs for the production of a wide range of goods and services, including many that generate substantial export value. If the agricultural sector is to be accurately understood and the policies that affect its functioning are to remain well informed, the statistical system's data collection programs must be periodically revisited to ensure they are keeping up with current realities. This report reviews current information and makes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and Economic Research Service (ERS) to help identify effective methods for collecting data and reporting information about American agriculture, given increased complexity and other changes in farm business structure in recent decades.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

199

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

030948460X

ISBN 13

9780309484602

Change and the 2020 Census

Not Whether But How

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel to Review the 2010 Census

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Change and the 2020 Census

Not Whether But How

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel to Review the 2010 Census

Sponsored by the Census Bureau and charged to evaluate the 2010 U.S. census with an eye toward suggesting research and development for the 2020 census, the Panel to Review the 2010 Census uses this first interim report to suggest general priorities for 2020 research. Although the Census Bureau has taken some useful organizational and administrative steps to prepare for 2020, the panel offers three core recommendations, and suggests the Census Bureau take and assertive, aggressive approach to 2020 planning rather than casting possibilities purely as hypothetical. The first recommendation on research and development suggests four broad topic areas for research early in the decade. Second, the report suggest that the Bureau take an aggressive, assertive posture toward research in these priority areas. Third, it identifies the setting of bold goals as essential to underscoring the need for serious reengineering and building commitment to change.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309211212

ISBN 13

9780309211215

Private Lives and Public Policies

Confidentiality and Accessibility of Government Statistics

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Panel on Confidentiality and Data Access

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Private Lives and Public Policies

Confidentiality and Accessibility of Government Statistics

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Panel on Confidentiality and Data Access

Americans are increasingly concerned about the privacy of personal dataâ€"yet we demand more and more information for public decision making. This volume explores the seeming conflicts between privacy and data access, an issue of concern to federal statistical agencies collecting the data, research organizations using the data, and individuals providing the data. A panel of experts offers principles and specific recommendations for managing data and improving the balance between needed government use of data and the privacy of respondents. The volume examines factors such as the growth of computer technology, that are making confidentiality an increasingly critical problem. The volume explores how data collectors communicate with data providers, with a focus on informed consent to use data, and describes the legal and ethical obligations data users have toward individual subjects as well as toward the agencies providing the data. In the context of historical practices in the United States, Canada, and Sweden, statistical techniques for protecting individuals' identities are evaluated in detail. Legislative and regulatory restraints on access to data are examined, including a discussion about their effects on research. This volume will be an important and thought-provoking guide for policymakers and agencies working with statistics as well as researchers and concerned individuals.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

289

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309047439

ISBN 13

9780309047432

Small Populations, Large Effects

Improving the Measurement of the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Statistical Methods for Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Small Populations, Large Effects

Improving the Measurement of the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

In the early 1990s, the Census Bureau proposed a program of continuous measurement as a possible alternative to the gathering of detailed social, economic, and housing data from a sample of the U.S. population as part of the decennial census. The American Community Survey (ACS) became a reality in 2005, and has included group quarters (GQ)-such places as correctional facilities for adults, student housing, nursing facilities, inpatient hospice facilities, and military barracks-since 2006, primarily to more closely replicate the design and data products of the census long-form sample. The decision to include group quarters in the ACS enables the Census Bureau to provide a comprehensive benchmark of the total U.S. population (not just those living in households). However, the fact that the ACS must rely on a sample of what is a small and very diverse population, combined with limited funding available for survey operations, makes the ACS GQ sampling, data collection, weighting, and estimation procedures more complex and the estimates more susceptible to problems stemming from these limitations. The concerns are magnified in small areas, particularly in terms of detrimental effects on the total population estimates produced for small areas. Small Populations, Large Effects provides an in-depth review of the statistical methodology for measuring the GQ population in the ACS. This report addresses difficulties associated with measuring the GQ population and the rationale for including GQs in the ACS. Considering user needs for ACS data and of operational feasibility and compatibility with the treatment of the household population in the ACS, the report recommends alternatives to the survey design and other methodological features that can make the ACS more useful for users of small-area data.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

