November 1996

Introduction

Since its establishment in 1976, the Family Court of Australia has produced a considerable amount of research concerning its clients and their experiences, as well as its own operations. The nature of its jurisdiction and the requirement that confidentiality and anonymity of its clientele be preserved has required the Court to generate much of its own research effort and to evaluate its own operations. The evaluative aspects have become even more pronounced with the implementation of recent amendments to the Family Law Act and the introduction of Simplified Procedures. In addition, the volatile nature of the Court's work and the recent attention given to issues such as family violence and the Court's perceived biases against both men and women have increased the demand for research.

Marriage breakdown continues to be the subject of a good deal of concern and rhetoric. Its effects on both adults and children, and the antecedents and aftermath of divorce, have been the subject of much external research, most of which has involved the Court in some way. The main player has been the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) which was itself established by the Family Law Act 1975, with the functions of promoting the identification, development and understanding of factors affecting marital and family stability in Australia through the conduct, co-ordination and encouragement of research. The Family Law Council and the Australian Law Reform Commission have also participated in a number of relevant studies. Individual university researchers have also contributed useful projects over the years.

The Court is keen to encourage other external research activities - either free standing or in collaboration with its own endeavours - in order to develop an appropriate body of knowledge about marriage breakdown, which will assist the Court in its role, provided the confidentiality of data sources is protected. It also recognises the importance of ensuring that its own research activities complement rather than duplicate those conducted by external bodies.

This paper first briefly discusses the Court's past research effort and its current research program. It then examines what it sees as the future directions for Court related research and proposes a number of possible research projects.

Background

The Court's research policy is based on the premise that its accountability and the services it provides inevitably involve a commitment to research and to an evaluation of the principles, methods and outcomes of the service. This commitment was recognised in the Report of the Working Party on the Review of the Family Court, September 1990, which said, 'Research and evaluation of the (Family) Court's activities are regarded as essential parts of the Court's responsibility in the effective and efficient delivery of the services required of the Court.' (paragraph 11.2, page 272). This report also recommended that 'Family Court policy in relation to research be reviewed to take into account proposed new structures for the Court and to ensure that equal emphasis is placed on research and research assistance in all areas of the Court (ie. judicial, administration, legal and counselling).' (page 277).

The Family Court has continued to support research activity, both internally and externally. Where it previously had a Research Psychologist position alone, it has set up a Management Information and Research Section in Canberra under a Director, which contains the Research Analyst position. It has a Research Committee, which oversees the research program. In addition, the Court continues to encourage projects by external researchers by providing access to Court clients and information and in some cases, provides funding.

Previous Research Effort

The research facility of the Family Court has to date provided a valuable contribution to the knowledge base of the Court itself and information that is useful to the wider community. The Court has produced a number of research reports itself and has supported a considerable number of externally conducted research projects concerning the Court's clients and its operations. Family Court research has, however, often been prone to being either reactive or reliant upon proposals developed external to the Court. Over the last few years it has been committed to responding to various Joint Select Committee and other parliamentary inquiries which are heavily resource intensive and time consuming.

The research effort of the Family Court since 1979 has been summarised in the Synopsis of Family Court Research Projects, which has been published this month. This Synopsis includes information about all projects conducted with Family Court approval since 1979 for which copies of findings are available and on projects currently underway. It also lists the published Family Court research reports and other relevant reports held by the Court.

Research previously carried out within the Court has mostly fallen within four broad areas. These cover research into decisions relating to child custody or access, research into the effectiveness of conciliation counselling, analyses of property settlement judgements and studies of violence related to marriage breakdown and Court procedures.

The need for objective information concerning judicial custody decisions led to the Court undertaking custody research projects during 1982-83 and 1992. These studies provided data on the proportions of mothers and fathers who gained custody of children following contested divorces in 1980 and 1990, and on the factors associated with the judicial decision process. A significant portion of the Court's research activities has also been dedicated to the empirical examination of the issue of access to children following separation and divorce, and in particular, whether children have continuing contact with the non-custodial parent.

