Projects

Australian Early Development Census

ResearchCrowd is a firm believer in the process of providing official counts of the population for the purpose of providing services to that population. We conducted evaluation research for the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), the data custodians of the national census of early child development in Australia (the Australian Early Development Census, AEDC).

What we did: We examined the adaptation studies that were carried out to customise the Census to the Australian context. We reviewed the historical, sociopolitical and sociocultural contexts for understanding the AEDC. We interviewed AEDC State/Territory Coordinators and Education Department representatives, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Bodies and Communities around Australia. Our final report made recommendations for enhancing Indigenous confidence in the Census as a tool for measuring child development, which we later presented to the Department of Education (formerly, DESE).

Focus Testing Public Health Communications

ResearchCrowd is keen to support public health communications intended for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We assisted Cancer Australia in their co-design of a national website to improve individual and community knowledge about cancer, treatments and likely survivability for improving cancer outcomes.

What we did: We focused tested website content and creative concepts with groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from metropolitan, rural and remote areas across Australia. Recommendations on the language, tone, readability, look, feel and cultural appropriateness were made by people affected by cancer, their families and carers, as well as those wanting more information about cancer. We drew on advice from our Elders and Community Researchers to ensure the website resonates with digital audiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Supporting Community Matters

ResearchCrowd is committed to supporting community matters. As part of our commitment, we provided research support to Aboriginal Family Legal Service Southern Queensland; a Community Legal Centre providing legal representation and counselling support to 13,881 collective members across 12 Local Government Areas.

What we did: We built a demographic profile of the region and organisation, conducted interviews and delivered data management workshops to staff, and listened to communities and partners. We reviewed the organisation and its services, created a library of policies and procedures, produced a client service manual, and co-designed a culturally safe, wrap-around program of care planning for community clients. Working together, we translated place-based knowledge into an evidence base in line with the Australian Government’s Safety and Wellbeing programme.

Queensland Government's DFV Work Aware

ResearchCrowd is at the forefront of advocacy aimed at educating workplaces about the impact of family and domestic violence at work. We were contracted by Working Women’s Centres Australia to translate policy and research into practical actions for the Queensland Government’s DFV Work Aware public campaign.

What we did: Drawing on our expertise in workplace matters and cultural knowledge, we designed a set of actions to keep Indigenous employees safe at work. We were later invited by Working Women Queensland to speak to unions and business at the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland’s Annual Forum. There, we advocated on preventing violence, supporting affected employees and building a culture of safety and respect that acknowledged gender as one of many forms of oppression that undermine Indigenous women in the workplace.

Evaluating Indigenous Research Impact, Rigour and Translation

ResearchCrowd is duty bound to strengthening integrity in Indigenous research in culturally relevant ways that matter to Indigenous people. We did this in our work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Product Project offered through the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation, managed by Ninti One.

What we did: We measured the impact, rigour and translation of 56 research outputs of published work. We also spoke with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism owner-operators who took part in the programme to hear what they had to say about the applied relevance of the research. Our evaluation made recommendations for future research and highlighted the contribution of these tourism enterprises to Australia. The work required to evaluate the success (or otherwise) of research impact, rigour and translation is core to the skill base of ResearchCrowd.

Understanding the Queensland Workplace

ResearchCrowd is invested in getting more Indigenous Australians into work in line with the Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy. We have worked to this end with Queensland Working Women’s Service (QWWS), a community agency that provides work-related services to women in Queensland.

What we did: We first began working with QWWS In 2010, when there was little, if any, research being conducted on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s work-related needs in Queensland. We investigated issues to identify gaps in knowledge and access to appropriate Indigenous employment strategies, culturally aware practices, information on workplace rights, promotion and career pathways, and Indigenous-friendly spaces. Over the years, we have continued to work with QWWS on important initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander working women.

Closing the Gap on Infant and Maternal Wellbeing

ResearchCrowd is committed to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. As part of our commitment, we worked with SIDS & Kids Queensland and Queensland Health to support their quality infant and maternal public health services to families across Queensland.

What we did: Our research examined the high rates of infant mortality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies in urban, rural and remote communities. Using mixed methods and insider knowledge, we were able to identify gaps in health care knowledge, access and resources. The final report made recommendations for closing the gap on the high rates of risk practices to promote safer sleeping and set the course for improved infant and maternal health. It was well-received by Queensland Health’s Child Health and Safety Unit manager, who said it was one of the most significant studies in the area in Australia.

Economic Security for Indigenous Working Women

ResearchCrowd is keen to advance race and gender equality to strengthen and improve Indigenous women’s participation in private and public life. We worked with Economic Security4Women to fill the evidence gap on economic security as it applies to Indigenous women.

What we did: We developed a profile that quantified all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander working women in the State of Queensland. We brought together women from diverse service organisations, community backgrounds, occupational sectors and employment types to discuss their workplace experiences. We found that while everyday racism acted as a barrier to economic security, women’s groups played a key role in employment longevity. Our research helped advance knowledge, policies and practices to support economic security for Indigenous working women.

Young Aboriginal Females Reported Missing

ResearchCrowd is devoted to the wellbeing of families. We contributed to the work of cross-sectoral organisations in the field of missing persons in Australia. We worked with the NSW Attorney General’s Department Family & Friends Missing Persons Unit, the Australian Federal Police High Tech Crime Operations’ National Missing Persons Stakeholder Forum, the Missing People Issues and Implications Conference, and others.

What we did: We conducted research and evaluation into young Aboriginal Females reported missing to police. We used police data to develop state profiles, evaluate police performance, and identify the sex, age and region for further investigation. We held community meetings and conducted interviews on ‘Country’, which revealed a ‘dark figure’ of missing girls not reported to police. We ran practical workshops for key stakeholders to improve cultural engagement, data collection and service delivery.

Parent, Family and Community Story

ResearchCrowd is an ardent supporter of pedological pathways that engage and empower teachers and learners. We carried out an evaluation of parent, family and community engagement in the Make It Count: Numeracy, Mathematics and Indigenous Learners project for the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.

What we did: We interviewed parents and families, school staff and critical friends of the project. We found that while parents and families differed in their priorities, all felt it was important for their children to have a happy school life, and saw education, including mathematics education, as a route to success in adult life. The common message from participating groups was that Make It Count was supporting that success by improving learning outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in mathematics education in a culturally significant way.

A Collaborative Remote Community Island Project

ResearchCrowd is dedicated to supporting communities. We co-led a collaborative remote island community project to assist the people of Boigu, which is the most northerly inhabited island in the Torres Strait.

What we did: The aim of this project was to deliver non-perishable food items, cooking utensils, educational materials and health resources sourced from commercial and philanthropic groups, including Indigenous Community Engagement Policy and Partnership, Indigenous Women’s Research Consortium, Foodbank Australia, Rotary Club Southport North, Sea Swift Shipping, Westwing Aviation and Wongai Hotel Motel. After returning to Brisbane, we co-authored a book to draw attention to the plight of the community, which is threatened by king tides and climate change. All proceeds from sales of the book go to the Community.