Darren has over 25 years experience in social research and design and has previously worked with the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Reark Research and the Wallis Consulting Group. Darren founded the Social Research Centre in 2000. Areas of expertise include large-scale survey design and management, longitudinal surveys and program / campaign evaluation. Darren’s specific interests are community attitudes research, health research, policy development research and the application of sophisticated survey methodologies. He is a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society and is accredited as a Qualified Practicing Market Researcher.  Darren is also a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research and the Australasian Evaluation Society.

Graham has over 21 years experience in market and social research operations with a reputation for effectively managing large-scale, resource intensive, high stakes government research projects to industry-best standards.  Also a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society, Graham has previously held positions with Wells Research, Reark Research, AC Nielsen and NCS Pearson. His expertise is in large-scale survey management, complex multi-methodology projects and the development and execution of quality operational processes, with specific skills in response maximisation techniques, interviewer performance and enhanced data quality.

Michael Murphy has worked in social and market research for over twenty years, specialising in the use of qualitative research methods for the development of social marketing campaigns. Early in his career he participated in the Victorian Public Service Graduate Trainee Scheme then worked with the Centre for Behavioural Research at the Cancer Council Victoria, prior to being a founding Director of Market Access Consulting & Research. He joined The Social Research Centre in 2009 to establish its Qualitative Research Division.

Michael’s special interest is in the development of social marketing campaigns to address health behaviours, having been involved in numerous State and Federal smoking, sun protection, healthy eating and disease screening campaigns. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Melbourne, a Diploma of Applied Science (Naturopathy) from the Southern School of Natural Therapies, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology from Swinburne University. Michael is a Full Member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society and is QPMR (Qualified Practicing Market Researcher) accredited.

As a senior researcher with over 22 years experience, David has previously worked with Chadwick Martin Consultants, Reark Research and the Wallis Group.  Areas of expertise include communications effectiveness and advertising research, longitudinal research, customer satisfaction, automated reporting and advanced statistical analysis.  David is a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

Sonia has worked in applied social policy research and program evaluation since 1993.  Sonia’s research career has spanned academic research and evaluation roles, commercial market research and senior public sector research and evaluation.  Placements have included the University of NSW, the Tertiary Entrance Procedures Authority (Education Queensland), the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Roy Morgan Research and Department of Justice, Victoria.

Sonia is a professional research methodologist and program evaluator.  Particular interests include program evaluation, program logic mapping, large scale survey design and management, crime and safety research and service delivery assessment.  Sonia holds a Bachelor of Science (Psyc)(Hons) majoring in research design and statistics, a Masters in Program Evaluation and is currently completing her doctoral studies.

Tony has academic and professional qualifications in both financial management and in the social sciences. He has a background in financial management in the service sector, in publishing and in investment banking. He has managed funds which focused on SME's. He has taught and tutored at Universities in Australia and New Zealand. He has a particular interest in trade, and from an historical perspective its impact on cultural exchanges between economically interdependent societies.

Sharon is a legally qualified HR professional who has had over ten years experience in the human resources field in the public and private health sectors as well as the finance and legal sectors. She has not only occupied management positions in human resources within these sectors but has also provided consultancy services, particularly in the areas of strategic HR review and organisational restructures. Sharon's areas of expertise include organisational change and performance management, counselling and remuneration reviews.

Nikki has 9 years experience in market research in Australia and overseas having previously worked for Red Sheriff (an on-line research company), Taylor Nelson Sofres and ICM Research in London.  Nikki’s main role at the Social Research Centre is in the management, conduct and analysis of quantitative research projects, however, Nikki is also an insightful qualitative researcher.   Nikki holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree and Doctorate in Psychology.  Nikki joined the Social Research Centre in early 2006 to pursue her interest in social research.

Nina has worked in applied social research since 2000 in both Australia and overseas, having previously held positions at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The Brotherhood of St Laurence, and American Institutes for Research (U.S.).  Nina’s main role at the Social Research Centre is in the design and development of quantitative and qualitative research projects, and in the analysis and reporting of survey findings.  Nina holds a research PhD in Political Science (Public Opinion/ Political Psychology) from the University of California.

Paul Myers is an experienced social researcher who is skilled in the design, implementation and analysis of quantitative and qualitative research projects. He has had extensive experience in social marketing and conducting research on highly sensitive issues. Paul graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Queensland and has a Ph.D. in Public Health from The University of Melbourne. He has published and presented in the areas of homelessness, young people, drug use and blood-borne viruses.

Before joining the Social Research Centre in September 2009 Paul spent three years with Open Mind Research working on a range of qualitative and quantitative projects for State and Federal Governments including account managing major projects for the Department of Health and Ageing; Department of Human Services (Victoria), Department of Justice; Child Support Agency and Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.  Prior to this, Paul spent five years working at the University of Melbourne and Latrobe University as a quantitative researcher where he was known for his strong longitudinal and multivariate analysis skills.

Paul is a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society and foundation member of the Australia Association of Social Marketing.