Measuring the effectiveness of conciliation counselling has been a topic of ongoing interest to the Family Court and a number of research projects have been conducted in this area. There have been studies that have measured the success of conciliation counselling in terms of the rates of agreement or re-litigation, surveys of client satisfaction with the conciliation counselling service and outcomes of the process, and studies of counsellors' assessments of dispute resolution. Others have evaluated the conciliation counselling process.

Analyses of property settlement judgements in the Family Court were conducted in 1983 and 1992 in order to obtain data on the outcomes of contested property hearings. These studies have provided information on the nature and extent of matrimonial assets, the distribution of these assets upon division and the factors that influenced the share received by each partner. They also shed light on the use of the legal process in property disputes and the process of the court's adjudication on property issues.

Projects undertaken within the Court relating to the issue of physical violence have included a study of domestic homicide in Family Court cases, which investigated the extent to which Family Court involvement may precipitate homicide, and a study of client satisfaction with counselling in cases involving physical violence, which has also collected information on the incidence of violence to clients presenting to the counselling service.

The Family Court has also sponsored and conducted a number of studies aimed at examining the implications and effects of marital separation and divorce on men. These have provided information on the effects of separation on men in terms of their physical and psychological well-being, their ability to cope with work, social activities and living routines and their relationship with their children. The Court's most recent research report, released just two weeks ago, was the outcome of a study of the effects of marital separation on men ten years on, undertaken by Peter Jordan. This was a follow-up to his earlier study published in 1985.

It is worth mentioning here that apart the research done by the Research Psychologist and her Research Assistant, much of the Court's previous research effort has been undertaken by counsellors employed by the Court. This group has obviously had a particular interest and the relevant expertise to engender involvement in research related to the Court's activities. Counsellors are also involved with many of the current research projects.

Current Research Projects

A list of the Family Court research projects currently underway is also included in the Synopsis of Family Court Research Projects. These range across a variety of subject areas and they are being conducted by a variety of researchers, many of whom are employees of the Family Court completing higher degrees. Quite a number of these projects are collaborative in nature, where the Court's role varies from providing source material and overseeing the data collection, to being more participatory by way of supervision or input. One example of this is a recently approved project that will examine, in respect of the Family Law Reform legislation, whether changing legislation can change legal culture, legal practice and community expectations. This will be a collaborative project conducted by Margaret Harrison and the Research Analyst from the Court and Professor Regina Graycar from the University of New South Wales. This project has received an Australian Research Council grant as well as funding from the Court.

As could be expected, projects researching aspects of alternative dispute resolution are prevalent among current research activities and form the largest category of research projects. There are studies underway on the language of alternative dispute resolution, participants' perceptions of mediation as a resolution process, the practice of mediation in the Family Court, the value of mediation interventions, including a study of mediator behaviour, and the speech exchange system in mediation.

Other projects in this area include evaluations of pilot counselling and mediation groups for medium and high conflict litigants and pilot conciliation and parenting education groups. A survey of client satisfaction with family court counselling has recently been completed. A survey comparing the Court's voluntary counselling cases with its Court-ordered cases is also nearing completion.

The next largest group of projects currently being conducted involve research into Family Court cases where physical violence and child abuse are issues. These include projects on the effects of domestic violence on young children, the management of child abuse cases in the Family Court, the management of child abuse in custody and access disputes and the changing levels of family violence in vexatious Family Court clients. There is also a study underway of client satisfaction with counselling in cases involving physical violence, and an evaluation of the Court's domestic violence policy is in the planning stage.

The outcomes and effects of cases involving disputes over the custody and access (now of course termed residence and contact) of children continues to be an area attracting research effort. Current projects include the effects of splitting siblings in custody arrangements, the impact of Family Court proceedings on young adults and the impact of sex role or sex trait stereotyping and other gender differences on custody and access proceedings.

In addition, quite a number of evaluation projects are in progress at present. For example, an evaluation of the Integrated Client Services (ICS) pilot in Parramatta pre and post the change is being conducted and this includes surveys of people attending information sessions at the Court. An evaluation of Simplified Procedures is also proceeding and includes a surveys of directions hearings and a costs study as well as analysis of statistical information. There will also be an evaluation of the Alice Springs Counselling Service during 1997, as this has been a new initiative of the Court aimed at providing specialised services to Aboriginal clients, which required new types of interventions.

