Frequently asked questions

To offer world-class education, the department relies on high quality research to inform the best teaching practices. This requires researchers to have access to our schools and other sites.

We have an obligation to protect students and limit any impositions on teachers and the department. For this reason, we ask researchers to apply to conduct research so we can assess whether the value of the research outweighs any inconvenience or risk to staff and students.

Yes. If the research doesn't have any sensitivities and will be done in one school only, it doesn't need to be approved by central office or a regional office.

To find out if your research involves sensitivities, make an application through the Queensland Education Research Inventory (QERI) website. If, after entering information about your research, it's established there are no sensitivities, QERI will automatically direct your application to the school and email you an acknowledgement of your application. You can then follow up with the school. We suggest waiting a fortnight after submitting your application.

No. Researchers need to get ethics clearance from their university or research institution.

The department doesn't provide ethics clearance. If an applicant doesn't have access to an ethics committee, they can attach a statement explaining how their research complies with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, for the department to consider.

It depends on how you intend to use the research. If the activity meets the criteria in our guidelines (PDF, 210KB) or is identified in QERI as requiring permission, you'll need to submit an application even though you work in the school. Depending on the circumstances, the school principal may conduct the review, applying the department's guidelines (PDF, 210KB). We suggest that the application be forwarded to central office in any case, to avoid a conflict of interest.

Yes. All activity that meets the criteria in our guidelines (PDF, 210KB) or is identified in QERI as requiring submission needs to go through the application process. This makes sure that research and its documentation is in line with our guidelines. If timelines are an issue, we will try to expedite the department's commissioned research.

Evaluations are generally considered research if they involve collecting data from participants and/or if they use research instruments, and if the findings will be published. If the evaluation includes these activities, it requires a research application. Even if the program is approved and underway, the evaluation component needs to be appraised separately if it meets the definition of research.

The 4 key steps to applying to conduct research are as follows:

• Go to the QERI home page and 'Click here to see if you need to submit an application'.
• Answer the screening questions to assess whether your research requires departmental permission.
• If you do need permission, you will have to register with QERI.
• Once you are registered and logged in, click on 'Start or resume an application'. You can save the application, log out and come back any time to finish it.

Please see the QERI User Guide (PDF, 2.4MB) for detailed instructions.

No. Old forms won't be accepted any more. QERI is the department's new online system for all applications. If you've started to fill out an old form, you can copy and paste that content into the QERI research application form.

The application process usually takes a minimum of 12 weeks. The length of time depends on:

• the waitlist of applications
• how complex the research is
• how many areas of the department are involved in the appraisal process
• the time it takes for researchers to respond to departmental requests
• the work load at Research Services.

The process may seem slow, but it's important we protect school children and limit impositions on teachers and other staff. This requires a thorough appraisal process.

In most cases, no. The only exception is if the department is a formal partner on the research, in which case we will expedite the process if we can. However, there are a number of stages involved in processing applications and even fast-tracking doesn't guarantee a quicker turnaround.

Yes. If you let us know that the signature is coming and submit all other required documents, we are happy to begin the review process. However, permission to approach will not be given until we've received signatures.

We need a second person to verify the research project and act as a quasi-referee. If this isn't a supervisor, it needs to be somebody who is aware of the project and is employed at a level equal to or higher than the lead researcher.

A research application is valid for 5 years from the date of permission to approach.

QERI is an online portal for processing research applications and storing information about research involving Queensland state schools and other state education sites, including information about current research and findings from finished projects.

Our User Guide (PDF, 2.4MB) has lots of information about how to use QERI. If you have any problems using it, you can contact us on (07) 3034 5929 or email ResearchServices@qed.qld.gov.au.

Yes. Just click the 'Save' button at the top or bottom of the screen. Content is also automatically saved when you go to the 'Next' page, 'Back' to the previous page, or to the 'Summary' page.

To resume a partially complete application, login to QERI, select 'My Applications' from the left menu, and click on the application you want to resume.

Once you've completed all sections of the application, click the 'Submit Application' button which should appear on the top right of the 'Summary' page. You'll receive an automated email acknowledging that the application has been successfully submitted.

To finish your application:

• Go to the section(s) that are not yet complete and look for red text indicating which questions still need answers.
• If a mandatory question is not relevant to your application, type 'Not applicable' in the text box.
• If you are certain that you have answered every mandatory question, but the 'Summary' page still indicates that a question (or questions) are yet to be completed, please contact us for assistance.

We would prefer all attachments are uploaded in QERI. However, if a document is not attaching:

• Check the file size—are you trying to attach a file larger than 100MB?
  
• Check the file is not corrupted—can you open the file on your computer?
  

If the file is not too big and not corrupted but still won't attach, email the attachments to ResearchServices@qed.qld.gov.au, letting us know what sections they are for.

Login to QERI, select 'My Applications', and then click the 'Actions' button on the right-hand side of the screen, beside the application you would like to withdraw. Click 'Withdraw Application' from the drop-down menu, and then provide an explanation for the withdrawal in the pop-up box.

Research findings can be submitted by logging into QERI, selecting 'My Applications' from the left-hand menu, and then clicking the 'Add new findings for research' button on the bottom right of the screen.

Yes. Register as a public user on QERI and double-click the keywords of interest to select them. If you choose to register as a researcher, then go to 'My Account' after registering and double-click the keywords of interest.

