Evolution of Web Surveys at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

1. Evolution of Web Surveys at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Gail Gregory & Morgan Earp A presentation for the International Conference of Establishment Surveys, June 2007

2. Overview • Background of NASS • Web Response Rates over time. • Web Respondent comments at two different time periods. • Internet Usage Project-reasons why respondents don’t report on the Web.

3. National Agricultural Statistics Service(NASS) • Survey Nation’s farms, ranches, agri-businesses • Analyze, summarize data and set official estimates for all facets of agriculture • HQ in Washington, DC and 46 field offices

4. NASS Surveys • Up to 400 surveys a year • Mixed-mode - some versions optimized for certain modes • Annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly • Diverse in terms of mode used (State to State)

5. Evolution of the NASS Web Instruments • Began Web Surveys in 2002. • Cotton Ginnings Report • Currently 125 surveys on line. • Two distinct populations • Agribusinesses • Farmers/Ranchers

6. Web Response Rates • Overall Web Response rate is 1.8%. • Almost 1.5 million samples uploaded and over 27,000 completed. • While the sample size uploaded to the Website is known, it is not known how many respondents were sent an invitation and instructions to complete the survey on the Web.

7. Web Response Rates over Time • By July 1 2005, 57 Surveys on the Web. • Overall Response Rate was 1.7% • Response Rate for surveys targeting Farms/Ranches 1.2% • Response Rate for surveys targeting Agribusinesses 6.6% • By February 1 2007, 125 Surveys on the Web. • Overall Response Rate was 1.8% • Response Rate for surveys targeting Farms/Ranches 1.3% • Response Rate for surveys targeting Agribusinesses 8.2%

8. Summary of Comments • Respondent comments from all Web surveys from July 1, 2005 until January 30, 2007 were coded and summarized. Each of the 1,278 comments from 108 Web surveys was recorded into one of the following categories: • Liked Web Site • Web Complaints • Survey Complaints • Survey Comments • Survey Refusal • No Comment • Called before chance to do on the Web • Got someone else’s Survey Code

9. Categories of Web Data Collection Site Responses

10. Web ComplaintsBy Number and Percentage

11. Survey Complaints By Number and Percentage

12. Initial Results from the Internet Usage Project • Investigated why more respondents do not complete their surveys on the Internet. • Questions were added to 3 surveys to discover why respondents didn’t complete their survey on the Web. The surveys were: • December 2005 Cotton Ginnings • October 2006 Labor Survey (Blaise only) • March 2007 Agricultural Survey (Blaise only)

13. Internet Usage Project • Cotton Ginnings • Agribusinesses • Labor • Very large Farms/Nurseries • Small Farms • March Agricultural Survey • Large Crop Farms • Small Crop Farms

14. Internet Usage Questions The three questions asked on the surveys were: 1. Do you have access to the Internet? □ Yes □ Don't Know □ No 2. [if 1 = Yes] Did you know this survey can be completed on the Internet? □ Yes □ Don't Know □ No 3. [if 2 = Yes] What was the main reason why you did not complete this survey on the Internet?

15. Results of Internet Usage Project 1-Do you have access to the Internet?

16. 2- Did you know this survey can be completed on the Internet?

17. Coded Reasons for not Responding on the Web

18. Reasons for Not Completing the Survey on the Web By Type of Farm (Crop/Livestock)

19. Some Reasons for Not Completing the Agricultural Labor Survey on the Web by Value of Farm Sales

20. For the Future • Adequately train all Field Office personnel as to the importance of Web data collection. • Ensure that potential respondents know that the Web is an option, especially highlighting it in a cover letter. • Provide well tested Edits in Web Surveys.