Future Directions

The Family Court has become more proactive in both identifying areas requiring research and in undertaking the research internally, where possible. This will include developing further opportunities for co-operative research with other interested individuals or organisations. The Management Information and Research Section is working to develop and promote an advance research program for the next three years. This will enable the Court to be more involved in the research area, to better plan research, and to engage consultants for research when there is a lack particular expertise within the Court.

With these goals in mind, the Court will be assessing all future research proposals in relation to the research priority areas identified below. These priorities may of course change over time, as they can be added to by a range of people and, in a proactive sense, research requests will also be sought at regular intervals.

Priority Research Areas

In general, the Family Court's own internal research and assistance provided for external research activities will be guided by the research priorities of the Court at any given time. Over the next two to three years, the Court will be concentrating on promulgating research effort in three main areas. These are theoretical and empirical studies, research and evaluation studies aimed at improving the quality of practice, and research and evaluation to generate information for internal decision making.

Within these priority areas, the Court has identified a range of possible projects that need to be conducted over the next two to three years. This list has been developed based on a range of inputs, including a study of the current literature related to Court activities, the recommendations of recent reports (such as the Australian Law Reform Commission report 'For the sake of the kids'), information on knowledge gaps gained from activities like the joint planning seminar on research issues in family law held in late 1995 between the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Family Law Council, and suggestions from those inside the Court itself. Obviously the implementation of Simplified Procedures and amendments to the Family Law Act which occurred during 1996 will also have a major impact on future research activities. This is not an exhaustive list by any means and other proposals for research relevant to the Family Court will always be given consideration.

Theoretical and empirical studies

The first area of interest is for theoretical and empirical studies which are concerned largely with the process of clarifying and quantifying family law issues. These are aimed at increasing our understanding of the way family law impacts on separating families. Projects within this area would include research into:

post separation parenting arrangements from the perspective of the child;
contact compliance programs;
legal rituals and symbols, in particular those relating to family law;
the current adversarial system of law in comparison with the inquisitorial system (civil law style which is generally used in Europe) and whether the inquisitorial system has any application for the Family Court of Australia;
the contemporary meaning of marriage and questions of obligation and personal responsibility within marriage;
the longer-term social, economic and psychological impact of separation and divorce; and
likely future trends within society and the potential impact these may have on the functions of the Family Court.

Research and evaluation to improve the quality of practice

The second requirement is for research and evaluation studies aimed at improving the quality of family law practice. Such studies are required to set criteria for 'best practice' and to generate feedback to professionals, including Judges, about their interventions in the lives of the Court's clients, so that the quality of practice can be improved.

Projects would include research and evaluation in the areas of:

issues relating to the separate representation of children in the Family Court.
the incidence of gender differences in family law, in particular with respect to the judiciary and the legal profession;
ways of early identification of potentially complex contact cases;
appropriate models for how the Court can deal with high conflict cases, with particular focus on the involvement of children, and the costs involved;
the impact of Family Court procedures on clients, particularly children, including identification and assessment of stress levels caused;
factors affecting mediation, conciliation conferences and counselling outcomes;
the role that Indigenous Customary Law could have in Family Law; and
the treatment of alleged child abuse cases in the Family Court.

Research and evaluation to generate information for internal decision making

Studies which provide management focussed information that will assist in internal decision making will also continue to be of importance to the Court. The main aim of this management research is to provide a bridge between the theoretical and practical issues through the provision of task specific information. Such studies are needed to answer questions that are important to the Court's organisational environment and resourcing, and give practical information about local needs and problems to aid in organisational planning.

