QERI User Guide V 3.0

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Contents Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Roles .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Public Users ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Researchers ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Research Services Staff (RS Staff) .............................................................................................................................. 5

Departmental Administrators ................................................................................................................................... 5

Departmental Officers .............................................................................................................................................. 5

Research Services Director (and ADG, Strategic Policy and Intergovernmental Relations) ..................................... 5

School Principals ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

QERI – Public Users ........................................................................................................................................................... 6

Search ............................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Registration ................................................................................................................................................................... 7

My Account ................................................................................................................................................................... 8

QERI – Researchers ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Do you need to submit an application? ........................................................................................................................ 9

Registration ................................................................................................................................................................. 10

My Account ................................................................................................................................................................. 11

My Applications .......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Application Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 13

Application Submission ............................................................................................................................................... 14

Findings Submission .................................................................................................................................................... 15

Inputting and saving findings .................................................................................................................................. 15

Findings consent statement .................................................................................................................................... 15

Submitting completed research findings ................................................................................................................ 15

After Your Application or Findings has been Submitted ............................................................................................. 16

Who reviews research applications and findings?...................................................................................................... 16

How does Research Services communicate with researchers about applications and findings? .............................. 16

QERI – Departmental Administrators ............................................................................................................................. 17

Receiving a request for advice .................................................................................................................................... 17

Responding to a request for advice ............................................................................................................................ 17

View advice request ................................................................................................................................................ 18

View the research application/findings .................................................................................................................. 19

Forward request for advice or advice-approval ...................................................................................................... 20

Communicate with Research Services about the advice request ........................................................................... 20

Return advice request to Research Services without providing advice .................................................................. 20

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Monitoring advice requests ........................................................................................................................................ 21

QERI – Departmental Officers ......................................................................................................................................... 22

Receiving a request for advice .................................................................................................................................... 22

Responding to a request for advice ............................................................................................................................ 22

View advice request ................................................................................................................................................ 23

Provide advice ......................................................................................................................................................... 23

View the research application/findings .................................................................................................................. 24

Decline request for advice ...................................................................................................................................... 24

Forward request for advice ..................................................................................................................................... 25

Approve advice ....................................................................................................................................................... 25

Communicate with Research Services about the advice request ........................................................................... 25

Return advice request to Research Services without providing advice .................................................................. 26

School Principals and other School Staff ........................................................................................................................ 27

Receiving an application to conduct research in your school .................................................................................... 27

Viewing an application in QERI ................................................................................................................................... 27

Summary of the Application Approval Workflow ........................................................................................................... 29

Where to Go for More Information ................................................................................................................................ 29

Contact Details ............................................................................................................................................................ 29

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Overview QERI (Queensland Education Research Inventory) is a web application that enables researchers to apply online to conduct research involving Department of Education (the department) sites and/or data. It supports the workflow of appraising this research application within the department, communicating with the research applicant and with relevant areas involved in the decision-making process, through to school principals or site managers who can decide whether they wish to participate in the research or not.

The application also supports the online capture of research findings. Both ongoing research permitted to occur in department sites, and research findings are visible and searchable by the public on the public facing web site.

Aside from general members of the public, QERI is accessible to several different kinds of users.

Roles

The following roles are supported within QERI.

Public Users

Public users are any members of the public who want information about ongoing or completed research involving department sites and/or data.

Researchers

Researchers are any persons who wish to apply to conduct research involving department sites and/or data. Researchers can be internal or external to the department.

Research Services Staff (RS Staff)

Internal Research Services staff who manage the workflow of research applications and findings.

Departmental Administrators

Internal staff who receive and respond to advice requests relating to research applications and findings, and/or forward advice requests to other internal staff.

Departmental Officers

Internal staff who provide advice relating to research applications and findings, and/or approve advice provided by other internal staff.

Research Services Director (and ADG, Strategic Policy and Intergovernmental Relations)

The Director in Research Services who is responsible for approving applications and advice about applications within QERI on behalf of their ADG.

School Principals

School principals for each school associated with an application for research who have the final say in whether that school will participate in the research or not.

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QERI – Public Users The public QERI site allows all users to browse for ongoing research or the findings of completed research involving department sites and/or data. Recent submissions are visible in the right-hand sidebar.

Users may navigate directly to a research project by clicking on its link in the right-hand sidebar. You may also perform a quick search by typing a word fragment into the search bar and hitting return.

