Understanding America Study

Real-time Sample Composition Statistics

The list below contains the current UAS sample batches. Please note that the recruiting process on average takes approximately six months for most sampled respondents to log in to the UAS survey page for the first time, and some take even longer to become members. So for more recent batches the response overview may reflect results that are not yet complete. Generally speaking, batches that began recruitment more than 1 year prior to the current date may be considered to be complete. Also note that the list below is updated regularly to include new sample batches. To learn more about a batch and its response details please just click on its name. All percentages reported below are all taken relative to the total number of mailed out surveys minus survey mailed to addresses that were found to be non-existent or invalid (e.g. business addresses).

For information about UAS's Address Based Sampling methodology, please refer to the UAS Weighting Procedures.

To learn more about a specific batch, click on its name (opens in a new browser window).

1 ASDE 2014-01 Nationally Representative

Initial mail out February 21, 2014

Gross sample 10331

Completed invitation survey 41.3%

Consented to participate 33.5%

Became panel member 18.9%

Active 9.8%

Experiment None
2 ASDE 2014-01 Native American³

Initial mail out June 9, 2014

Gross sample 4934

Completed invitation survey 44.5%

Consented to participate 32.1%

Became panel member 11.8%

Active 5.7%

Experiment None
3 ASDE 2014-11 Native American³

Initial mail out January 3, 2015

Gross sample 5050

Completed invitation survey 40.9%

Consented to participate 23.3%

Became panel member 8.6%

Active 4.8%

Experiment None
4 LA County 2015/05 List Sample

Initial mail out April 14, 2015

Gross sample 1990

Completed invitation survey 31.1%

Consented to participate 28.2%

Became panel member 14.8%

Active 6.2%

Experiment None
5 MSG 2015-07 Nationally Representative Batch 1

Initial mail out September 4, 2015

Gross sample 2001

Completed invitation survey 40.5%

Consented to participate 30.4%

Became panel member 14.4%

Active 8.5%

Experiment A random subset of the sample received an envelope addressed as 'Name or Current Resident' ('Current Resident' only if no name available).
A random subset of the envelopes had a colorful label.
6 MSG 2016-01 Nationally Representative Batch 2

Initial mail out January 26, 2016

Gross sample 3706

Completed invitation survey 45.3%

Consented to participate 31.1%

Became panel member 15.3%

Active 8.9%

Experiment None
7 MSG 2016-01 Nationally Representative Batch 3

Initial mail out February 17, 2016

Gross sample 2480

Completed invitation survey 41.0%

Consented to participate 27.0%

Became panel member 13.8%

Active 8.1%

Experiment No experiment
8 MSG 2016-01 Nationally Representative Batch 4

Initial mail out March 1, 2016

Gross sample 3840

Completed invitation survey 38.9%

Consented to participate 27.0%

Became panel member 14.6%

Active 8.5%

Experiment Half of the sample received an envelope by Priority Mail, the other half by regular mail.
9 MSG 2016-02 Nationally Representative Batch 5

Initial mail out March 15, 2016

Gross sample 4002

Completed invitation survey 39.0%

Consented to participate 26.4%

Became panel member 15.0%

Active 8.4%

Experiment Postcard treatment $5 recruitment strategy
10 MSG 2016-03 Nationally Representative Batch 6

Initial mail out April 22, 2016

Gross sample 4008

Completed invitation survey 40.3%

Consented to participate 27.8%

Became panel member 15.3%

Active 8.6%

Experiment Personalized Postcard And Letter
11 MSG 2016-04 Nationally Representative Batch 7