Projects identified in this area include:

research into the characteristics of circuit cases, to determine whether they are quicker than standard hearing cases, there is less pre servicing required, the full range of services are available to clients in circuit cases, and whether clients are choosing to have their cases heard as circuit cases rather than at a registry in order to avoid delays;
research into the optimum size of Family Court registries, including identifying the means that can be used to determine ideal registry sizes in different areas and the factors resulting in regional variations in demand on registry services;
evaluation of the Family Law Reform legislation which came into effect on 11 June 1996;
evaluation of the longer term impact of the Court's simplified procedures;
evaluation of the cost effectiveness of conciliation, counselling and mediation services;
evaluation of the effectiveness of Family Court information and general publicity; and
research to determine client expectations and the levels of client satisfaction with Family Court services.

It must be noted that within these priority areas, the Court will need to strike a balance between research aimed at advancing knowledge, and research aimed at obtaining practical and useful information that will assist policy and decision making. Now that the Court has moved to a program structure, one of the aims is to ensure that equal emphasis is placed on research relating to all program areas. The Court's program areas have been defined as:
litigation (covering legal and judicial functions);
primary dispute resolution (including conciliation, counselling and mediation);
operations (court processes); and
corporate (policy and administrative support).

As a result of this move to a program structure, the Court is now operating on a program budgetting framework, within which funds are allocated to each program and the activities that are part of it. This means that funds have now been allocated to allow the achievement of a research program within the Court.

Submission of Proposals

The Family Court of Australia encourages researchers to submit proposals for research projects that concern issues relating to marital separation and divorce, or relating to Court administration, within the program structure and the priority areas specified above. The Court will consider supporting research projects by providing access to Family Court staff, clients, client case-notes, funds, facilities, equipment and/or other information.

Applications for support for research projects will be examined and evaluated on their scientific merits, and a decision on providing support will be based on these merits. Issues relating to confidentiality, ethics, costs, and any additional workload which may be imposed by the project on Family Court staff, will also be taken into consideration when assessing project proposals. The Court has a policy in relation to the confidentiality of client files.

The Family Court has developed a Research Policy and Guidelines document which outlines its policies and general procedures in relation to providing support for research projects. Researchers wishing to make an application to the Family Court should refer to this document, which is available from the Management Information and Research Section in Canberra. A copy of the Court's Research Policy and Guidelines is attached to this paper.

Conclusion

The Family Court of Australia intends to continue to conduct and support research and evaluation activities relevant to its clients, services and operations. It will also be looking to such research to identify or forecast areas that will be of importance to the Court in the future.

The Court itself plans to become more active in the research area as well as becoming more proactive with the view to encouraging external research in areas that it considers have priority. It will also consider engaging consultants for research where there is a lack of particular expertise within the Court.

This paper has outlined a range of possible projects within the areas that the Court considers will have priority over the next two to three years. Hopefully this will engender interest in the subject areas mentioned and assist prospective researchers in approaching the Court with their proposals.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Family Court of Australia encourages researchers to submit proposals for research projects that concern issues relating to marital separation and divorce, or relating to Court administration. The Family Court will consider supporting research projects by providing access to Family Court staff, clients, client case-notes, funds, facilities, equipment and/or other information.

1.2 Applications for Family Court support for research projects will be examined and evaluated on their scientific merits, and a decision on providing support will be based on these merits. Issues relating to confidentiality, ethics, costs, and any additional workload which may be imposed by the project on Family Court staff will also be taken into consideration when assessing project proposals.

1.3 The following outlines the Family Court's policies and general procedures in relation to providing support for research projects. Researchers wishing to make an application to the Family Court for access to Family Court staff, clients, client case-notes, funds, facilities, equipment and/or other information should refer to Section 5 of these guidelines for general instructions and Section 7 for a recommended format for making applications.

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1 The Family Court will consider proposals to conduct research from appropriately qualified persons (ie. who have either Honours or postgraduate level qualifications or experience in research methodology) in fields relevant to Family Court activities.

2.2 Students or other persons in relevant fields who lack research experience may also present research proposals if it is planned that their work on the project will be under the supervision of an appropriately qualified person or persons. The Family Court may be able to provide external supervision for students undertaking research projects, depending on the needs of the student applicant, the topic of study, and the availability of Family Court staff with knowledge of the topic area. All Family Court staff are eligible to apply for approval to conduct research projects, subject to the requirements for adequate qualifications and experience.