Christy has 13 years experience in market and social research, specialising in environment and sustainability research, social marketing, behaviour change and online research. She has previously worked for a variety of research agencies including McGregor Tan Research, Nexus Research, Global Reviews and the Ipsos-Eureka Social Research Institute. 

While Christy’s role at the Social Research Centre draws on both her qualitative and quantitative research skills the main emphasis of her work is the conduct of quantitative social research, particularly in the environment and sustainability arena.

Christy has a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology and Australian Studies) from Flinders University and has undertaken a number of additional tertiary studies in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Her interest in the field of sustainability has led to her presenting a paper at the Enviro08 conference and  involvement in the Melbourne Water ‘Creating Liveable Cities’ Design Lab forum in late 2009. Christy is a Qualified Practising Market Researcher (QPMR) and a full member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society. She joined the Social Research Centre in September 2009 as a Principal Research Adviser.

Tina has 15 years experience in the market research industry, previously having worked with Roy Morgan Research and MLC before joining The Social Research Centre in 2005.

Tina’s main area of expertise is in the development and management of quantitative research projects and her primary interest lies in social, health and government policy research.  She has QPMR accreditation and is a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

Throughout her 11 years experience as a researcher, Rachel has worked extensively in government and social research and in particular in the areas of education, health, employment relations and disability.  Rachel has also worked extensively in social and public policy development and program evaluation. Particular interests include health research, cognitive testing methods, longitudinal and tracking studies and the analysis and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data.

Sharon commenced her research career in the UK in 2002 working as a Marketing Executive with Bucknall Austin before moving to MBRB (one of the leading market research agencies in the UK and a key operating company within the Millward Brown Group) in 2004.  Sharon accepted a Senior Research Executive position with Consensus Research International in October 2005. 

Sharon’s research experience encompasses qualitative and quantitative research and methodologies used include qualitative interviewing, focus group discussions, client participation workshops, CATI, self completion mail out surveys, on-line surveys and web assisted telephone interviews.  Sharon began her Australian research career with the Social Research Centre in May 2008.

Adele has 6 years experience in market research, having worked as a project manager with McGregor Tan research in Adelaide before joining The Nielsen Company in Sydney as Senior Operations Executive where she managed the NSW / ACT field operations for the Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia study (HILDA) as well as working on Nielsen Radio Ratings and various ad hoc projects.  Her main research interest revolves around the operational aspects of the research process, including refinement of procedures for response maximisation, methods to enhance data quality, interviewer training, and quality control systems.  Adele began her career with the Social Research Centre in August 2008.

Sebastian has worked in research for over ten years. From 1995 to 1999 he worked at the Australian Council for Educational Research firstly as a clerical officer and then as a Research Assistant. Between 1999 and 2003 Sebastian was a Research Assistant at the Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University.  There he worked primarily on two national quantitative research projects.

Nikki is a social research specialist having worked in the industry for over 9 years. She has completed her Masters in Social Research Methods and has a Degree in Sociology.

Nikki recently joined the Social Research Centre to pursue her career as a social researcher in Australia having come from a large social research company in London where she worked as a research manager. She has extensive experience in managing both longitudinal and ad hoc projects and has interests in many diverse subject areas. She has worked on projects using differing methodologies including online, face-to-face and telephone, as well as working on studies that use both quantitative and qualitative data collection methodologies.

Astrid is an experienced social researcher specialising in qualitative research.  Astrid has a sound understanding of research design and methodologies and has been responsible for studies amongst many diverse groups in society including homosexuals, children, unemployed and homeless youth, persons on income support, parents, students, the elderly, and the mentally ill.

Astrid has a Degree in Sociology and Human Behaviour as well as a Diploma in Social Statistics, and has written numerous descriptive, analytical and interpretative consulting reports over the years.

Jenna has extensive experience in project management gained whilst working for the London Borough of Camden. Jenna’s previous research experience includes roles with the Western Australian Department of Health, and the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia. Jenna holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Health Promotion).

Jenna joined the Social Research Centre in September 2006 as a Research Executive in order to pursue her interest in social research, and in 2008 took up the role of a Researcher.

Jessica joined the Social Research Centre team mid November 2009 as a Researcher. Jessica was specially recruited for her high level statistical skills and attention to detail as well as her experience in analysis and involvement in complex research projects with the Australian Institute of Family Studies in Melbourne.  There she was involved with questionnaire development and project coordination, as well as statistical analysis for Family Law Evaluation.  Jessica also has experience as a research assistant in academia, having worked for the Australian Council for Educational Research, and the Swinburne University of Technology.

Since joining the team she has primarily worked as project manager on the WorkSafe Victoria research program.

Her research interests are in: Policy and program evaluation, disadvantaged populations, families and separation/divorce, child wellbeing, education and international comparisons.

Jessica is a member of Young Statisticians Australia and an Associate member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

David joined the Social Research Centre in June 2010, having worked within market and social research for I-view Market Research and the Ipsos-Eureka Social Research Institute for over seven years.  Much of David’s work has focussed on vulnerable populations and those who experience barriers to communication, such as the hearing and vision impaired, homeless, and substance users. 

