Research and Development Survey

At a glance

  • Learn what restricted data are available from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Research and Development Survey.
  • Researchers interested in using these data must obtain approval through the NCHS Research Data Center.

Overview

The Research and Development Survey (RANDS) examines methods used to detect measurement error and to calibrate survey method estimates. The specific questions vary by round, but the survey is always focused on health behaviors and conditions.

These questionnaires have been administered to members of commercially available, recruited, "probability-based" web panels. Each round of RANDS has approximately 2,000 respondents.

RANDS during COVID-19

NCHS adapted RANDS to collect timely information on the COVID-19 pandemic. This special iteration of RANDS, named RANDS during COVID-19 to distinguish it from previous RANDS surveys, was conducted across three rounds.

The first two of these rounds used both a probability-base and opt-in commercial survey panel and featured larger sample sizes than previous rounds of RANDS (approximately 6,000 respondents from the probability panel and 10,000 respondents from the opt-in panel, per round). The third round was conducted only using a probability panel and has an approximate sample size of 5,200 respondents.

Limitations‎

RANDS methodological surveys, including RANDS during COVID-19, have not been evaluated for other statistical purposes, including health outcomes research and model-based association studies. Limitations of the experimental estimates are described in the technical notes.

Data

The specific topics in each round of RANDS vary and have covered a wide range of health behaviors and conditions. RANDS surveys have included questions about—

  • Self-rated health
  • Chronic conditions including diabetes, hypertension, lung conditions, and high cholesterol
  • Smoking and drinking behaviors
  • Physical activity
  • Affect and psychological distress
  • Pain
  • Opioid use

The RANDS questionnaires are primarily composed of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questions, and some probes developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) designed to capture the response process.

Each file includes questionnaire data, limited paradata, some demographic and characteristic data, and sample weights. The datafiles include records on both survey responders, partial responders, and sampled non-responders.

RANDS data

Variable names and descriptions are available for each round of RANDS.

RANDS during COVID-19 data

In addition to addressing methodological issues, a selected set of questions unavailable from other sources were added to RANDS during COVID-19. The questions took advantage of the platform to provide experimental estimates on topics of policy interest including—

  • Telemedicine
  • Reduced access to care due to the pandemic
  • Work loss

RANDS during COVID-19 was conducted to—

  • Evaluate new COVID-19 related survey questions being fielded on traditional surveys such as the National Health Interview Survey
  • Allow for survey methods analysis of probability and opt-in sample platforms and internet and telephone survey modes
  • Compare selected COVID-19 related constructs with those from other federal data collections, including the Household Pulse Survey.

Variable names and descriptions are available for each round of RANDS.

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