3. RESEARCH PRIORITIES

3.1 The Family Court will consider all proposals for research. However, decisions as to which projects will be supported by the Family Court or receive Family Court resources will be guided by the research priorities of the Court at any particular time. Information relating to current research priority topics can be obtained from the Director of Management Information and Research (Phone: (06) 243 8620).


4. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

4.1 The Family Court considers that conducting a research investigation may involve making ethical decisions concerning the balance between the legitimate interests of the research participants and the value of the research. Accordingly, research projects should conform to recognised ethical guidelines.

4.2 Confidentiality of information regarding Family Court clients and their relations with the Family Court or other study participants must be preserved at all times. The Family Court will not consider research proposals which fail to provide for the maintenance of that confidentiality. In signing the Research Project Proposal Application Form (Attachment 1), researchers agree to recognise their responsibilities in this area to any constraints imposed by the Family Court as a condition of granting authorisation to proceed with the research.

4.3 Obtaining informed consent from study participants involves informing the subject, usually by way of an information sheet, of:

where their contact details were obtained;

the purpose of the research project and how the information will be used;

the voluntary nature of their participation and, if a Family Court client, that their decision will not in any way affect their treatment;

their ability to exercise their right to withdraw from the study at any time and, if a Family Court client, that this decision will not in any way affect their treatment;

the extent and nature of their involvement;

the fact that information obtained will be treated as confidential, and that identities will be concealed when results are reported; and

the researcher's name, status and employer or affiliation.

4.4 Where possible, a consent form should also be used, to be signed by study participants as proof that they have read and understood the information sheet. (Note: The information sheet and consent form may be combined on one page).

4.5 Where research involves children under 16 years of age as participants, consent must be obtained from parents, guardians, or from those 'in loco parentis'.

4.6 Where research requires, or is likely to involve, deception concerning the purpose of the investigation or the participant's role in it, the Family Court will need to be satisfied that the aims and objectives of the research cannot be achieved by other means.

4.7 In general, access to client medical or other treatment records, or other client data collection systems for research purposes is restricted to medical or other appropriately qualified clinical investigators, and research associates responsible to them. For projects which require the use of information recorded in client case-notes or other record systems, details of the uses to which the client records are to be put should be clearly outlined in the research proposal, with full consideration given to protecting the confidentiality/privacy of the individuals involved. As set out in the Information Privacy Principles of the Privacy Act (Attachment 2), consent should be obtained from subjects for the use of their records (eg. in projects where the research also involves obtaining consent for active participation through surveys or interviews).

4.8 In all the circumstances, the researchers must consider the ethical implications and physical and/or psychological consequences for the participants in the research. The researcher must actively consider, by proper consultation, whether local cultural variations, special personality factors in the participants, or variations in procedure from studies reported previously, may introduce unexpected problems for the participants.

4.9 Consideration must be given to the degree of risk (including physical safety) or stress, and the extent of encroachment upon privacy, that the investigation will incur upon participants.

4.10 In instances where follow-up of study participants is part of the research design, the following procedures should be observed:

the informed consent of the participant to the follow-up must be obtained;

the participant must be told precisely how follow-up will proceed; and

particular attention must be given to protecting the participant from identification as a recipient of services from the Family Court of Australia.

5. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ON APPLICATIONS

5.1 Researchers wishing to make an application to the Family Court for access to Family Court staff, clients, client case-notes, or other resources must follow the procedures detailed below. Researchers may consult with the Family Court's Management Information and Research Section for guidance in the preparation of an application for Family Court research support (Phone: (06) 243 8620).

5.2 In principle approval from the Family Court's Chief Executive Officer must be obtained by the Research Committee before any individual or organisation wishing to conduct a research project that requires access to Family Court staff, clients, clients case-notes, funds, facilities or equipment can proceed.

5.3 Depending on the nature of the proposed research, ethical clearance for the proposed study may be required from an appropriate and credible ethics committee. Projects which would require such approval are usually those which involve human experimentation, those which have significant implications for confidentiality/privacy, or those where the research process may have a significant effect on the treatment given to Family Court clients. Section 4 of this document outlines the ethical considerations which should be addressed in all applications to the Family Court's Research Committee.

