Plain Language
Information Statement
Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation
PLIS to accompany the Great South Coast Digital Strategy survey
PROJECT TITLE:
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER:
OTHER/STUDENT RESEARCHERS:
Great South Coast Digital Strategy
Dr Helen Thompson
George Fong, Alison Ollerenshaw, Jennifer Corbett
The Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia, together with
Lateral Plains, have been funded by Regional Development Australia Barwon South West Committee to
conduct research to inform the development of a digital strategy for the Great South Coast region. The
region under examination includes the local government areas of Colac Otway Shire, Corangamite Shire,
Glenelg Shire, Moyne Shire, Southern Grampians Shire and Warrnambool City Council.
Research is being undertaken to identify the region’s level of business uptake of digital solutions that
enhance productivity and profit, level of digital maturity in businesses and exemplar businesses that are
contributing to or have the potential to contribute to the growth of the region’s digital economy. The findings
from this research will be used to inform the development of the Great South Coast Digital Strategy.
Dr Helen Thompson, together with research colleagues at Federation University Australia (Alison
Ollerenshaw and Jennifer Corbett) and George Fong from Lateral Plains, are undertaking this research using
surveys and interviews to gauge the level of technology adoption and engagement by businesses across the
region.
As a representative of a local business, member of a community/business network, or a recipient on a
mailing list with contacts to key stakeholder organisations (Regional Development Australia Barwon South
West Committee and/or local municipalities) we are contacting you to invite you to participate in this
research. We ask you to share your insights about the digital strategy and digital technologies in the region
by participating in a short online survey.
This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and the information you share will provide
important insights to inform the strategy. The survey will ask questions will elicit information about digital
technology adoption in your business.
This research will provide important insights about your business’ uptake of digital solutions and how digital
technologies are supporting your business and will be used to inform the digital strategy for the future. The
data may also be used by the research team to prepare academic journal articles and conference papers to
inform national and international knowledge about digital strategies. The collated data will also be shared via
a report to the funding organisation and local government areas in the region.
All information you provide will be treated confidentially and will only be used to identify the main themes and
insights relating to this research. No information collected through the online survey will be used to identify
individuals. The researchers are the only people who will have access to this information at any time
following data collection and analysis.
All data collected for this research will be stored securely, and data will be destroyed after a minimum period
of five years.
Your participation in this research is voluntary and your confidentiality will be maintained at all times. You are
free at any time up until and when completing the survey to withdraw your participation in this research,
without explanation. There are no consequences to withdrawing from the research. You may also choose not
to respond to all questions in the survey - just answer the questions you are comfortable with.
This project has received approval from Federation University Australia’s Human Research Ethics
Committee (approval number: A15-142).
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Consent to participate in this research will be assumed when you complete and submit the survey.
It is extremely unlikely that you will experience any distress as a result of questions asked in this online
survey however, in the unlikely event that you are concerned with any of the questions included in the online
survey, or with the research project itself, we advise that you contact Lifeline on telephone 13 11 14.
For further details about this research or participating in this research please contact Dr Helen Thompson on
(03) 5327 9418.
If you have any questions, or you would like further information regarding the project titled Great
South Coast Digital Strategy, please contact the Principal Researcher, Dr Helen Thompson of the
Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation:
Phone: (03) 5327 9418
Email: h.thompson@federation.edu.au
Should you (i.e. the participant) have any concerns about the ethical conduct of this research project, please contact the
Federation University Ethics Officers, Research Services, Federation University Australia,
P O Box 663 Mt Helen Vic 3353 or Northways Rd, Churchill Vic 3842.
Telephone: (03) 5327 9765, (03) 5122 6446
Email: research.ethics@federation.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D
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Great South Coast Digital Strategy survey
The Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia, together with
Lateral Plains, have been funded by Regional Development Australia Barwon South West Committee to
conduct research to gauge the level of technology adoption by businesses across the Great South Coast
region.
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and the information you share will provide
important insights that will be used to inform the Great South Coast Digital Strategy. The findings from this
research may also be used to prepare academic journal articles and conference papers to inform national
and international knowledge about digital strategies.
For further details about this research please contact Dr Helen Thompson on (03) 5327 9418 or via
h.thompson@federation.edu.au.
This research received approval from Federation University Australia’s Human Research Ethics Committee
(approval number: A15-142).
Your business
Please provide some information about your business so your responses can be grouped with those from
similar businesses.
Which local government area is your business primarily located in?
☐ Colac Otway Shire Council
☐ Corangamite Shire Council
☐ Glenelg Shire Council
☐ Moyne Shire Council
☐ Southern Grampians Shire Council
☐ Warrnambool City Council
☐ Other: __________________
Which suburb is your business located in?
______________________________________________________________________________________
What sector does your business primarily operate in?
☐ Agriculture, forestry and fishing
☐ Mining
☐ Manufacturing
☐ Electricity, gas, water and waste services
☐ Construction
☐ Wholesale trade
☐ Retail trade
☐ Accommodation and food services
☐ Transport, postal and warehousing
☐ Information media and telecommunications
☐ Financial and insurance services
☐ Rental, hiring and real estate services
☐ Professional, scientific and technical services
☐ Administrative and support services
☐ Public administration and safety
☐ Education and training
☐ Health care and social assistance
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☐ Arts and recreation services
☐ Other: __________________
How long has your business been operating?
