There are a number of data quality considerations associated with the data set out in this chapter, as follows:
- As outlined in Table 6-2, not all projects submitted data within sufficient time for it to be included in this Report.
- Not all MDS data items were fully completed by all projects. For this reason, the total number of responses reported for specific data items may not match the total number of projects that submitted program, individual or group data.
- Inconsistencies in data reporting across projects were evident. For example, some projects used narrative such as 'many' or '1 person plus three schools' to describe group size or reach rather than numbers as instructed in the MDS Data Dictionary. For this reason, group size data does not fully reflect the true scale of group activities.
- The six month snapshot period includes months where some projects were not operating for seasonal/cultural reasons or where peak activity periods were missed. Examples include the Western Australia-based Yiriman project which did not undertake activities over the December to February period; and organisations with key date-specific activities such as R U OK? which conducts a national day of action on the second Thursday of September each year.