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SRE 2011 FAQS: Recording your hours

Is there a standard number of hours each day and each week?

No, there are no ‘standard hours’. You should record all hours that you actually work, regardless of whether they add up to more or less than a standard working day or week.

Some staff will complete work outside normal business hours or on the weekends and these hours should be entered into the survey instrument.

Similarly, many staff will work fewer hours some weeks or part-time hours. Your survey response should reflect what you did for the survey period. If you did not work on a day in the survey period enter zero values in every activity category for that day or leave the it blank. Blank cells will be taken to mean zero hours.

However, to be considered a valid response the total for any one day may not exceed 24 hours and no one week may exceed 168 hours. If you work extremely long hours please make a comment so that DISSR knows it is not a typo.

What is the best way to complete the survey?

It is important to be as accurate as you can. Data should be recorded in hours to the nearest 15 minutes (for example 3 hours and 15 minutes = 3.25).

For accuracy, daily reporting is the preferred method of reporting. You could choose to enter your hours directly into the online survey instrument every day or record them on the Excel template and copy into the survey tool at the end of your 14 days.

Based on experiences from 2010, survey participants found they spent less time completing the survey if they recorded time on a daily basis directly into the survey instrument.

Regardless of the method, you must make sure that your hours are recorded in the survey instrument and submitted by the end of the survey period if your response is to be included.

Why do I have to enter a value for Saturday and Sunday?

Some staff will work on the weekend and it is important to capture this effort in the survey.

If you do not undertake any work on the weekends that fall within the survey period, please leave every activity category for these days blank.

Can I change my survey response?

Yes, during the survey period you may change your responses to accurately reflect the hours that you have worked.

Once your survey responses have been submitted you will need to contact the area administering the survey at your institution to confirm whether you can make any changes.

How important is it for me to provide accurate data?

Data integrity is important and the hours you record for the survey must be a true record of activity during the survey period. The department will be reviewing the de-identified data and following up anomalies with universities. Further, as the survey will directly influence the level of research funding the University receives under the SRE, it is important that the data we provide is as accurate as possible.

Can I record my time for any 14 day period prior to 11 July 2011?

No. The survey period for recording your time should commence on any day from Monday 11 July 2011 onwards. You will need to commence by 25 July 2011 in order to complete the required 14 day survey period prior to the closure of the survey on 7 August 2011.

What if I have no hours of research recorded?

If you have no research hours for survey period please continue to complete survey for both weeks this round. If research hours are zero please allocate your hours as appropriate in the Teaching, Research Training or Other categories. Empty cells assume zero hours so if no hours are recorded we assume zero work that day. If you are unsure please contact Kerrie Legge.