Research and Survey Participation
The following information provides a summary for people who have been contacted by the Office of the Government Statistician regarding research or survey participation.
The Office of the Government Statistician is the Queensland Government's lead statistical agency, and regularly conducts research, including surveys, with individuals, households and businesses to collect official statistics about issues of interest to Government and to people in Queensland.
The Office of Government Statistician is committed to conducting statistical surveys in a prompt, confidential and courteous manner and employs a dedicated team of experienced research interviewers. To ensure the confidentiality of the information you provide, the Office of the Government Statistician conducts surveys under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act. This Act prohibits the disclosure of identifiable information relating to an individual without their consent.
The Office of the Government Statistician sincerely thanks the many individuals, households and businesses who contribute their time and effort responding to our surveys. Without such co-operation and goodwill, it would not be possible to produce the high-quality, reliable and timely official statistics required by the Queensland Government and the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to some questions frequently asked by survey participants are provided below. For more information about statistical surveys conducted by the Office of the Government Statistician, please contact the Office on our freecall number, 1800 068 587.
Why have I been selected?
For some surveys, the Office of the Government Statistician needs to select participants randomly so that results accurately reflect and represent the unbiased views of the whole community. Random selection is designed to give every household an equal chance of being contacted, and every eligible person in those households an equal chance of being selected to participate.
Do I have to participate in a survey?
All individuals selected by the Office of the Government Statistician to participate in survey research are encouraged to do so. This ensures the high level of response required to obtain accurate, reliable results and to properly identify key issues facing the community. The Government Statistician has the legal authority to collect statistics under the Statistical Returns Act.
Are my responses kept confidential?
The Office of the Government Statistician conducts surveys under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act, which states that all survey responses must be collated so that no identifiable information relating to an individual can ever be released without their consent. This means that your responses are kept strictly confidential, and they are not linked to you personally or to your telephone number. The Office of the Government Statistician is widely respected for its long-standing record of preserving the confidentiality of information collected through its surveys.
How did you get my phone number?
For surveys that need to reflect a representative cross-section of the Queensland public, we randomly select households based on information from databases which are either publicly available or kept for official statistical purposes under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act. Such databases may contain address and contact phone information including mobile and unlisted phone numbers. For surveys of Government departments, we normally call respondents using a contact list provided by those departments.
What about the Do Not Call Register?
The Office of the Government Statistician is the Queensland Government's lead statistical agency and was established to service the statistical requirements of the State Government and its agencies and authorities throughout Queensland. As we collect statistics only for official government purposes, our office is exempt from the Do Not Call Register.
How did you get my address?
The Office of the Government Statistician has sent letters to households based on information from databases which are either publicly available or kept for official statistical purposes under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act.
Why have you sent several letters to me?
We apologise if you have received more than one letter. Our intention is to send letters to householders but our database cannot distinguish between owners and residents so you may have received several letters if you own several dwellings.
Why have I received a letter at my address which is addressed to someone else?
The Office of the Government Statistician has sent letters to households for statistical purposes based on information from databases which are either publicly available or kept for official statistical purposes under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act. The fact that the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed is not correct is not material. As the letter is intended for the adult persons currently residing at that address, the pertinent part of the address is the location of the dwelling.
What about the Anti-spam legislation?
As the Office of the Government Statistician collect statistics for official government purposes, our office is exempt from the Spam Act 2003. All electronic messages from the Office of the Government Statistician identify the body or bodies that give authorisation for sending a message.
Current Surveys
To find out about current statistical surveys being conducted by the Office of the Government Statistician, please contact the Office on our freecall number, 1800 068 587.
Last reviewed 3 November 2011
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