Initial mail out May 16, 2016

Gross sample 4034

Completed invitation survey 39.4%

Consented to participate 28.0%

Became panel member 13.6%

Active 8.0%

Experiment None
12 MSG 2016-05 Nationally Representative Batch 8

Initial mail out June 27, 2016

Gross sample 4067

Completed invitation survey 40.7%

Consented to participate 30.4%

Became panel member 15.0%

Active 7.5%

Experiment None
13 MSG 2016/08 LA County Batch 2

Initial mail out August 12, 2016

Gross sample 1950

Completed invitation survey 31.8%

Consented to participate 24.7%

Became panel member 13.8%

Active 6.3%

Experiment None
14 MSG 2017/03 LA County Batch 3

Initial mail out May 15th, 2017

Gross sample 1000

Completed invitation survey 28.2%

Consented to participate 22.0%

Became panel member 11.9%

Active 7.2%

Experiment None
15 California Sample Batch 1

Initial mail out December 14, 2017

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 27.2%

Consented to participate 20.4%

Became panel member 10.6%

Active 5.5%

Experiment None
16 California Sample Batch 2

Initial mail out March 23, 2018

Gross sample 4962

Completed invitation survey 29.0%

Consented to participate 22.3%

Became panel member 12.7%

Active 7.1%

Experiment None
17 MSG 2018-08 Nationally Representative Batch 9⁴

Initial mail out December 7, 2018

Gross sample 5007

Completed invitation survey 29.1%

Consented to participate 21.0%

Became panel member 16.0%

Active 9.2%

Experiment None
18 MSG 2019-04 LA County Batch 4

Initial mail out May 13, 2019

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 30.0%

Consented to participate 22.1%

Became panel member 15.8%

Active 9.2%

Experiment None
19 MSG 2019-05 LA County Batch 5

Initial mail out June 13, 2019

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 29.5%

Consented to participate 21.8%

Became panel member 15.8%

Active 9.0%

Experiment None
20 MSG 2019-11 Nationally Representative Batch 10

Initial mail out January 8, 2020

Gross sample 4999

Completed invitation survey 30.5%

Consented to participate 21.5%

Became panel member 16.1%

Active 9.8%

Experiment None
21 MSG 2020-08 Nationally Representative Batch 11

Initial mail out September 7, 2020

Gross sample 2502

Completed invitation survey 26.2%

Consented to participate 18.7%

Became panel member 14.5%

Active 9.5%

Experiment None
22 MSG 2020-10 Nationally Representative Batch 12

Initial mail out November 13, 2020

Gross sample 2500

Completed invitation survey 28.0%

Consented to participate 20.1%

Became panel member 15.4%

Active 10.0%

Experiment Fully randomized sample
23 MSG 2021-02 Nationally Representative Batch 13

Initial mail out March 9, 2021

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 27.2%

Consented to participate 18.2%

Became panel member 13.5%

Active 9.0%

Experiment Fully randomized sample
24 MSG 2021-08 Nationally Representative Batch 15

Initial mail out December 10, 2021

Gross sample 2523

Completed invitation survey 24.3%

Consented to participate 15.9%

Became panel member 11.0%

Active 7.8%

Experiment New sampling method and change to paper/online recruitment method
25 MSG 2021-08 Nationally Representative Batch 16

Initial mail out January 31, 2022

Gross sample 2523

Completed invitation survey 24.1%

Consented to participate 16.5%

Became panel member 11.3%

Active 7.9%

Experiment New sampling method, retaining online-first recruitment method used in batches since MSG 2018-08 Nationally Representative Batch 9
26 MSG 2022-02 Nationally Representative Batch 17 (priority sticker)

Initial mail out June 7, 2022

Gross sample 2500

Completed invitation survey 24.4%

Consented to participate 14.4%

Became panel member 10.2%

Active 7.9%

Experiment New sampling method, change to paper/online recruitment method, regular envelope with a priority mail sticker
27 MSG 2022-02 Nationally Representative Batch 17 (regular priority)

Initial mail out June 7, 2022

Gross sample 2500

Completed invitation survey 23.0%

Consented to participate 14.0%

Became panel member 9.6%

Active 7.9%

Experiment New sampling method, change to paper/online recruitment method, regular priority mail envelope
28 MSG 2022-08 Nationally Representative Batch 18

Initial mail out September 16, 2022

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 22.3%

Consented to participate 14.0%

Became panel member 10.3%

Active 9.2%

Experiment Visible cash
29 MSG 2022-11 LA County Batch 6

Initial mail out January 17, 2023

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 26.9%

Consented to participate 18.4%

Became panel member 12.1%

Active 11.1%

Experiment Half received existing invitation letter, half received new version of invitation letter
30 MSG 2022-11 Nationally Representative Batch 20

Initial mail out January 17, 2023

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 22.3%

Consented to participate 14.7%

Became panel member 9.8%

Active 8.9%

Experiment Half received existing invitation letter, half received new version of invitation letter
31 MSG 2023-01 Nationally Representative Batch 21

Initial mail out March 6, 2023

Gross sample 20001

Completed invitation survey 22.9%

Consented to participate 16.1%

Became panel member 11.7%

Active 10.9%

Experiment None
32 MSG 2023-06 Nationally Representative Batch 22

Initial mail out August 25, 2023

Gross sample 5000

Completed invitation survey 16.3%

Consented to participate 11.8%

Became panel member 6.5%

Active 6.0%

Experiment None

¹ The LA County sample was the exception to this case, in that we were not interested in following residents outside of LA county. Additionally, we only had the mother's name from the birth records. As a result, LA County sample mailings were addressed to "First Last OR Current Resident."
² Native American samples were screened for ethnicity. Welcome Letters were only sent to appropriate ethnic groups, while other respondents are sent a letter thanking them for their interest, and mentioning we may contact them in the future should opportunities arise.
³ The relatively small numbers for the Native Americans are due to ineligibility, not unwillingness to participate.
⁴ Beginning with the recruitment wave titled “MSG 2018-08 Nationally Representative Batch 9”, UAS changed to an online-first protocol. A revised version of the paper survey (UAS Initial Recruitment Survey, v2) was sent to non-responders as a second phase in the recruitment process. For those who respond to the paper survey, prospective members are asked if they want to join the UAS panel. If they express interest, they are contacted again and invited to regularly participate in online surveys.
⁵ In contrast to previous nationally representative recruitment waves, zip codes for the recruitment wave titled “MSG 2020-10 Nationally Representative Batch 11” and “MSG 2020-10 Nationally Representative Batch 12” were drawn completely at random.