5.4 It should be noted that staff who are undertaking research as part of a course of study at a tertiary institution are usually required by their institution to submit their research plan to that institution's ethics committee for approval. Similarly, an applicant seeking funding from an external body (eg. National Health & Medical Research Council) will be required by that body to obtain clearance from an appropriately constituted ethics committee. In these circumstances, the applicant should be prepared to provide the Family Court's Research Committee with information on progress or outcomes in obtaining such clearance.

5.5 After ethical clearance has been obtained from an appropriate ethics committee (or external ethical review is in progress), a research proposal may be submitted to the Family Court's Research Committee. Family Court staff should submit their proposals through their Registry and Regional Managers for endorsement, indications of support and provision of resources.

5.6 The proposal must be prepared as specified in Section 7 (below), and forwarded to the Director of Management Information and Research for initial screening. Suggestions for modifications to the format or content of the proposal may be offered at this stage. In the case of small scale projects with minimal resource requirements or few ethical issues, the researcher may consult with the Director of Management Information and Research about the possibility of giving discretionary approval, without the need for consideration by the Research Committee.

5.7 After a submitted proposal has been screened and judged to require consideration, copies of the proposal will be distributed to Research Committee members. The researcher(s) may be invited to attend a meeting of the Committee or be contacted by telephone to answer any questions which members have regarding the scientific or administrative aspects of the proposed research.

5.8 After reviewing the proposal, the Committee will make recommendations to the Chief Justice and the Chief Executive Officer regarding Family Court support for the project and any conditions which might be attached to such support, if granted. Researchers will then be advised, in writing, of the Chief Justice's decision regarding the proposed research. Researchers should allow at least six weeks from the time of proposal submission to being advised of the Chief Justice's decision.

5.9 A research proposal which involves the use of Family Court resources but where funding for the proposed research is to be sought from an organisation other than the Family Court, will still require examination by the Research Committee and final approval by the Chief Justice. This process of internal review can proceed at the same time that external review for funding is occurring, if necessary.

6. CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO FAMILY COURT SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS

6.1 The Family Court, recognising its responsibility to its clients, reserves the right to withdraw access or to vary at any time, the conditions applying to research involving Family Court staff, clients, client case-notes, funds, facilities or equipment. Accordingly, researchers are advised to ensure that all potentially contentious issues relating to their research are discussed and resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the researcher and the Family Court prior to the commencement of the study. Problems which become apparent during the conduct of the research should be discussed with the Family Court's Management Information and Research Section.

6.2 Confidentiality of information regarding clients and their relations, or other study participants, shall be preserved at all times (See the provisions contained in Section 4 on ethical considerations, above).

6.3 All reports and presentations arising from research supported by the Family Court shall include the disclaimer: 'the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the policies and/or views of the Family Court of Australia'.

6.4 Where the support provided by the Family Court for the research has been significant, acknowledgment of the Family Court shall be made in any papers, reports or presentations arising from the research and copies provided to the Court.

6.5 The final report of the research project shall be made available to the Family Court for perusal (for the Family Court's information only), prior to any public presentation of the research.

6.6 A copy of the completed report of the project shall be lodged with the Director of Management Information and Research in the Family Court.

6.7 If the duration of the research project is greater than six months, a written progress report on the project shall be provided to the Director of Management Information and Research in the Family Court at six months from the date of the project commencement, and at six monthly intervals thereafter until the project is completed. Internal researchers should also ensure that their supervisors are more regularly informed of progress.

6.8 The Commonwealth retains copyright of any records, data, films etc. that are made available to researchers. Researchers should note that unauthorised copying or publication of these materials and information is in breach of the Commonwealth's copyright.

7. FORMAT FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS SUBMITTED TO THE FAMILY COURT FOR APPROVAL

7.1 Application form

The Family Court's 'Research Project Proposal Application Form', shown at Attachment 2, must form the covering pages of the research proposal. This form must be completed and signed by all researchers involved in the project.