176

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309255635

ISBN 13

9780309255639

Statistical Software Engineering

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications,Panel on Statistical Methods in Software Engineering

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Statistical Software Engineering

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications,Panel on Statistical Methods in Software Engineering

This book identifies challenges and opportunities in the development and implementation of software that contain significant statistical content. While emphasizing the relevance of using rigorous statistical and probabilistic techniques in software engineering contexts, it presents opportunities for further research in the statistical sciences and their applications to software engineering. It is intended to motivate and attract new researchers from statistics and the mathematical sciences to attack relevant and pressing problems in the software engineering setting. It describes the "big picture," as this approach provides the context in which statistical methods must be developed. The book's survey nature is directed at the mathematical sciences audience, but software engineers should also find the statistical emphasis refreshing and stimulating. It is hoped that the book will have the effect of seeding the field of statistical software engineering by its indication of opportunities where statistical thinking can help to increase understanding, productivity, and quality of software and software production.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309176085

ISBN 13

9780309176088

State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Research and Development Priorities for the U.S. Census Bureau's State and Local Government Statistics Program

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads

Since the early days of the nation, the federal government has collected information on the revenues, expenditures, and other features of state and local jurisdictions and their operations. Today, these data are collected primarily by the Governments Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, which has conducted a census of governments every 5 years since 1957. The division also manages a program of related annual and quarterly surveys, as well as a comprehensive directory of state and local governments. All of this work is now taking place in an environment of constrained resources, and there have been cutbacks in the availability and dissemination of the data. In this context, State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads documents the uses of the state and local data and assesses the quality of the data for those uses. This book provides in-depth consideration of the efficiency of the surveys; the user base; and the timeliness, relevance, and quality of the data series. It also provides valuable background information and analysis and offers suggestions for program improvements. This information will be valuable to policy makers, state and local government workers, government contractors, budget analysts, economists, demographers, and others who rely on these data on government at the state and local levels and have a stake in ensuring that limited resources do not compromise the quality of the data on which they rely.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

184

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309111366

ISBN 13

9780309111362

State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads

By: Panel on Research and Development Priorities for the U.S. Census Bureau's State and Local Government Statistics Program,National Research Council

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads

By: Panel on Research and Development Priorities for the U.S. Census Bureau's State and Local Government Statistics Program,National Research Council

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

184

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309179041

ISBN 13

9780309179041

Sowing Seeds of Change

Informing Public Policy in the Economic Research Service of USDA

By: Panel to Study the Research Program of the Economic Research Service,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,National Research Council

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Sowing Seeds of Change

Informing Public Policy in the Economic Research Service of USDA

Every day economic decisions are made in the public and private sectors, based on limited information and analysis. The analysis and information needed for successful public policy has changed rapidly with the growth of the global economy, and so have the means for acquiring them. In the public sector, decision makers rely on information gathered within government agencies, as well as the work of academics and private firms. Sowing the Seeds provides a case study of the need for analysis and information in support of public policy. It combines lessons learned from one of the first government agencies devoted primarily to this function with modern economic theory of organizations. The panel provides analysis and insight on: How and why public economic policy evolves with technological advances. The nature of information and analysis in support of economic policy produced in a government agency. The characteristics of successful information and analysis programs. Evaluating the work of a government agency providing information and analysis. Effective administration and organization of research and information programs in a government agency. Findings and recommendations in this volume will be of interest to managers and executives of research and consulting organizations in the public and private sectors, as well as to economists and policy makers.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

177

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309514584

ISBN 13

9780309514583

Improving Motor Carrier Safety Measurement

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Transportation Research Board,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on the Review of the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) Program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Improving Motor Carrier Safety Measurement

