Improving the experience for survey participants and data providers

The information we collect assists government and non-government organisations to make important decisions and plan for services in your local area and the wider Australian community.

We are currently making changes to our data collection technology and improving the online survey experience for survey participants and providers of administrative data. We continue to maintain our commitment to your privacy and the confidentiality of data.

This is how these improvements will make your experience easier:

• Our improved ABS Survey Account is a secure way to access your surveys, upload or download data files, delegate to another person, update your profile, see tasks or appointments and seek help and support.
• The use of online survey forms for our business surveys, the Monthly Population Survey, and a number of our household surveys means you can now choose how you interact with us; via an online survey form, by telephone or through a face to face interview.
• For administrative data providers, transferring data using our data transfer and management tool is faster, easier and secure. This allows for greater volumes of data to be transferred at regular or irregular intervals, either manually or on a scheduled basis.
• Our improved online surveys are faster and more convenient to use and no longer require printing, mailing or scanning.
• You can now register your details for an ABS Survey Account quickly and easily, on any device.
• More and more, we are combining existing data sources to create new insights about communities, families, industry and the economy. By doing so, this reduces survey burden, while maintaining the confidentiality of businesses, households and individuals.
   

Many of our surveys can now be completed online. If you have been selected to participate in one of our surveys, you should have received a letter and/or email with instructions on how to create your ABS Survey Account, and how to complete the survey online.

For more information on completing our surveys online, visit our Survey Account Help page. This page provides assistance with technical difficulties and information on how to create and use the ABS Survey Account.

If you would like more general information about participating in one of our surveys, please see our Survey Participant Information page.

If you have been selected for one of our surveys and are unable to complete the survey online, you have a choice about how you interact with us. We can arrange for one of our interviewers to contact you and arrange a convenient time to conduct the survey. More information about these options will be provided in communication materials we send to you.

Many organisations who provide us with administrative data (e.g. construction or births data) choose to do so online through our File Transfer Portal. This is a quick and easy way to provide data. If your organisation has been selected to provide us with data in this way, you should have received written instructions on how to create your ABS Survey Account, access the File Transfer Portal, and submit your data.

For more information on providing your data online, visit our Self help to submit your data page. This page provides step by step instructions and information on file size restrictions and naming conventions.

If you would like more general information about participating in one of our surveys, please see our Survey Participant Information page.

Have you used our ABS Survey Account to complete one of our surveys online? We want to hear about your experience. We value your feedback and will use it to improve the way we work with our survey participants. You can use our feedback form to tell us what you think.

If you would like more information about our online surveys, please call one of our team on 1300 135 070 during business hours. For help outside these hours, please leave a message with your contact details and we will call you back as soon as possible.