Summary: The Office of the Chief Statistician of the United States provides recommendations for federal agencies on the current best practices for the collection of self-reported sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data on federal statistical surveys. These recommendations build on historical, robust efforts to develop and refine SOGI measurement best practices. 

The report highlights the importance of continual learning, offers considerations for including SOGI items on surveys, provides example approaches for collecting and reporting this information, offers guidance on how to safeguard SOGI data, and concludes with a summary of challenges that need further research. 

Authors acknowledge the evolving nature of this subject. In the future, federal agencies may need to depart from report recommendations to reflect new, evidence-based best practices.

The study mentions Trends in Sexual Orientation Missing Data over a Decade of the California Health Interview Survey, a journal article which cites 2003–2011 CHIS data.

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• Report: Recommendations on the Best Practices for the Collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data on Federal Statistical Surveys