Every year roughly 100,000 fatal and injury crashes occur in the United States involving large trucks and buses. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation works to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. FMCSA uses information that is collected on the frequency of approximately 900 different violations of safety regulations discovered during (mainly) roadside inspections to assess motor carriers' compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, as well as to evaluate their compliance in comparison with their peers. Through use of this information, FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) identifies carriers to receive its available interventions in order to reduce the risk of crashes across all carriers. Improving Motor Carrier Safety Measurement examines the effectiveness of the use of the percentile ranks produced by SMS for identifying high-risk carriers, and if not, what alternatives might be preferred. In addition, this report evaluates the accuracy and sufficiency of the data used by SMS, to assess whether other approaches to identifying unsafe carriers would identify high-risk carriers more effectively, and to reflect on how members of the public use the SMS and what effect making the SMS information public has had on reducing crashes.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

183

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309462010

ISBN 13

9780309462013

Measuring Research and Development Expenditures in the U.S. Economy

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Research and Development Statistics at the National Science Foundation

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Measuring Research and Development Expenditures in the U.S. Economy

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Research and Development Statistics at the National Science Foundation

This report examines the portfolio of research and development (R&D) expenditure surveys at the National Science Foundation (NSF), identifying gaps and weaknesses and areas of missing coverage. The report takes an in-depth look at the definition of R&D, the needs and potential uses of NSF's R&D data by a variety of users, the goals of an integrated system of surveys and other data collection activities, and the quality of the data collected in the existing Science Resources Statistics surveys.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

213

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309093201

ISBN 13

9780309093200

Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Interim Report

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey

Interim Report

Following several years of testing and evaluation, the American Community Survey (ACS) was launched in 2005 as a replacement for the census "long form," used to collect detailed social, economic, and housing data from a sample of the U.S. population as part of the decennial census. During the first year of the ACS implementation, the Census Bureau collected data only from households. In 2006 a sample of group quarters (GQs)-such as correctional facilities, nursing homes, and college dorms-was added to more closely mirror the design of the census long-form sample. The design of the ACS relies on monthly samples that are cumulated to produce multiyear estimates based on 1, 3, and 5 years of data. The data published by the Census Bureau for a geographic area depend on the area's size. The multiyear averaging approach enables the Census Bureau to produce estimates that are intended to be robust enough to release for small areas, such as the smallest governmental units and census block groups. However, the sparseness of the GQ representation in the monthly samples affects the quality of the estimates in many small areas that have large GQ populations relative to the total population. The Census Bureau asked the National Research Council to review and evaluate the statistical methods used for measuring the GQ population. This book presents recommendations addressing improvements in the sample design, sample allocation, weighting, and estimation procedures to assist the Census Bureau's work in the very near term, while further research is conducted to address the underlying question of the relative importance and costs of the GQ data collection in the context of the overall ACS design.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309185106

ISBN 13

9780309185103

Nonresponse in Social Science Surveys

A Research Agenda

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on a Research Agenda for the Future of Social Science Data Collection

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Nonresponse in Social Science Surveys

A Research Agenda

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on a Research Agenda for the Future of Social Science Data Collection

For many household surveys in the United States, responses rates have been steadily declining for at least the past two decades. A similar decline in survey response can be observed in all wealthy countries. Efforts to raise response rates have used such strategies as monetary incentives or repeated attempts to contact sample members and obtain completed interviews, but these strategies increase the costs of surveys. This review addresses the core issues regarding survey nonresponse. It considers why response rates are declining and what that means for the accuracy of survey results. These trends are of particular concern for the social science community, which is heavily invested in obtaining information from household surveys. The evidence to date makes it apparent that current trends in nonresponse, if not arrested, threaten to undermine the potential of household surveys to elicit information that assists in understanding social and economic issues. The trends also threaten to weaken the validity of inferences drawn from estimates based on those surveys. High nonresponse rates create the potential or risk for bias in estimates and affect survey design, data collection, estimation, and analysis. The survey community is painfully aware of these trends and has responded aggressively to these threats. The interview modes employed by surveys in the public and private sectors have proliferated as new technologies and methods have emerged and matured. To the traditional trio of mail, telephone, and face-to-face surveys have been added interactive voice response (IVR), audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), web surveys, and a number of hybrid methods. Similarly, a growing research agenda has emerged in the past decade or so focused on seeking solutions to various aspects of the problem of survey nonresponse; the potential solutions that have been considered range from better training and deployment of interviewers to more use of incentives, better use of the information collected in the data collection, and increased use of auxiliary information from other sources in survey design and data collection. Nonresponse in Social Science Surveys: A Research Agenda also documents the increased use of information collected in the survey process in nonresponse adjustment.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