In cases where student research is proposed, both the student and his/her academic supervisor must sign the form.

If one or more of the researchers is a Family Court employee, the employee's supervisor must also sign the form.

7.2 Research Proposal

The research proposal should be a separate document attached to the research application form which includes the following information:

7.2.1 Project synopsis

The research proposal should begin with a brief description of the project (approximately 100 words).

7.2.2 Background and benefits

A brief statement should be included on the rationale for the project (ie. how the project came about, or what generated the idea for it), and why it is considered useful (ie. what benefits can be expected from the project).

7.2.3 Objectives

Specific objectives of the research must be stated, in point form, together with any hypothesis to be tested.

7.2.4 Literature review

A brief (ie. no more than two pages) review of the relevant literature should be included, with discussion of how the findings in the literature bear on the project. This should lead into the objectives and hypotheses to be tested by the project.

7.2.5 Study budget and resources

State the budget (if any) for the study and the resources required to conduct the study. Specify which organisation will be asked to provide, or is providing, these funds/resources.

If funds are being requested from the Family Court, a detailed budget with justification of budget items must be included.

Precise details must be given of other resources requested from the Family Court (eg. office space, photocopying), including the anticipated scope and nature of Family Court staff involvement in the project.

7.2.6 Research plan and methods

This section should include the following information:
Overview of study design;
Groups or populations to be researched, and subject selection criteria;
Sampling method and proposed sample size;
Variables to be studied (state all sources of data, eg. questionnaire, client
case-notes etc);
Procedures (including any information sheets, consent forms, and
instructions to participants.) Copies of any written materials must be attached.
Proposed statistical or other analytical methods to be used.

7.2.7 Confidentiality and ethical issues

Any relevant ethical issues should be highlighted (see Section 4).

If applicable, a contact name and telephone number for the ethics committee providing clearance for the study should be provided.

If available, a copy of the advice of ethical clearance should be attached in an appendix to the research proposal.

7.2.8 Reports

A statement describing how and to whom the results of the study will be disseminated is required.

7.2.9 Timetable

A timetable or program should be included, showing stages or critical dates for the study (eg. proposed dates for the start and completion of the study, length of data collection period, time required for write-up of major report, proposed date for presentation of the final report to the Family Court).

7.2.10 References

Details of any references cited in the proposal should be provided.

7.2.11 Appendices

Attach copies of:
Information sheet for study participants;
Consent form for study participants;
Copies of all written materials/questionnaires which will be used; and
Copy of the letter of advice of ethical clearance (if available).

7.3 Submission

The research proposal, together with the Family Court's Research Project Proposal application form, should be submitted to:

The Family Court Research Committee
C/- Director, Management Information and Research
Family Court of Australia
GPO Box 3087
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Family Court staff are required to submit their research proposals to their Registry and Regional Managers for endorsement prior to forwarding the proposal to the Research Committee.


Attachment 1

Note: This application form must be attached to your research proposal.
In preparing the proposal, please refer to the Family Court's Research Policy and Guidelines,
which is available from Management Information and Research (Ph:(06) 243 8620).

Name/s of Applicant/s proposing Project:

Registry/Address:

Telephone No: Fax No:

If conducting research as part of education requirements, state:

Name of Institution: Year:

Name of Course:

Faculty/Department:

Name of Supervisor:

Supervisor's Telephone No: Fax No:

If proposer is internal, please state:

Supervisor's Name:

Supervisor's Telephone No: Fax No:

Description of research:

Aim (Hypothesis):

Sample:

Method:

Note: Draft Copies of proposed instruments/tools eg., questionnaires should be forwarded
with the completed proposal form.


What literature review has been carried out?

Potential value of research to the Family Court:

What assistance will the Court be required to provide:

Type of Publication Intended:

What problems may be involved in collecting data? (eg. problems with
other agencies, protection of clients rights etc.)

Is interagency co-operation required? If so, describe:

Estimated project cost (eg. data analysis, travel and interviewing):

Is funding available from another body? Yes/No
If so, specify:

............................................. / /
Signature of Applicant

............................................. / /
Signature of Supervisor (if relevant)