Search

Users may do a basic search by typing a word fragment into the search bar and hitting return.

Alternatively, users may use the “Advanced Search” to:

• specifically search for word fragments within research titles, and/or • search for word fragments within all fields, and/or • restrict searches to research submitted/published within a specific date range • restrict searches to only “ongoing research” or to only “research findings”

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Registration

Users may register to be notified by email when research on nominated topics is made available on QERI. To complete the registration, users need to agree to the terms and conditions displayed, and select the keywords of interest by double-clicking them. Double-clicking a selected keyword will remove it from your list.

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My Account

The “My Account” screen, which can be accessed from the left-hand menu, allows users to:

• update their details • change their account type to “researcher” • add or remove topics of interest to be notified about

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QERI – Researchers Researchers (external and internal to the department) can use QERI to submit applications to conduct research involving department sites and/or data. Researchers can also upload the findings of these research studies for viewing by departmental and school staff, as well as by the public.

Additionally, researchers may elect to be notified by email when research relating to topics of interest is made available on QERI.

Do you need to submit an application?

There is a link on the QERI home page to some screening questions that will help you determine if you need to submit a research application.

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Registration

Researchers (external and internal to the department) need to register an account as a ‘Researcher’ on QERI and agree to the terms and conditions displayed in order to be able to submit research applications and findings.

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My Account

After registering, researchers can use the “My Account” screen, which can be accessed from the left-hand menu, to:

• update their details • add or remove topics of interest to be notified about

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My Applications

After registering, researchers can use the “My Applications” screen, which can be accessed from the left-hand menu, to:

• Start a new application to conduct research involving departmental sites and/or data • Submit the findings of research involving departmental sites and/or data • View details of applications and findings that are partially complete, submitted, or finalised • Save and resume partially complete applications or findings • View “Notes” from Research Services, and add “Notes” for Research Services • Withdraw an application (via the “Actions” button)

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Application Summary

Starting a new application, or clicking on the title of an existing application, opens the “Application Summary”. This screen shows the eleven sections of the application. An orange exclamation mark indicates that a section is incomplete. Sections can be completed in any order.

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Application Submission

Once all sections of the application have been completed, a “Submit Application” button will appear at the top right of the “Application Summary”.

Prior to submitting the application, researchers need to consent to the specific information listed below being published and/or reproduced by the Department, including making it public on the QERI website. The purpose of this database is to help inform departmental staff, researchers and the public about approved research involving departmental sites and/or data. Applicants can request by email not to make the information public, but this will require justification and will be a consideration in the Department’s appraisal of the Research Application. The approval of exemption will be subject to confirmation by Research Services. The department retains the discretion to choose not to make research details public.

The following information may be made public:

• Researcher title and name • Researcher email address (optional) • Name of university/organisation • Title of your research study (Section 2.1) • Content keywords (Section 2.2) • Brief summary of research (Section 2.3) • Date of permission to approach

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Findings Submission

Researchers can also use the “My Applications” screen, which can be accessed from the left-hand menu, to submit the findings of research involving departmental sites and/or data.

From the “My Applications” page, click on the “Add new findings for research” button at the bottom right of the screen.

Inputting and saving findings

After opening the “Research Findings” form, follow the instructions for completing each section. Partially completed findings can be saved by clicking the “Save” or “Save and return to My Applications” buttons on the “Research Findings” form.

Once a partially completed research findings has been saved, it will be listed under “My Research Findings” on the “My Applications” page. Click on the title of the findings to continue completing the form.

Findings consent statement

The final section of the “Research Findings” form asks for the researcher’s consent to make the findings publicly available on the QERI website. There is an option to consent to the research findings being made available only internally to department employees. However, if this option is selected, a justification is needed for not making the findings publicly available.

Submitting completed research findings

To submit your research findings when they are complete, click the “Actions” button to the right of the relevant research findings on the “My Applications” page. Click “Submit for review” on the drop-down menu, and then click “Yes” on the pop-up box. The “Status” displayed beside the title of the research findings will change from “Incomplete” to “Submitted”.

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After Your Application or Findings has been Submitted

Please be advised that your application or findings review can take up to three months from the date of submission. Please contact Research Services if your application is urgent, and we will consider requests to prioritise on a case-by-case basis.

Who reviews research applications and findings?