167

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309272475

ISBN 13

9780309272476

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health, and Highway Safety

Research Needs

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Transportation Research Board,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Board on Human-Systems Integration,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Research Methodologies and Statistical Approaches to Understanding Driver Fatigue Factors in Motor Carrier Safety and Driver Health

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health, and Highway Safety

Research Needs

There are approximately 4,000 fatalities in crashes involving trucks and buses in the United States each year. Though estimates are wide-ranging, possibly 10 to 20 percent of these crashes might have involved fatigued drivers. The stresses associated with their particular jobs (irregular schedules, etc.) and the lifestyle that many truck and bus drivers lead, puts them at substantial risk for insufficient sleep and for developing short- and long-term health problems. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health and Highway Safety assesses the state of knowledge about the relationship of such factors as hours of driving, hours on duty, and periods of rest to the fatigue experienced by truck and bus drivers while driving and the implications for the safe operation of their vehicles. This report evaluates the relationship of these factors to drivers' health over the longer term, and identifies improvements in data and research methods that can lead to better understanding in both areas.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

273

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309392551

ISBN 13

9780309392556

Surveying Victims

Options for Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Surveying Victims

Options for Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey

It is easy to underestimate how little was known about crimes and victims before the findings of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) became common wisdom. In the late 1960s, knowledge of crimes and their victims came largely from reports filed by local police agencies as part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system, as well as from studies of the files held by individual police departments. Criminologists understood that there existed a "dark figure" of crime consisting of events not reported to the police. However, over the course of the last decade, the effectiveness of the NCVS has been undermined by the demands of conducting an increasingly expensive survey in an effectively flat-line budgetary environment. Surveying Victims: Options for Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey, reviews the programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS.) Specifically, it explores alternative options for conducting the NCVS, which is the largest BJS program. This book describes various design possibilities and their implications relative to three basic goals; flexibility, in terms of both content and analysis; utility for gathering information on crimes that are not well reported to police; and small-domain estimation, including providing information on states or localities. This book finds that, as currently configured and funded, the NCVS is not achieving and cannot achieve BJS's mandated goal to "collect and analyze data that will serve as a continuous indication of the incidence and attributes of crime." Accordingly, Surveying Victims recommends that BJS be afforded the budgetary resources necessary to generate accurate measure of victimization.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

218

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309115981

ISBN 13

9780309115988

Innovations in Federal Statistics

Combining Data Sources While Protecting Privacy

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Innovations in Federal Statistics

Combining Data Sources While Protecting Privacy

Federal government statistics provide critical information to the country and serve a key role in a democracy. For decades, sample surveys with instruments carefully designed for particular data needs have been one of the primary methods for collecting data for federal statistics. However, the costs of conducting such surveys have been increasing while response rates have been declining, and many surveys are not able to fulfill growing demands for more timely information and for more detailed information at state and local levels. Innovations in Federal Statistics examines the opportunities and risks of using government administrative and private sector data sources to foster a paradigm shift in federal statistical programs that would combine diverse data sources in a secure manner to enhance federal statistics. This first publication of a two-part series discusses the challenges faced by the federal statistical system and the foundational elements needed for a new paradigm.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

