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Participate in Life in Australia™

How to get involved:

Life in Australia™ membership is invitation-only.

To join, you first need to be randomly selected and then directly invited to become a member. This is different to most online panels, which anyone can join. This is what makes Life in Australia™ the highest quality online panel in Australia.

By joining you will:

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Participate in interesting and engaging surveys asking about your views and experiences

Participate in interesting and engaging surveys asking about your views and experiences

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Ensure a true representation of the Australian population is reached in social research projects of national significance

Ensure a true representation of the Australian population is reached in social research projects of national significance

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Have your say on the big issues facing Australia.

Have your say on the big issues facing Australia.

Member testimonials

“Life in Australia™ allows me, as an individual, to gauge the important questions concerning our country today. Through this survey it also allows me to understand my own morals and ethics in a better capacity.”

Male 20, New South Wales

“I find the questions thought provoking and I like the idea of my opinions and beliefs being heard.”

Female 25, New South Wales

“I feel that it is my chance to voice my opinion and concerns about topics that may affect me, my family and Australia. I don’t believe that many Australians are given the opportunity to voice their worries and concerns so l take these monthly surveys as a serious responsibility as l feel privileged to be given the opportunity.”

Female 40, Victoria

“I want to have a voice and make a difference to improve the quality of life in Australia for all Australians. I want Australia to be a leader and I believe Australia can be an exemplar for better quality of life for humans globally.”

Male 41, Western Australia

“Well, I started from day one, done every one. Important for the public of Australia to get their views across and for a subsection of Australia to understand these issues. I just hope the findings make it better for everyone.”

Male 63, South Australia

“Honoured to be part of a shared voice and shared conversation about living in Australia, which will hopefully positively influence decision making and policy directions into the future.”

Female 64, New South Wales

“Your surveys make me stop and think about various aspects of living in Australia. I appreciate that my opinions may have some value to government departments/large organisations when gathering information for statistics/planning purposes.”

Female 71, Victoria

“I believe the surveys I have experienced, and there have been many, have been on important issues. I think the way they are presented gives participants like me a very good opportunity to express my opinion… It is important for all of our society to be able to provide the information, to the community, about important issues.”

Male 92, Victoria

FAQs

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What is the Life in Australia™ study?

  • This invitation-only study is the first of its kind in Australia and invites people from all walks of life to take part in 1-2 surveys per month. 

  • The surveys ask about a broad range of topics of importance to Australians such as:
    • Health-related attitudes and behaviours
    • Attitudes towards government supports and initiatives
    • Current and emerging policy-related issues 
    • Social issues of concern to Australians
    • Political views and engagement
    • Use of technology and the internet.

  • Participation in the study itself, as well as each individual survey, is entirely voluntary.
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How does it work?

    • Participation is easy:
      • Accept our invitation to join by completing a short survey
      • Take part in regular surveys – most surveys are about 15 to 20 minutes in length
      • Select how you would like to be rewarded for taking part – we offer gift cards or charitable donations.

 

  • The surveys are undertaken by the Social Research Centre on behalf of client organisations who have funded the research. 
    • The external funder of each survey will typically be disclosed at the start and / or end of each survey.
    • The surveys will cover a wide range of topics such as health and social policy issues and issues of national importance.
    • The surveys will mainly consist of multiple-choice questions and will be easy to complete.
    • Wherever possible, most surveys are completed online. 


If you do not have internet access, or would prefer to do surveys over the phone with an interviewer, please contact us. We want to include as many people as possible in Life in Australia™ regardless of whether or not they have internet access or are comfortable using the internet.

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Why is Life in Australia™ important?

  • Researchers in government and academic institutions often need to reach a representative sample of Australians (called a random sample or probability sample). They need to hear from people from all walks of life so their results can reflect the views and experiences of the Australian population.

  • Life in Australia™ is the only study of its kind in Australia to have recruited people to do monthly surveys exclusively using random sampling. The establishment of the study filled a gap in our national social science research infrastructure.
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What are the benefits? 

  • Your views and experiences will influence Australian researchers, policymakers, and academics. 

  • You will have a real opportunity to have your views heard and represented.

  • As a sign of our appreciation, you will receive a reward for completing each survey. The value of the reward for a typical 15 minute survey is $10.

  • The money for completing each survey can be paid to you as a gift card or you can choose to donate to a charitable organisation.
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Can anyone join?

  • The study is only open to people who have been randomly selected by the Social Research Centre and invited to join. 

  • Apart from that, the only qualification is to be an Australian resident aged 18 years or over.
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Will I have to complete every survey?

  • However, participation is entirely voluntary. You can choose which surveys you complete or to take a break or withdraw from the panel if needed.