☐ Less than 1 year
☐ 6-10 years
☐ 1-2 years
☐ More than 10 years
☐ 3-5 years
What is the size of your business?
☐ Self-employed
☐ Micro (1-4 employees)
☐ Medium (20-199 employees) ☐ Large (200+ employees)
☐ Small (5-19 employees)
☐ Not-for-profit
Which markets does your business service?
☐ Local
☐ International
☐ Victorian
☐ National
Digital technology adoption
Please provide some information about digital technology adoption within your business. Digital technology
adoption in the context of this survey relates to the use of internet, mobile and social media platforms used in
the day-to-day operations, marketing and procurement activities of your business.
What type of internet connection does your business have?
☐ High-speed broadband
☐ Mobile wireless broadband
☐ Dial-up
☐ No connection
☐ Other: __________________
☐ Broadband
☐ Unsure
Is your current internet connection sufficient for your business needs?
☐ Sufficient for current business needs
☐ Insufficient and currently on the best available connection
☐ Insufficient and planning to upgrade in the next year
☐ Insufficient and have no plans to upgrade in the next year
☐ Other: __________________
If your internet connection is insufficient, please explain why.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Which of the following technologies does your business use?
☐ PCs
☐ Laptops
☐ Smartphones
☐ Tablets (i.e. iPad or Galaxy Tab)
Which of the following digital technologies has your business adopted?
☐ Website
☐ Email address
☐ Internal email communication
☐ Email marketing/eNewsletters
☐ Social media profiles
☐ Social media marketing
☐ Paid internet advertisements
☐ Web analytics (i.e. Google Analytics)
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☐ Search engine optimisation (SEO)
☐ Customer relationship management (CRM) system
☐ eCommerce (online sales and payments)
☐ Online sourcing, purchasing, procurement and distribution
☐ Online business research
☐ Working online and collaborating with other businesses
☐ Use of cloud services (i.e. Dropbox or Google Drive)
☐ None of these digital technologies
☐ Unsure
☐ Other: __________________
How important are digital technologies to your business?
Unsure
☐
Neither
Very
important or
unimportant Unimportant unimportant Important
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
☐
☐
☐
☐
Very
important
(5)
☐
How would you rate your organisation's level of digital technology adoption?
Unsure
Very low
(1)
☐
☐
Low
(2)
☐
Average
(3)
☐
High
(4)
☐
Very high
(5)
☐
Does your business have a digital strategy?
☐ Documented digital strategy
☐ Undocumented digital strategy
☐ Planning to create a digital strategy in the next year
☐ No digital strategy required
☐ Unsure
☐ Other: __________________
How often is new content added to your website?
Unsure
☐
Very rarely
(1)
☐
Rarely
(2)
☐
Occasionally Frequently
(3)
(4)
☐
☐
Very
frequently
(5)
☐
Is your website optimised for viewing on a mobile device (i.e. responsive or scalable content for
viewing on a smartphone or tablet)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Unsure
What methods does your business use to accept orders from customers?
☐ In-store
☐ Email
☐ Phone
☐ Online
☐ Fax
☐ Other: __________________
Does your business have a profile on any of the following social media channels?
☐ Facebook
☐ Pinterest
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☐ Twitter
☐ LinkedIn
☐ Instagram
☐ Other: __________________
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How often does your business add new content to social media?
Unsure
☐
Very rarely
(1)
☐
Rarely
(2)
☐
Occasionally Frequently
(3)
(4)
☐
☐
Very
frequently
(5)
☐
How has the adoption of digital technologies benefited your business?
☐ Increased exposure
☐ Increased responsiveness to customers
☐ Expanded customer base
☐ Better advertising through the use of data analytics
☐ Comprehensive customer data through the use of management software
☐ Increased innovation
☐ Improved competitiveness
☐ Increased productivity and efficiency
☐ Remote working
☐ Increased revenue
☐ Business growth
☐ No benefits received
☐ Unsure
☐ Other: __________________
What level of technology skills do employees in your business have?
☐ Advanced technology skills
☐ Intermediate technology skills
☐ Beginner technology skills
What strategies does your business use to stay up-to-date with changes in digital technologies for
business?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
The future
How important do you believe digital technologies will be to the future growth and competitiveness
of your business?
Very
unimportant
(1)
☐
Unimportant
(2)
☐
Neither
Important or
Unimportant
(3)
☐
Important
(4)
☐
Very
important
(5)
☐
What are the barriers to increasing the adoption of digital technologies in your business in the next
year?
☐ Cost of implementation
☐ Lack of resource to implement
☐ Insufficient internet connection
☐ Lack of customer demand or readiness
☐ Lack of understanding of digital technologies
☐ Lack of technology expertise in the business
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☐ Online security concerns
☐ No strong business case
☐ No barriers
☐ Other: __________________
How do you see your business’ use of digital technologies changing in the future?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
What strategies would you suggest be implemented in the Great South Coast region to improve
digital technology adoption within businesses?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide any other comments about the adoption of digital technologies in your business:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for completing this survey.
For further details about this research please contact one of the following researchers:
Dr Helen Thompson
Phone: 5327 9418
Email: h.thompson@federation.edu.au
George Fong
Email: george@lateralplains.com
Alison Ollerenshaw
Email: a.ollerenshaw@federation.edu.au
Jennifer Corbett
Email: j.corbett@federation.edu.au
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