151

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

030945428X

ISBN 13

9780309454285

Climate Change 2014 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Part B: Regional Aspects: Volume 2, Regional Aspects

Working Group II Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

By: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Climate Change 2014 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Part B: Regional Aspects: Volume 2, Regional Aspects

Working Group II Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

By: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

This latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

696

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1316240355

ISBN 13

9781316240359

Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States

An Assessment of the Measure

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel to Review the U.S Department of Agriculture's Measurement of Food Insecurity and Hunger

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States

An Assessment of the Measure

The United States is viewed by the world as a country with plenty of food, yet not all households in America are food secure, meaning access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. A proportion of the population experiences food insecurity at some time in a given year because of food deprivation and lack of access to food due to economic resource constraints. Still, food insecurity in the United States is not of the same intensity as in some developing countries. Since 1995 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has annually published statistics on the extent of food insecurity and food insecurity with hunger in U.S. households. These estimates are based on a survey measure developed by the U.S. Food Security Measurement Project, an ongoing collaboration among federal agencies, academic researchers, and private organizations. USDA requested the Committee on National Statistics of the National Academies to convene a panel of experts to undertake a two-year study in two phases to review at this 10-year mark the concepts and methodology for measuring food insecurity and hunger and the uses of the measure. In Phase 2 of the study the panel was to consider in more depth the issues raised in Phase 1 relating to the concepts and methods used to measure food security and make recommendations as appropriate. The Committee on National Statistics appointed a panel of 10 experts to examine the above issues. In order to provide timely guidance to USDA, the panel issued an interim Phase 1 report, Measuring Food Insecurity and Hunger: Phase 1 Report. That report presented the panel's preliminary assessments of the food security concepts and definitions; the appropriateness of identifying hunger as a severe range of food insecurity in such a survey-based measurement method; questions for measuring these concepts; and the appropriateness of a household survey for regularly monitoring food security in the U.S. population. It provided interim guidance for the continued production of the food security estimates. This final report primarily focuses on the Phase 2 charge. The major findings and conclusions based on the panel's review and deliberations are summarized.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

156

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309180368

ISBN 13

9780309180368

Health Performance Measurement in the Public Sector

Principles and Policies for Implementing an Information Network

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Panel on Performance Measures and Data for Public Health Performance Partnership Grants

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Health Performance Measurement in the Public Sector

Principles and Policies for Implementing an Information Network

There is growing interest in using performance measurement as a means of holding federal, state, and local health agencies accountable for their use of public funds. Health Performance Measurement in the Public Sector is the second of two books for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on using and improving performance measurement in publicly funded health programs and the implications for data needs and systems. This book focuses on data and information system issues at the federal, state, and local levels. Recommendations address: Policy framework for selecting performance measures and using performance measurement. Operational principles related to data and data systems that support performance measurement. Essential investments in data systems and in training and technical assistance. Research needed to improve performance measures and performance measurement.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

190

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309173116

ISBN 13

9780309173117

Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion

Measuring Dimensions of Social Capital to Inform Policy

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Measuring Social and Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion in Surveys

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion

Measuring Dimensions of Social Capital to Inform Policy

By: National Research Council,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Committee on National Statistics,Panel on Measuring Social and Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion in Surveys

People's bonds, associations and networks - as well as the civil, political, and institutional characteristics of the society in which they live - can be powerful drivers affecting the quality of life among a community's, a city's, or a nation's inhabitants and their ability to achieve both individual and societal goals. Civic engagement, social cohesion, and other dimensions of social capital affect social, economic and health outcomes for individuals and communities. Can these be measured, and can federal surveys contribute toward this end? Can this information be collected elsewhere, and if so, how should it be collected? Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion identifies measurement approaches that can lead to improved understanding of civic engagement, social cohesion, and social capital - and their potential role in explaining the functioning of society. With the needs of data users in mind, this report examines conceptual frameworks developed in the literature to determine promising measures and measurement methods for informing public policy discourse. The report identifies working definitions of key terms; advises on the feasibility and specifications of indicators relevant to analyses of social, economic, and health domains; and assesses the strength of the evidence regarding the relationship between these indicators and observed trends in crime, employment, and resilience to shocks such as natural disasters. Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion weighs the relative merits of surveys, administrative records, and non-government data sources, and considers the appropriate role of the federal statistical system. This report makes recommendations to improve the measurement of civic health through population surveys conducted by the government and identifies priority areas for research, development, and implementation.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

