About the online survey

What is in the online survey?
The online survey covers a range of topics about you, including your health and well-being and aspects of your social life.

Why should I do the online survey?
Doing the online survey will mean that your home survey will be shorter. You can complete the online survey when it is convenient for you. As a thank you for your continued participation, you will receive an instant $20 e-gift card on completion of your online survey.

How long will the online survey take?
We estimate it will take approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete

I don't want to do it all in one go. Can I save it and come back and finish it later?
Yes. You can exit your survey and finish it at a later time. Your survey will automatically save your responses to questions as you progress. Ensure that you have responded to all questions on your current screen and clicked ‘Next’ before closing your browser window.

Do I have to do the online survey?
The online survey is an important part of your overall participation in the study. You don't have to complete the online survey prior to your home visit but if it's not completed prior, it will be part of the home visit

What happens if I only complete part of the online survey?
You will be asked to finish the online survey during the home visit on the interviewer’s secure device. However, this will require you to restart the survey from the beginning

How do I access my $20 e-gift card?
Following the completion of the online survey, you will be asked to provide your email address and you will be sent an email containing a link to your $20 e-gift card.

What if I don't have an email address to access my e-gift card?
If you don’t have an email address or do not want to provide your email address, you can select this as an option once you have completed your online survey. We will get in touch over the phone to organise your gift.

Is my survey confidential?
Your privacy is very important to us. Strict procedures are followed to ensure that only authorised people have access to the information provided to us. You can find more information on Privacy here.

Online survey technical FAQs

Can I use my tablet/smartphone to do the online survey?
If you would prefer, you can complete your online survey on your tablet or smartphone. You should ensure you have a stable internet connection while completing the online survey.

Which internet browser should I use to complete the online survey?
We recommend you complete your online survey in Chrome or Edge. However, your survey is compatible with any modern browser. You should ensure that your internet browser has been updated to the latest version.

How do I log on and access the survey?
To access your online survey, you will need access to your unique link. This will be provided to you through paper mail (via a QR code) and direct link in an email. Next you will need to enter your date of birth as the password to your survey. If you haven’t received your survey link email, please check your spam or junk mail. Although we have taken measures to make sure the survey emails reach you, occasionally they may be blocked.

Why do I need to provide my date of birth?
Your date of birth functions as your password into your unique link and means that only you can access your survey.

What about the ABS Survey Account I used to access previously?
Your ABS Survey Account can no longer be used to access your online survey. This has been replaced by a modernised system which allows you to start your survey faster. Instead, you will be sent a unique link to your survey through email and postal mail.

What about my security key and form access code?
Your security key and form access code can no longer be used to access your online survey. The password to access your online survey will now be your date of birth.

I'm having difficulty accessing the online survey.
If you are having problems accessing your survey or submitting your responses, please try the following:

• Close your internet browser. Then, open a new browser window and try logging back in.
• Opening your unique survey link in a different web browser.
• Clearing your cache/browsing history by referring to your browser's instructions.
• We may be experiencing a high volume of traffic which can sometimes cause issues. Please log back in at a later time.

If you continue experiencing problems, please contact 1800 005 508 or email the Growing Up in Australia team.

My online survey closed before I had finished it!
Your online survey will save your responses as you progress through each screen. Simply return to the survey with your unique link, enter your password, and you can continue completing your online survey from your last saved response.

What should I do if I get an error message?
Contact the Growing Up in Australia team on 1800 005 508 or email us.

How do I know if I’ve lodged my survey correctly?
Once you have entered your email address to receive your e-gift card and clicked ‘Next’, your survey will be lodged. You will then be prompted to close your browser window.

I did not receive my e-gift card, what should I do?
If you did not receive an email containing a link to your e-gift card, please check your spam or junk mail. If you cannot find it, please check again in 24 hours as there may be a delay in the dispatch of your email. Following this you should contact the Growing Up in Australia team on 1800 005 508 or email us and we can re-issue your e-gift card if needed.

What do I do if I can't finish the online survey because of a technical issue?
If you have technical issues, please contact the Growing Up in Australia team on 1800 005 508 or email us If the problem can’t be solved, then you can still complete the online survey during the home interview.

About the Growing Up in Australia survey

General

Why is the Study so important?
Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children aims to identify opportunities for improving support and early interventions for children and their families. Findings from the Study are used to work out how to make things better for Australian children and young people in the future.

See our News and study updates page to find out more about how you continue to make an impact.

Why can't I be replaced?
One of the aims of the Study is to find out how events and circumstances in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood affect outcomes later in life. As the information we have collected as you have grown up is only relevant to you and your future, we cannot replace you or your family in the Study.

I'm over 18, so no longer a child. Why am I still part of the Study?
Growing Up in Australia is a longitudinal study, which means data is collected from the same people over time. The longer we are able to collect data from the same young people and their families, the more important and useful the information will be.

Do I have to participate in the study?
Growing Up in Australia Study participants may withdraw from the Study at any time or choose not to take part in some aspects of the Study as participation is voluntary. However, it is important for a study like this to keep in contact with as many people as possible to remain representative. Each young person in the Study represents around 50 others like them. You and your place in the study cannot be replaced by anybody else.

The value of this study comes from having information about the same people collected over time. Your experiences when you were younger helped to make changes that benefit children and their families today. Your experiences today, like opportunities for work and further study, will help to inform policy makers to improve outcomes for young people in the future.

