Survey of employee culture in organisation
Study Information
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Title
Survey of employee culture in organisation
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Authors
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Description
The [deidentified] is Australia’s leading funding agency for health and medical research. High quality research that is rigorous, transparent and reproducible contributes to scientific progress, is essential for the translation of outcomes into practical and clinical applications and evidence-based policy, delivers the highest possible value for research investment and promotes community trust in scientific findings. Promoting the conduct of high quality research is a strategic priority for the agency. NHMRC’s Research Quality Strategy (the Strategy) (see https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/research-quality) aims is to ensure the highest quality and value of NHMRC-funded research through the provision of guidance and support for good research practices throughout the research cycle. The Strategy was developed with advice from NHMRC’s Research Quality Steering Committee (Professor Paul Glasziou [Chair], Professor Virginia Barbour, Dr C. Glenn Begley, Professor Edna Hardeman, Professor David Howells and Professor Dianne O’Connell) (see https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/research-quality-steering-committee). Organisational research culture is critical to the conduct of high quality research. The Strategy includes the conduct of a survey to obtain information about the research culture and examine issues related to research quality in Australian NHMRC-funded institutions. The survey target groups are senior, mid-career and junior researchers, research students, institutional representatives and members of ethics committees (Human Research Ethics Committees [HRECs] and Animal Ethics Committees [AECs]). The survey content was developed by NHMRC and NHMRC’s Research Quality Steering Committee. ORIMA Research has been contracted to conduct the survey on behalf of NHMRC. The outcome of this survey will be a report from ORIMA Research to NHMRC. The research questions are outlined in the attachment ‘Analysis plan’.
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Hypotheses
As the analysis of the survey results will be descriptive only (inductive research), there are no proposed hypotheses.
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Design Plan
Study type
Observational Study - Data is collected from study subjects that are not randomly assigned to a treatment. This includes surveys, “natural experiments,” and regression discontinuity designs.
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Blinding
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No blinding is involved in this study.
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Is there any additional blinding in this study?
Not applicable.
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Study design
This is a survey of individuals in Australian NHMRC-funded research institutions in research related roles. The target groups are senior, mid-career and junior researchers, research students, institutional representatives, and members of HRECs and AECs. All in-scope individuals will be invited to participate in the online survey via email. See attachment ‘Data collection procedures’ for details. The survey aims to be a cross sectional study of the target populations.
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Randomization
Randomisation is not applicable because this is an observational study of the target populations and does not include an intervention.
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Sampling Plan
Existing Data
Registration prior to creation of data
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Explanation of existing data
There is no existing data that will be used in the analysis for the survey results.
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Data collection procedures
Please see attachment ‘Data collection procedures’ for details.
Sample size
The target number of survey completions is 2,500. This is understood to be approximately 20% of the total population of such individuals in Australian NHMRC-funded institutions. We have assumed that many in-scope individuals will not complete the survey. This is a standard response rate for online surveys such as the current survey.
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Sample size rationale
The target sample size is based on a standard response rate for online surveys such as the current survey. It will allow for sufficient numbers in the various subgroups of interest to allow disaggregation of survey responses, including the ‘institutional representatives’ subgroup (the smallest subgroup) provided sufficient numbers respond. The breakdown of target sample size by subgroup is shown in the summary below.
PARTICIPANT GROUP: Research student / trainee / junior researcher
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 8526
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 1730
PARTICIPANT GROUP: Senior researcher
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 2349
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 480
PARTICIPANT GROUP: Member of a HREC
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 672
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 140
PARTICIPANT GROUP: Member of an AEC
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 420
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 85
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PARTICIPANT GROUP: Representative from an institution
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 401
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 65
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TOTAL:
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Approximate number in contact distribution list: 12368
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Target number of participants (based on natural fallout): 2500
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Stopping rule
Not applicable.
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Variables
Manipulated variables
Not applicable.
No files selected
Measured variables
Please see attachment ‘Survey questionnaire’ for all variables to be measured.
Indices
Not applicable.
No files selected
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Analysis Plan
Statistical models
Please see attachment ‘Analysis Plan’.
Analysis of the survey results will be descriptive as there are no hypotheses being tested. Basic statistical analysis will be undertaken on the survey data using descriptive statistics, which involves computing frequencies – showing the number of occurrences of each response selected by participants. For each research question, the responses will be reported by participant group.
Transformations
Categorical variables on a five point likert scale will be recoded for analysis purposes into a three point scale, as follows: (1=1)(2=1)(3=2)(4=3)(5=3). For example, a five point agreement scale would be recoded to a three point agreement scale as follows:
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'Strongly disagree' - coded to 'Disagree'
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'Disagree' - coded to 'Disagree'
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'Neither agree nor disagree' - coded to 'Neither agree nor disagree'
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'Agree' - coded to 'Agree'
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'Strongly agree' - coded to 'Agree'.
This would assist in reporting on the overall positive or negative result at a high level in the narrative in the survey report. The original scale will be retained in charts and data tables associated with the survey report, to provide the results at a more detailed level.
Thematic analysis will be undertaken for a number of open-ended comments as detailed in the attachment ‘Analysis Plan’; that is, all comments for these questions will be coded into related themes and the proportion of responses in each theme reported.
Inference criteria
Not applicable – no statistical inferences will be made.
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Data exclusion
Not applicable – only categorical variables will be measured.
Missing data
When presenting descriptive statistics in charts or tables throughout the report, the sample size (n) for each question being reported will always be included, so that it will be apparent if there was any missing data for that question. Expected reasons for missing data are if a participant chooses not to answer a question or if a participant exits the survey before completion.
Exploratory analysis
Not applicable.
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Other
Other
Not applicable.
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Updated by Skailo Research & Analytics on Jun. 7, 2022
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