  • To make our surveys as accurate as possible, we prefer Life in Australia™ members to complete each survey they are invited to. The more members who take part, the better the survey results reflect the views of the Australian population. This means important decisions are based on accurate and up-to-date information. 

  • Most surveys will be available for completion for two weeks, so we hope that you will be able to complete each one, even if you can’t do it when we first invite you. We make every effort to keep the surveys brief.

  • If we haven’t received a completed survey from us, we will usually send you reminders by email or text message or we’ll give you a call.
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How long do I have to be involved?

    • Once you join, you can remain in the study for as long as you wish. Participation is completely voluntary. However, the study relies on your participation in order to ensure that our survey results are as accurate as possible. We aim to ensure the surveys topics are engaging and to provide you with an opportunity to contribute to major policy decisions. 
  • Even if you’re going away or wish to take a break, you can stay in the study and re-join when you return. All the same, you are free to withdraw at any time and can do so by contacting us. 
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How do I update my contact information?

  • It’s easy! 
      • Log in to your member page.
        • Select the ‘Update profile’ tab to update your name, phone number or state of residence.  
        • Select the ‘Contact us’ tab to update your email address or other details.  
     
    • You can email or call us with your new information. We’ll confirm that we have your new information with an email or telephone call back. 
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How do we ensure privacy is protected?

    • The Social Research Centre believes that the privacy of your information is of the utmost importance. 
   
    • All personal contact information such as name, email and phone number is removed from the final data. 
 
    • Your responses will be de-identified, held in the strictest confidence and will not be disclosed to other organisations for marketing or research purposes. 
 
    • The responses of everyone who participates in individual surveys will be combined for analysis. Please see the  Social Research Centre’s Privacy Policy.
 
  • The Social Research Centre also abides by the principles of the Research Society’s Code of Professional Behaviour (www.researchsociety.com.au/) and complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
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What happens to my survey answers?

  • All answers you provide to surveys conducted through Life in AustraliaTM are securely stored by the Social Research Centre and will remain strictly confidential. Survey responses are de-identified as soon as practicable following completion of a survey.

  • De-identified responses will be analysed to better understand Australian society and improve policy and services. Along with being published in reports and journal articles, results from the surveys may be communicated in national and local media, as well as used for further academic research. All publications relating to this survey will report on aggregated data, so no individual responses will be presented.

  • De-identified survey responses are provided to the client organisations who have funded the research for further analysis and may be lodged with the Australian Data Archive.
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How do I access the Life in Australia™ member page?

  • If you take part in the survey online, you can access your surveys and rewards on the member page  lifeinaus.srcentre.com.au
 
  • If you are logging in for the first time, go here to setup your password using your email address. 
 
  • Once your account is setup you can reset your password here at any time. 
 
  • If you are still having trouble logging in please contact us.
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Can I have a receipt for my charitable donations for tax deduction purposes?

Donations are made by the Social Research Centre in bulk payments quarterly. The value of the donation is not able to be used for individual income assessment purposes. Should you wish to request proof of the donation, please contact us. 

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How much have Life in Australia™ members donated to charity?

  • Life in AustraliaTM has been running since the end of 2016. So far, participants in the Life in AustraliaTM study have donated to the following charities:
    • 2023: $80,675 (Children’s Ground, Food For Change, RizeUp, Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation)
    • 2022: $116,360 (Foodbank, Lifelin, MS Australia, NATSIWA, Seed Mob) 
    • 2021: $121,205 (ANTaR, Disaster Relief Australia, Fitted for Work, OzHarvest, Royal Flying Doctor Services) 
    • 2020: $92,429 (Australian Cancer Research Foundation, Birdlife, Reconciliation Australia, Red Cross, Share the Dignity) 
    • 2019: $82,405 Bowel Cancer Australia, Brain Foundation, Bush Heritage Australia, Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service, Guide Dogs Victoria) 
    • 2018: $73,475 (Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Fred Hollows, Guide Dogs Victoria, Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Safe Steps) 
    • 2016-2017: $109,745 (Australian Wildlife Conservancy, CanTeen, UNHCR Australia, White Ribbon Foundation) 
 
  • All charities are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. You can search the Commission’s register at www.acnc.gov.au. 
 
  • The list of selected charities to choose from is generally refreshed every year with consultation with members about which charity options they would like.

Member login

Members can access their surveys and rewards on the member page.

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Contact us

Life in Australia™ is owned and run by the Social Research Centre, part of the Australian National University (ANU). We value our members and encourage you to contact us at any time with feedback or questions.

Via email

Via telephone

Email: LifeinAus@srcentre.com.au

 

Telephone: 1800 023 040 between 9:00am to 8:00pm AEST Monday to Friday and 11:00am to 4:30pm AEST on weekends.

 

Via mail:
Life in Australia™ Team


Social Research Centre


PO Box 13328 


Law Courts Victoria 8010