Being in Growing Up in Australia gives you a chance to be part of a unique study that helps develop better services for young people and their families.

Why we ask for the contact details of a person who you do not live with and are not your parents (an alternative contact)
To ensure that we do not lose contact with our study participants, we ask you to provide Growing Up in Australia with an alternative contact. Preferably a person who you do not live with and are not your parents.

We usually seek alternative contacts who are not already associated with the study. Often, the people you live with, and your parents/ guardians/ carers may already be linked with your profile. To better our chances of re-connecting with you, we ask that you list a friend or external family member who the study would not have been in contact with. Many of our participants list the below people as their alternative contacts:

• Siblings who do not live with them
• Cousins
• Aunties/ uncles
• Nieces/ nephews
• Grandparents
• Neighbours
• Friends (family friends, work friends etc.)
• Colleagues
• Boyfriend/ girlfriend

Any nominated person should be given the alternative contact brochure by the study participant so they are aware that their details have been provided to us. A reminder that we will only contact your nominated alternative contact if we are unable to contact you. Your alternative contact can request their details to be removed at any time.

If I don’t currently receive Centrelink benefits, can I still link my data?
Yes, even if you don’t currently access any Centrelink services we would still appreciate your permission to link to any future data in case your situation changes. You do not need a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) to do this.

It is just as important to understand the dynamics of people who do not access Centrelink services, and the situations that occur which might change this status.

For Wave 10, we will be asking 19–21 year olds permission to link their survey data to Centrelink data to better understand how these payments work (or don’t work) for those who need them.

Why we ask for the contact details of a person who you do not live with and are not your parents (an alternative contact)
To ensure that we do not lose contact with our study participants, we ask you to provide Growing Up in Australia with an alternative contact. Preferably a person who you do not live with and are not your parents.

We usually seek alternative contacts who are not already associated with the study. Often, the people you live with, and your parents/ guardians/ carers may already be linked with your profile. To better our chances of re-connecting with you, we ask that you list a friend or external family member who the study would not have been in contact with. Many of our participants list the below people as their alternative contacts:

• Siblings who do not live with them
• Cousins
• Aunties/ uncles
• Nieces/ nephews
• Grandparents
• Neighbours
• Friends (family friends, work friends etc.)
• Colleagues
• Boyfriend/ girlfriend

Any nominated person should be given the alternative contact brochure [PDF, 1.1 MB] by the study participant so they are aware that their details have been provided to us. A reminder that we will only contact your nominated alternative contact if we are unable to contact you. Your alternative contact can request their details to be removed at any time.

If I don’t currently receive Centrelink benefits, can I still link my data? 
Yes, even if you don’t currently access any Centrelink services we would still appreciate your permission to link to any future data in case your situation changes. You do not need a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) to do this.

It is just as important to understand the dynamics of people who do not access Centrelink services, and the situations that occur which might change this status.

For Wave 10, we will be asking 19–21 year olds permission to link their survey data to Centrelink data to better understand how these payments work (or don’t work) for those who need them.

Information for parents/carers/guardians

Why am I not interviewed with my child anymore? 
Now that your child is over the age of 18, they are old enough to participate in the study without an adult present. Parents, guardians and carers of the young person are still an incredibly important part of the study and are interviewed separately. Participation in the survey continues to be voluntary and you and your young person are able to skip any survey questions you don’t feel comfortable answering.

How and when will I be interviewed? 
Parents, guardians and carers of the young person may take part in a telephone interview after your young person has completed their online survey and face-to-face interview. We will attempt to call you to set up your interview when the time comes.

How can I verify the call if from Growing Up in Australia? 
You can check if the phone number is from Roy Morgan (our partner fieldwork provider) by visiting their website: roymorgan.com/services/who-called-me

Information about Roy Morgan

Who is Roy Morgan? 
Roy Morgan is an Australian owned and independent research company that has been operating continuously in Australia for more than 80 years. Roy Morgan is highly regarded for its integrity and independence and, in addition to the Growing Up in Australia study conducts many of the best-known Government research studies in Australia, including:

• HILDA – the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, also known as “Living in Australia”
• LSIC – the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, also known as “Footprints in Time”
• National Drug Strategy Household Survey – an ongoing national survey about awareness, attitudes and behaviour relating to licit and illicit drugs

Does my Growing Up in Australia interviewer have a Police check? 
Yes. All of our Growing Up in Australia Roy Morgan interviewers have completed and passed National Police Checks.

Is my Roy Morgan interviewer based in Australia?

Yes, all Roy Morgan interviewers are based in Australia, they are highly trained with multiple years of experience. All telephone interviewers are based in Australia and face-to-face interviewers are usually local to their interviewing area.

I want to give feedback on my interviewer. How can I do this? 
If you would like to give feedback on your interviewer or on any other aspect of the study, you can call 1800 005 508 or send an email to info@growingupinaustralia.gov.au. Please include as much detail as possible so we can follow up any feedback you may have.

Information on Data Linkage and Privacy

What steps does the study take to prevent data breaches? 
Our fieldwork provider, Roy Morgan, ensures your data is stored securely in Australia in line with the standards set by the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Information Security Management System standard ISO 27001. Your information is encrypted and is only accessed by authorised study team members on a need-to-know basis.

Where can I find more information on Privacy and Data Linkage? 
To read more about how we protect your privacy, you can visit the Privacy page or read the privacy brochure. To learn more about data linkage, view the data linkage brochure.