• If your research involves a single school only and no sensitivities are checked in Section 9 of your application, QERI will send it directly to the School Principal for review. Please check this by looking at the status shown beside the title of your application on the “My Applications” page in QERI. If the status is “Submitted to school”, we suggest that you contact the school a few days after submitting to ensure that your application has been received.

• If your research involves multiple schools, non-school sites, centrally-held data, or if it contains sensitivities, QERI will send your application to Research Services in Central Office. Research Services may forward non-sensitive applications involving multiple schools within a single region to the relevant Regional Office for review.

• All research findings are reviewed by Research Services prior to publication on the QERI website.

How does Research Services communicate with researchers about applications and findings?

If Research Services requires further information or amendments, the application or findings will be assigned back to you in QERI. You will receive an email advising you to view the details of the request in QERI.

To view the request, open the “My Applications” page in QERI and click the “Notes” button to the right of the application title.

The “Notes” will open in a pop-up window. The following options may be used for providing the requested

information and/or amendments:

• Type or copy text directly into the “Notes” box. • Open the research application by clicking

on the title, and then open the appropriate section.

• You can make changes to the application content, or you can upload new attachments if required (e.g. you could upload a copy of your Blue Card in Section 8).

• Generic attachments can be uploaded in Section 10. If your response will be lengthy, it is best to upload it in Section 10 as a Word document, rather than typing it into the “Notes” box.

• Once you have completed your response, and you have uploaded all relevant attachments, open the application “Summary” page and click “Submit Application” to re-submit the application to Research Services.

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QERI – Departmental Administrators Departmental Administrators are internal staff members who may receive requests from Research Services for advice relating to research applications and findings. Administrators may respond to the requested advice, and/or forward advice requests to other internal staff..

Receiving a request for advice

When Research Services request advice from an internal staff member, that staff member will receive an email advising them of the request. Clicking the link to QERI in this email will open the QERI home page.

Responding to a request for advice

After opening the QERI home page:

• click the “Staff Login” button at the top right

• Then click the “View Applications” button in the centre of the screen or “Applications and Findings” in the left-hand menu.

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The next screen will open with the “My Applications” tab selected. Research applications that have been assigned to you for advice will be listed on this page. If research findings have been assigned to you for advice, they can be viewed by clicking the “My Findings” tab.

View advice request

To view the advice request:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title

• select “Provide Policy Advice” from the drop-down menu to open the “Line Area Advice form”

After opening the “Line Area Advice” form, you may:

• Provide advice: o type (or copy and paste) your responses into

the “Line Area Response” textboxes o click “Save” to save your responses, or “Save

and Continue” to save your responses and return to the “My Applications” screen

• Exit the Line Area Advice form without providing advice: o click the “Back” button to return to the “My

Applications” screen.

To provide advice directly to Research Services, without seeking advice or approval from other staff members:

• Open the line area advice form and enter advice as described above, and then check the following checkbox at the bottom of the form

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• Clicking the above checkbox opens an additional section to the Line Area Advice form for indicating your level of support for the research project

View the research application/findings

To view the details of a research application or findings:

• click on the title of the application/findings: o for applications, this will open the “Application Summary”. Click individual sections to view the

content of that section.

To view the “research application/findings form” and the “line area advice form” at the same time:

• hold down the “Shift” key when clicking the title to open the application/findings in a new browser window • move/resize the new browser window so that you can see both browser windows • open the “Line Area Advice” form in the first browser window while keeping the application/findings open in

the second browser window

To view attachments to a research application:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application on the “My Applications” page

• select “Generate Zipfile” (this will download all attachments as a Zip file)

• right-click the downloaded file and select “Extract all” to unzip the files

To print the whole research application form:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application on the “My Applications” page

• select “Generate Summary” • the research application will open as a PDF file, which can

then be printed

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Forward request for advice or advice-approval

To forward the advice request to another staff member (either for advice or for approval of advice that you have provided):

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title • select “Request advice/approval” from the drop-down menu • click “Yes” • enter the staff member’s last name into the search box • once the staff member’s name is listed, select the “+” sign

beside their name • click “OK” to assign the advice request to the selected staff

member

To view the details of staff members you have assigned the advice request to:

• click the “down-arrow” that appears under the “Assigned to” heading on the “My Applications” page • the “Status” of the advice request indicates whether the staff member has responded to the request

To add notes/information for staff members who you forward an advice request to:

• first forward the advice request as described above • click the “down-arrow” to view the details of assigned requests, as described above • click the “Notes” button alongside the name of the staff member that you want to add notes for • type notes into the textbox that opens (insert a TRIM reference if appropriate) • click “Save note”

