NSSS topics vary each year. The research team has the final say on them, but we welcome members’ ideas and select other interested parties.
Topics are inspired by member interest
National Seniors is nothing without its members and community, so issues affecting older Australians are at the heart of our NSSS thematic ideas.
- We work hard to ensure NSSS topics are relevant and important to older Australians and reflect the current situation in a changing landscape.
- National Seniors is committed to representing the diversity of views among older people in Australia, including the views of disadvantaged people, whose voices may not be as strong as those of others. Sometimes this means that a section of the NSSS is not relevant to all respondents. However, each NSSS contains some questions that apply to older adults of all ages, living situations, financial circumstances, and demographics.
Topics are shaped by funder domains
Some NSSS topics are relevant to funders’ scopes, but NSSS questions are ultimately determined by the National Seniors Research Team.
- The NSSS is part-funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care and, for as long as it continues to do so, will always include health and wellbeing matters and aged care matters. We also have a Department mandate to address the needs and experiences of diversity groups, so sometimes a subset of questions are specific to a group.
- In the past we have had a long-term partner who funded some financial matters that are not for commercial use but rather provide information to help support the financial well-being and financial literacy of older people. The partner had no input on other NSSS topics and had no access to NSSS data beyond its questions and a small set of basic demographic data. Like all other NSSS questions, these could be skipped if respondents felt uncomfortable. National Seniors’ sustainability relies on some financial partnerships, but we are extremely careful about who we partner with for research purposes, with ethical concerns at the forefront of our decision-making.
The topics respond to current events
While some research aims to be timeless, most national senior research is advocacy-oriented, so it must respond to what is happening now.
- For example, in 2021 we asked many questions about aged care in the wake of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Similarly, in 2020 our research agenda temporarily shifted to focus on the wellbeing of older Australians during the first year of the COVID pandemic.
- Each year, the National Seniors Advocacy Team also writes some questions for the NSSS, in a special section on “Current Issues”. Responses directly inform national senior policy positions and awareness campaigns.
Topics are based on current research on aging
Unlike surveys from many other advocacy organizations, the NSSS is based on high-quality, peer-reviewed expert research in relevant fields.
- The research team is perfectly attuned to the types of topics relevant to the gerontology (aging) research discipline and where to find the best research to inspire our own.
- We also present our data to research communities to integrate into their work and to test the rigor and quality of ours.
