On-site research

External organisations or individuals who wish to conduct research on Department of Education sites must comply with the Department’s Research Conducted on Department of Education Sites by External Parties policy.

This includes the submission of a research application to the Department for approval.

The Research Conducted on Department of Education Sites by External Parties policy:

• seeks to ensure that the rights, safety, and well-being of participants are protected
• recognises the value of quality research and its potential benefit to education, training and to the broader community
• is supportive of site managers participating in selected research projects conducted by external parties
• enables researchers to work with the Department through a smooth and coordinated application process.

The scope of the policy excludes research that satisfies any of the following criteria:

• activities undertaken as part of normal teaching practice
• undergraduate student assignments which involve research confined to one Department site and are part of a qualification that is below the level of an Honours degree or equivalent fourth year qualification
• research conducted by employees of the Department, unless the research is conducted as part of a qualification with an external education provider
• research that has been commissioned by the Department. However, the policy does apply to recipients of Department funding for research that has not been commissioned by the Department.

If any of the exclusions above apply, the researcher can approach the site manager directly (for example, the principal of the school) without requiring prior centralised approval from the Department.

National Application Form

The Department has agreed to accept applications submitted on the National Application Form for researchers who require approval from more than one educational jurisdiction to conduct research. Further information is available from the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE).

For further information or clarification, please contact ResearchandPolicy@education.wa.edu.au