Communicate with Research Services about the advice request

• click the “Notes” button to the right of the application title • type notes into the textbox that opens (insert TRIM reference if appropriate) • click “Save note”

Return advice request to Research Services without providing advice

If you receive a request from Research Services for advice about research, and you don’t believe it is necessary for your area of the department to provide advice, you will need to:

• click the “Notes” button and enter a note advising Research Services that it is not necessary for your area of the department to provide advice

• then click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title

• select “Return completed advice” from the drop-down menu • click “Yes”

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Monitoring advice requests

Departmental Administrators can monitor the “Status” of advice requests that they have forwarded to other staff members:

• to view the “Status” of advice requests for an application, open the “My Applications” page • click the “down-arrow” that appears under the “Assigned to” heading • Each staff member who you have forwarded the advice request to will be displayed on a separate line, with

the “Status” displayed to the right of their name

Administrators will also receive an email notification when completed advice is returned to Research Services.

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QERI – Departmental Officers Departmental Officers are internal staff members who may provide advice relating to research applications and findings and/or approve advice provided by other internal staff. Departmental officers may provide requested advice, and/or forward policy advice requests to other internal staff.

Receiving a request for advice

To request advice in QERI from another area of the department, Research Services initially submit a request to a Departmental Administrator (“QERI – Departmental Administrators” section of this instruction guide). Departmental Administrators then forward this request to appropriate staff members within their area.

When a Departmental Administrator requests advice from an internal staff member, that staff member will receive an email advising them of the request. Clicking the link to QERI in this email will open the QERI home page. Staff members who are accessing QERI via the departmental network will automatically be logged in.

Responding to a request for advice

After opening the QERI home page:

• click the “Staff Login” button at the top right

• Then click the “View Applications” button in the centre of the screen or “Applications and Findings” in the left-hand menu.

The next screen will open with the “My Applications” tab selected. Research applications that have been assigned to you for advice will be listed on this page. If research findings have been assigned to you for advice, they can be viewed by clicking the “My Findings” tab.

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View advice request

To view the advice request:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title

• select “Provide Policy Advice” from the drop-down menu to open the “Line Area Advice form”

Provide advice

After opening the “Line Area Advice” form, you may:

• Provide advice: o type (or copy and paste) your responses into

the “Line Area Response” textboxes o click “Save” to save your responses, or “Save

and Continue” to save your responses and return to the “My Applications” screen

• Provide a recommendation: o In the final section of the “Line Area Advice”

form, select the appropriate radio button to indicate whether your area supports the research.

o If you select “Conditional support”, enter the conditions into the “Conditional Support Details” textbox.

o Click the checkbox provided if your area would like to be advised of the research outcomes

o click “Save” to save your responses, or “Save and Continue” to save your responses and return to the “My Applications” screen

• To exit the “Line Area Advice” form without providing advice:

o click the “Back” button to return to the “My Applications” screen.

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View the research application/findings

To view the details of a research application or findings:

• click on the title of the application/findings: o for applications, this will open the “Application Summary”. Click individual sections to view the

content of that section.

To view the “research application/findings form” and the “line area advice form” at the same time:

• hold down the “Shift” key when clicking the title to open the application/findings in a new browser window • move/resize the new browser window so that you can see both browser windows • open the “Line Area Advice” form in the first browser window while keeping the application/findings open in

the second browser window

To view attachments to a research application:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application on the “My Applications” page

• select “Generate Zipfile” (this will download all attachments as a Zip file)

• right-click the downloaded file and select “Extract all” to unzip the files

To print the whole research application form:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application on the “My Applications” page

• select “Generate Summary” • the research application will open as a PDF file, which can

then be printed

Decline request for advice

To decline a request for advice:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title • select “Decline request” from the drop-down menu to notify the staff member who sent you the advice

request

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Forward request for advice

You may forward a request for advice to another staff member, either after providing advice yourself or without providing advice. Use this option if you need to obtain approval from a senior officer for advice you have entered into the Line Area Advice form.

