Conducting Research

Support for Research

We are a learning organisation that values sharing knowledge across the education sector to encourage creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Research findings and access to information should provide a potential contribution to existing knowledge and a balance between short-term and long-term benefits. However, to protect the welfare and rights of individuals, access to information and exchange of knowledge must conform to legal and ethical requirements.

While we support and encourage research to be undertaken within and across the diocese schools, we assess all research applications to ensure that proposals are in keeping with the mission of Catholic Education and that they are relevant to schools and will not create an excessive workload. Any research must be approved by both the Catholic Education Office and the school Principal.

It is expected that when research is carried out in Wilcannia-Forbes Schools, it is done because the findings may improve student outcomes and increase school effectiveness. Research in areas beyond the immediate concerns of schools should be conducted only when the study can demonstrate that the findings may have potential benefits for the participants themselves. Researchers should also provide the results of their research to schools

Research in schools must not impact the smooth running of schools or the well-being of students, staff, parents, and the wider school community.

We have implemented several processes that attempt to address the two considerations’ potential burden on schools and research appropriate to involve children.

Please refer to the following to assist with any application to research the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes.

Reporting to schools and the
Catholic Education Office

It is a condition of approval that, upon completion of a project, the researcher will provide a summary of findings to both CEWF and the participating school. They must also permit CEWF to disseminate information from the Research Findings Summary to its personnel.

Copyright

Staff employed in Catholic schools and the Catholic Education Office in the Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes who wish to conduct research need to be aware that where a publication is made by an employee in the course of employment and as part of the employee’s usual duties, the first owner of copyright will usually be the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes as the employer.

Working with Children Check

Where the research methodology requires either the researcher or any Assistant Researcher to have direct contact with students, Child Protection Law requires the completion of the Working with Children Check.