Research Income, Definition of Research and Classification as Research
DIISR definition of Research
From the HERDC Specifications for Collection of 2009 data (pdf 196kb):
1.3.9. Research
For the purposes of these specifications, research comprises:
creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications
any activity classified as research which is characterised by originality; it should have investigation as a primary objective and should have the potential to produce results that are sufficiently general for humanity's stock of knowledge (theoretical and/or practical) to be recognisably increased. Most higher education research work would qualify as research
pure basic research, strategic basic research, applied research and experimental development.
Activities that support research and meet this definition of research include:
provision of professional, technical, administrative or clerical support and/or assistance to staff directly engaged in research
management of staff who are either directly engaged in research or are providing professional, technical or clerical support or assistance to those staff
activities of students undertaking postgraduate research courses
development of postgraduate research courses
supervision of students undertaking postgraduate research courses
Activities that do not support research must be excluded, such as:
preparation for teaching
scientific and technical information services
general purpose or routine data collection
standardisation and routine testing
feasibility studies (except into research and experimental development projects)
specialised routine medical care
commercial, legal and administrative aspects of patenting, copyright or licensing activities
routine computer programming, systems work or software maintenance (research and experimental development into applications software, new programming languages and new operating systems would normally meet the definition of research).
1.3.10. Reference Year
The reference year for research income (Categories 1, 2 and 3) is the 2008 calendar year. For CRC research income (Category 4) the reference year is the financial year 2007-08.
Research income for 2007 (Categories 1, 2 and 3) and 2006-07 (Category 4) or earlier years omitted from previous returns CANNOT be included.
For publications, see definition - Year of Publication at section 1.3.14.