David’s specific areas of interest are health, sustainability and community engagement. He graduated with First Class Honours in English from La Trobe University and is an associate member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society.

Bharat has 6 years experience in market research Bharat joined the Social Research Centre as a shift supervisor in 2006 having previously worked as a market research interviewer and then as a Team Leader at the National Australia Bank Research Centre.

In 2007 he then moved on to a Research Assistant position and was promoted to the position of Project Coordinator in January 2008. In July 2010 Bharat took up the role of Project Manager.

Bharat holds a Post Graduate degree in Information Technology from RMIT University.

During the past 4 years, Jessie has worked in a variety of roles within the market research industry. Before joining the Social Research Centre Jessie worked as Market Research Interviewer and Team Leader with the NAB Customer Insight and Service Assurance Centre.

Since joining the Social Research Centre in 2006, Jessie has worked as a CATI Interviewer and Team Leader, Office Administrator and, since 2008, as a Research Assistant.

In her current role, Jessie provides support to Senior Research staff on larger projects in areas such as sample cleaning, questionnaire and output checking and quality assurance. Jessie is also currently completing a Bachelor of Social Science (Research & Policy) at RMIT University.

Elaine has 10 years experience in market research.  Elaine began her market research career as a coding and data entry operator with NFO Research, before moving into an administration role within the company.  In 2001, she joined Market Access where she was Manager of Research Services within the specialized health and social research team.
Elaine’s main research interests involve the operational aspects of the research process, including refinement of procedures for smooth running of any qualitative project undertaken, specifically coordinating casual research assistant staff, liaising with clients on day to day operations of research projects, and managing project accounts.  Elaine began her career with the Social Research Centre in May 2009 as the Manager of Qualitative Research Services.

Chris has over 14 years experience in the market research industry, including 10 years as a CATI operations team leader and manager of online survey programming at Roy Morgan Research.

Chris’ main expertise lies in the development of project-specific databases and data management solutions, sample cleaning and preparation programs, and data management for multi-mode projects.

He is proficient in UNIX, Shell scripting, HTML, XHTML and Web technologies.

Chris’ role at the Social Research Centre is to bring high level technical expertise to the project and assist the project director with all aspects of data management.

Peta Loader has over eight years experience in market research. Peta began her market research career at Roy Morgan Research where she held various positions over her 6 year term.

Prior to her commencement at The Social Research Centre in July 2010, Peta was a Research Production Manager at Colmar Brunton Research.

Peta obtained a Bachelor of Computing (Information Management) from Deakin University in July 2001.

Karen worked as an interviewer, Senior Research Executive and Project Manager in her 17 year career with Research International prior to joining the Social Research Centre in early 2008.

Karen’s role, as Call Centre Manager, requires her to manage the day to day operations of our 123 station Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Call Centre.
In this role, Karen works in close conjunction with the Director, Research Services and the Manager, Quality Systems.  Karen’s broad responsibilities entail day to day operational planning, the overall quality and timeliness of our telephone survey operations, ensuring appropriate resources are in place to support our large project workload, managing productivity and overseeing quality control for all data collection functions.

With 13 years experience in data processing and analysis in the market research industry, Hui is a leading Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) programmer. Hui’s career began with Reark Research where she worked for ten years developing considerable expertise in various generalist and specialist market research packages such as UNIX, DOS, Quantum, Quancept and Surveycraft.

Hui then held positions at Taylor Nelson Sofres and DBM Consultants before joining the Social Research Centre in 2004.  Hui has a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise in programming and analysis for government and social research projects.

With over 20 years experience in the research industry, Cathy has developed a diverse range of programming and analytical skills.  Cathy’s expertise includes the creation and processing of complex survey questionnaires, data validation, data analysis, sampling, statistical significance testing, weighting of survey data and the production of complex cross tabulations of survey data. 

In addition, Cathy has considerable expertise in a wide range of generalist and specialist market research packages including UNIX, DOS, Quantum, Quancept, Surveycraft and SPSS.

Erika has over 16 years experience in Market Research programming.  Her expertise covers a wide range of programming languages such as Star, Surveycraft, Quantum and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).  Erika has previously worked with Roy Morgan Research, AC Nielsen, I-view (NCS) and Lighthouse Data Collection.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (in Mathematics) majoring in Statistics and Operations Research from RMIT, and is a full member of the Market Research Society of Australia WorkCover Authority. 

Linden has 15 years of data processing experience and has worked for a variety of top market research companies, including BMRB International, NFO Worldgroup, Quaestor RMS, Nielsen (NZ), GfK and Ronin Corporation.

Over the years he has handled a vast array of large and complicated projects from scripting CATI and CAWI surveys for large multi-country projects, through to handling complicated 'levels' analysis for large scale governmental research (using Quantum). He also possesses in-depth knowledge of a wide variety of market research software including Quantum, Merlin, Quancept, Surveycraft, Nebu and Confirmit. In addition to his technical expertise Linden has eight years worth of experience managing large teams within the operations division. Linden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilisation and is currently studying for his second degree – a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing and Statistics. Linden joined the Social Research Centre in July 2009.