To forward the advice request:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title

• select “Forward request” from the drop-down menu • click “Yes” • enter the staff member’s last name into the search box • once the staff member’s name is listed, select the “+” sign

beside their name • click “OK” to assign the advice request to the selected staff

member

To add notes/information for staff members who you forward an advice request to:

• first forward the advice request as described above • click the “Notes” button alongside the name of the staff member that you want to add notes for • type notes into the textbox that opens (insert a TRIM reference if appropriate) • click “Save note”

Approve advice

If you are a senior officer, you may approve advice that is forwarded to you in QERI by a member of your staff. You can then return the completed advice to Research Services.

In QERI, a request for approval of advice is the same as a request for advice. To respond to a request for approval of advice, follow the instructions above titled “View advice request” and “Provide advice”.

• Once you have opened the “Line Area Advice” form, you may edit, add to, or delete the advice that has already been provided.

• Check that the “Line Area Recommendation” at the bottom of the “Line Area Advice” form is appropriate, and then click “Save” to save your responses, or “Save and Continue” to save your responses and return to the “My Applications” screen.

• Click “Actions” and select “Return completed advice” to return the advice to Research Services.

Communicate with Research Services about the advice request

• click the “Notes” button to the right of the application title • type notes into the textbox that opens (insert TRIM reference if appropriate) • click “Save note”

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Return advice request to Research Services without providing advice

If you receive a request from Research Services for advice about research, and you don’t believe it is appropriate for your area of the department to provide advice, you will need to:

• click the “Actions” button to the right of the application title • select “Provide Policy Advice” from the drop-down menu • make a note in the first “Line Area Response” textbox that advice is not required from your area of the

department • click “Save and Continue” at the top or bottom right of the page • once you have returned to the “Applications & Findings” page, click the “Actions” button to the right of the

application title • select “Request advice/approval” from the drop-down menu • click “Yes” • enter the last name of an appropriate senior officer (e.g. Director or Executive Director) into the search box • once the senior officer’s name is listed, select the “+” sign beside their name • click “OK” to assign the advice request to this senior officer • the senior officer will need to note your comment in the “Line Area Advice” form that advice is not required

from your area, and then return the completed advice form to Research Services as described in the “Approve advice” section above.

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School Principals and other School Staff School Principals and Deputy Principals can use QERI to appraise non-sensitive single-school research applications, to confirm departmental approval of research applications that involve multiple schools and/or are sensitive, and to view the details of ongoing and completed research involving their school. All school staff can view the details of ongoing and completed research across all departmental schools and other sites via the public QERI interface.

Receiving an application to conduct research in your school

When a researcher submits an application via QERI to conduct research in your school only, and if it does not contain any sensitivities, an email will be sent to the generic Principal email address at your school. Clicking the link to QERI in this email will open the QERI home page. Only the Principal and Deputy Principal will be able to view the research application in QERI.

Viewing an application in QERI

After opening the QERI home page:

• click the “Staff Login” button at the top right

• Then click the “View Applications” button in the centre of the screen or “Applications and Findings” in the left-hand menu.

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The next screen will open with the “My Applications” tab selected. Research applications that have been assigned to you for advice will be listed on this page. The “Application History” tab displays research applications that have already been finalised.

Clicking the buttons under the “Actions” heading will do the following:

• “Approve Application” – this will change the status of the application in QERI to “Finalised” and will approve publication of the title, researcher name, and brief summary of the research as “Ongoing Research” on the public QERI website. The School Principal will still need to provide the researcher with a signed approval letter outside of QERI.

• “Decline Application” – this will change the status of the application in QERI to “Finalised”, but won’t approve publication of any details of the research on the public QERI website. The School Principal will still need to advise the researcher that the school has declined to participate in the research.

• “Request Help” – this will assign the research application to Research Services in Central Office for advice/review, and will notify them via email of this. This option should only be selected after contacting Research Services by phone or email.

• “Download Summary” – this will download the complete research application as a PDF file. • “Download Zip” – this will download all attachments and supporting documentation as a Zip file.

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Summary of the Application Approval Workflow The diagram below shows an overview of the appraisal process that is undertaken for research applications submitted to Research Services. Applications are initially appraised by Research Services to ensure the methodology and ethical approach is appropriate. Advice is then usually sought from relevant areas of the department about the topic, alignment and any other risks. These areas may impose conditions that need to be addressed by the researcher before approval can be granted.

Where to Go for More Information Research Services staff are here to help. Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries about applying to conduct research involving departmental schools, other sites and/or data, or if you encounter any technical issues with QERI.

Contact Details

www.qld.gov.au/DETresearch

Email: ResearchServices@qed.qld.gov.au

Telephone: (07) 3034 5929