167

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309307287

ISBN 13

9780309307284

Airline Passenger Security Screening

New Technologies and Implementation Issues

By: Committee on Commercial Aviation Security,Panel on Passenger Screening,Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems,National Materials Advisory Board,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,National Research Council

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Airline Passenger Security Screening

New Technologies and Implementation Issues

This book addresses new technologies being considered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for screening airport passengers for concealed weapons and explosives. The FAA is supporting the development of promising new technologies that can reveal the presence not only of metal-based weapons as with current screening technologies, but also detect plastic explosives and other non-metallic threat materials and objects, and is concerned that these new technologies may not be appropriate for use in airports for other than technical reasons. This book presents discussion of the health, legal, and public acceptance issues that are likely to be raised regarding implementation of improvements in the current electromagnetic screening technologies, implementation of screening systems that detect traces of explosive materials on passengers, and implementation of systems that generate images of passengers beneath their clothes for analysis by human screeners.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309561124

ISBN 13

9780309561129

A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive Management in California's Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Ocean Studies Board,Water Science and Technology Board,Panel to Review California's Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive Management in California's Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan

By: National Research Council,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Ocean Studies Board,Water Science and Technology Board,Panel to Review California's Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan

The San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary is a large, complex estuarine ecosystem in California. It has been substantially altered by dikes, levees, channelization, pumps, human development, introduced species, dams on its tributary streams and contaminants. The Delta supplies water from the state's wetter northern regions to the drier southern regions and also serves as habitat for many species, some of which are threatened and endangered. The restoration of water exacerbated tensions over water allocation in recent years, and have led to various attempts to develop comprehensive plans to provide reliable water supplies and to protect the ecosystem. One of these plans is the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). The report, A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive Management in California's Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan, determines that the plan is incomplete in a number of important areas and takes this opportunity to identify key scientific and structural gaps that, if addressed, could lead to a more successful and comprehensive final BDCP. The plan is missing the type of structure usually associated with current planning methods in which the goals and objectives are specified, alternative measure for achieving the objectives are introduced and analyzed, and a course of action in identified based on analytical optimization of economic, social, and environmental factors. Yet the panel underscores the importance of a credible and a robust BDCP in addressing the various water management problems that beset the Delta. A stronger, more complete, and more scientifically credible BDCP that effectively integrates and utilizes science could indeed pave the way toward the next generation of solutions to California's chronic water problems.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309212340

ISBN 13

9780309212342

Plasma Processing of Materials

Scientific Opportunities and Technological Challenges

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications,Board on Physics and Astronomy,Plasma Science Committee,Panel on Plasma Processing of Materials

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Plasma Processing of Materials

Scientific Opportunities and Technological Challenges

Plasma processing of materials is a critical technology to several of the largest manufacturing industries in the worldâ€"electronics, aerospace, automotive, steel, biomedical, and toxic waste management. This book describes the relationship between plasma processes and the many industrial applications, examines in detail plasma processing in the electronics industry, highlights the scientific foundation underlying this technology, and discusses education issues in this multidisciplinary field. The committee recommends a coordinated, focused, and well-funded research program in this area that involves the university, federal laboratory, and industrial sectors of the community. It also points out that because plasma processing is an integral part of the infrastructure of so many American industries, it is important for both the economy and the national security that America maintain a strong leadership role in this technology.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

Publisher

National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309045975

ISBN 13

9780309045971

Book's by Panel on Statistical Programs and Practices of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email