Login to QERI, select 'My Account' and double-click each of the keywords that you previously selected. This will remove them from your 'Selected Keywords' list.

Yes. Open the QERI homepage and click the 'Register' button on the top right of the screen. Once registered, you will need to use the 'Login' button (NOT the 'Staff Login' button) to use QERI as a researcher.

QERI is designed to be an inventory of Queensland education research, or research with a Queensland component. We review all submitted findings before publishing them. Register and submit your research findings.

Yes. We invite all researchers who've completed research with the department to add their research findings to QERI. Register and submit your research findings.

Yes. If your research involves more than 1 state or territory, please use the National Application Form that is available on the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) website.

No. The application is processed by each participating state or territory. If there are Queensland schools or departmental sites involved in the research, then we will appraise the application.

No. You will need to send your National Application to each jurisdiction that you want to participate in your research. Email addresses for each jurisdiction are in the National Application guidelines (PDF, 139KB) hosted on AARE's National Application Form webpage.

No. Blue Card Services is best placed to give you formal advice on the Queensland Working with Children Check and Blue Card process, including exemption cards and minimal time requirements. Please contact them on 1800 113 611 if you have questions.

No. If you would like to advertise your research on school sites (e.g. in newsletters and bulletin boards), you don't need to submit a full research application. You can submit a completed research advertisement in schools form directly to school principals.

If, however, you want the school to be involved in the research or in recruiting participants (e.g. emailing teachers, sending out information sheets or collecting consent forms), or if you want to conduct a survey or interviews on school grounds and/or during school times, then you will need to complete a full research application.

Sometimes. We need more information to decide whether consent is required. Generally speaking, if any student work, data or results are going to be reported in any public way, then full active consent will need to be sought. Please contact Research Services for further advice.

A reimbursement or acknowledgement of effort or time involved in participating in research may be considered appropriate, depending on the case. We don't approve the use of inducements to participate because they can be seen as coercion under the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, or create a research market that disadvantages studies without a comparable inducement. Please refer to the Guidelines for Conducting Research for further details.

This question is answered in detail in the Guidelines and the Terms and Conditions.

When you arrive, you should report to the administration building and sign in. The school should give you official visitor identification, which you need to wear at all times. You will also need to give the principal your current Blue Card or exemption (if required).

We're obliged not to disclose the identity of departmental sites involved in research, unless the principal/site manager and the department have explicitly agreed to the disclosure. We acknowledge that sharing information about the research site can help translate research findings in some cases. Please contact us if you want to request disclosure.

When your research is finished, we ask that you put your research findings in QERI and give a summary of findings to research participants and the department. If you want to publish your findings more broadly, please forward your publication to Research Services for review first.

Yes. If the research project is considered to be of benefit to the department and there are no problems in the research topic or design then we may ask for amendments along the way. We try to work with researchers through the entire process and are happy to give feedback on all documentation and research instruments.

No. When we decline an application, it's usually because the proposed study doesn't align with our current policy directions, or because it will impact significantly on the time and resources of teachers and students in schools, or the research is generally inappropriate for administration in state schools or other departmental sites.

We'll let you know early in the review process if it is unlikely that your proposal will be supported. We'll also advise of other options you might want to pursue for conducting your research. Researchers are also welcome to submit new or revised applications in response to our feedback and comments.

We understand that some university ethics committees require full departmental review and permission before giving their final ethics clearance. In those cases, we can write a conditional permission letter to give to the university. You'll need to give us evidence that your project has been submitted to the university ethics committee. You can't begin your project on departmental sites until you have final ethics clearance from the university.

Yes. We are happy to begin the review process as long as you can provide evidence that you've submitted your application to the university ethics committee. If you don't have final ethics clearance by the end of our review process, we'll give you a conditional permission letter. You will then need to forward the final ethics clearance to us when you have it. You can't start your research on departmental sites until you have final ethics clearance from the university, and permission of the school principal or manager of the departmental site where you will conduct research.

Yes. Using QERI, you'll need to outline your ethical approach to research, and how it complies with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and the department's Standards for Ethical Research Practice. This includes how you will address the issues of:

• informed and voluntary consent
• confidentiality and privacy
• management, storage and disposal of data
• risks and benefits of the research
• publication, reports and/or dissemination of results.

Yes. Please contact Research Services and ask for your application to be returned to you in QERI. You can then make amendments to your application and attachments. Amendments can only be made while your application is in the ‘incomplete’ status. Then please resubmit your QERI application.

Yes. Please email us at ResearchServices@qed.qld.gov.au with your research reference number (550/27/... or 500/27...), the title of your research, the details of your amendment and any updated documents.

Amendments or variations to the original research proposal, as originally described in the application to the department, may include, but are not limited to:

• extension of timelines
• changes to the research team, methodology or data collection instruments
• additional analysis or research with the research data
• any additional publication/s based on the data beyond what is normally associated with academic studies
• changes to the level of sensitivity or imposition associated with the research
• changes that alter the initial information provided to participants or parents/caregivers or provide new information that can reasonably be considered to influence participants’ willingness to continue with the study.
  

Yes. This is a condition of conducting research at the department.

Yes. For those who initially applied to conduct research and were granted permission, they can apply for an extension of up to 5 years from the original permission date. To apply for an extension, please email us at ResearchServices@qed.qld.gov.au with your research reference number (550/27/... or 500/27...), the title of your research, and your proposed extension date and explanation.​