FAQ
Before your start your survey or form, please speak to Advocacy (suashelp@union.unimelb.edu.au) first to have the content reviewed.
If you want to send out a survey that has potentially triggering content, and/or collects sensitive information, there are certain guidelines you must follow to have your survey approved.
Sensitive information customarily means examining topics that are considered highly personal like health, sexual orientation, income, investments, etc. Before drafting a questionnaire that delves into sensitive inquiries, it is important to consider the best approaches.
1. Run your survey by Advocacy first!
You MUST run your survey or form by UMSU Advocacy before it can be sent out to students. The Advocacy team is highly trained in how to address sensitive material and is here to provide you with support and advice about the most appropriate way to formulate your survey or form. They’ll ensure that you can still achieve the goal/s of your survey without unnecessarily causing harm to students who participate.
When you submit your survey or form to CME you will be asked if you have spoken to Advocacy. CME will be unable to build and promote your survey until Advocacy’s approval is given. Please also have sensitive content surveys proofed by your Comms team before publishing.
2. Include content/trigger warnings
They are a notice of upcoming sensitive content or imagery that may have a negative impact on someone.
Why is it important to use these warnings?
By putting choice back into the hands of those who have had traumatic experiences, they help create a safe space. This way, those with trauma can decide when and how to engage with the content.
3. Privacy
Keep in mind that you need to treat student data in line with UMSU’s Privacy Policy.
The Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) also sets out obligations to ensure that the privacy of the personal information collected is protected. Privacy laws require you to be very clear with the collection, storage and use of data. This applies to the use of any testimonials from the survey or form full and informed consent is required.
Be clear about how student data will be used
Explain why you want to know this information and how it will be used, so respondents will be more willing to answer your questions honestly. This can be done before asking the question or in the introduction to your survey or form. For example, if the data is being presented to the University to illustrate financial hardship of international students, be transparent in the introduction of the survey or form, and assure anonymity.
Personal Information
Personal information is any information about an individual whose identity is clear or can be established. If the survey or form does not collect information about identifiable individuals and is anonymous, it presents no privacy concerns.
Anonymity
Describe in the survey/form invitation or survey/form introduction what steps are being taken to ensure confidentiality and to protect responses. For example,
“Your responses are confidential. We will never associate your name with any of your survey or form responses. Individual responses will be combined together with those of other respondents and reported as a group.”
Be careful not to say that your survey or form is anonymous unless it really is. Anonymous means you are not tracking who completes the survey and not collecting any personally identifiable data that could later be used to identify someone. Your survey or form is not anonymous if you are collecting data like email addresses for prizes, the disclaimer above about confidentiality could NOT be used in instances like this.
If you need clarification on anonymity and whether your survey or form is anonymous, ask your friendly Advocacy contact for advice.
Which Survey Platform?
All surveys or forms MUST be conducted on UMSU-approved platforms (like Typeform, Survey Monkey, etc.), not Google forms. If you’re not sure whether the platform you want to use compiles with UMSU’s Privacy Policy, you can always seek advice from the CME Via the Help Desk.
4. Survey or Form Structure
Illegal behaviours (drug use or committing a crime)
Anything that poses a threat or risk if disclosed (cheating or identification of a pre-existing health condition)
Invasion of privacy (income, location)
Emotionally upsetting (victimisation or detailing chronic health problems)
Questioning behaviours or attitudes (abortion, racism)
Best practice methods suggest placing sensitive questions toward the middle of the survey or from. Putting sensitive questions in the middle of the survey design lets you draw the participant into the response process and build a base level of trust before sensitive topics are raised.
5. Link to support resources at the end of your survey or form
Below are some commonly used resources, however, keep in mind that the content of your service will determine the kind of support you need to provide participants.
UMSU Advocacy — Graduate, undergraduate, domestic and international students are welcome to use this free and confidential advocacy service. Contact them here.
UniMelb/CAPS – All University of Melbourne students have access to free counselling services, you can book an appointment here.
Headspace – How to cope with stress related to COVID-19. Headspace is a dedicated mental health support resource for young people aged 18-25. You can chat with a counsellor for free on 1800 650 890 or connect with them via online chat and email. Find out more here.
Beyond Blue – Offers 24/7 telephone support and specialising in issues such as depression, anxiety and suicide. Contact details here.
Lifeline – Mental health and wellbeing. Lifeline offer free counselling via phone call on 13 11 14, or via text and online chat. Find out more here.
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