Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) Wave 13, Michigan, 2021 (ICPSR 38252)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) is a University of Michigan initiative designed to regularly survey a broad, representative group of Detroit residents about their communities, including their expectations, perceptions, priorities, and aspirations. Since 2016, University of Michigan's Detroit Metro Area Communities Study has used a city-wide survey to help bridge the gap between Detroit officials and residents whose voices may not always be heard in public discussions. Composed of over 2,500 Detroiters, the ongoing DMACS survey provides valuable insights on the perceptions and attitudes of people who live in Detroit.

Study Design View help for Study Design

Surveys were self-administered online or were interviewer-administered via telephone. All respondents who completed the survey received a post-paid incentive, mailed from the University of Michigan. The data collection period for this survey was June 2, 2021 to July 9, 2021. On June 2, as part of a soft launch, invitations were sent out by email and text to 175 established panelists who had completed previous DMACS surveys within several hours of receiving an initial invite. All remaining established panelists who had previously provided email or texting contact information were sent an invitation via email and text as part of a full launch on June 3, 2021.

The questionnaire was developed by the DMACS Principal Investigators in partnership with National Institutes of Health's Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. The instrument was programmed and tested by DMACS staff members on mobile and desktop devices to detect issues with question language and ensure the accuracy of skip-pattern logic, randomizations, and other programming issues. The questionnaire was programmed in Qualtrics by DMACS staff and translated into Spanish by CETRA Language Solutions. Respondents were able to select between taking the survey in English or Spanish on the first screen of the survey.

Sample View help for Sample

Panelists were first recruited to the DMACS study in 2016 (Wave 1) from a simple random sample of Detroit household addresses. The panel was refreshed in 2018 (Wave 3) using a stratified two-stage cluster sample which oversampled census block groups that were at least 70% Hispanic (according to the 2016 5-year ACS estimates). In 2019 (Wave 6) the panel was refreshed using a stratified two-stage cluster sample which oversampled households from each of Detroit's 10 Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) neighborhoods. In 2020 (Wave 12) the panel was refreshed using an oversample of households in Census block groups that were at least 70% Hispanic (according to the 2018 5-year ACS estimates) as well as an oversample of households that were located within Detroit's SNF neighborhoods.

There are currently 2,713 active panelists in the DMACS panel. Panelists have the option to complete the survey online or over the phone in either English or Spanish. Panelists are able to unenroll from the panel at any time. If a panelist does not participate in at least three consecutive surveys, they may be retired from the panel. Some panelists were dropped from the panel because they were verbally abusive toward DMACS staff (n=1) or because they attempted to fill out multiple surveys under false identification (n=1). To encourage participation from groups with lower response propensity, male panelists with less than a college degree were offered a higher post-survey incentive of $40, compared to other panelists who were offered a post-survey incentive of $25.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Adults over the age of 18 who reside in the City of Detroit.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

During the collection period, 2,713 previously-enrolled panelists were invited to participate in a self-administered or interviewer-administered survey. A total of 1,898 Detroit residents completed the survey; yielding an overall response rate of 71% (using AAPOR Response Rate 1).

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2023-03-27

Version History View help for Version History

Weight View help for Weight

The DMACS Wave 13 data were weighted to reflect the demographics of the City of Detroit. This data includes a weighting variable, W13_WEIGHT, which should be used when conducting analysis. For more weighting information, please see the P.I. Panel and Methodology documents.