How to join the research program

The **Research Program** page lets your agency tell eCourtDate which research goals you want to pursue, and the page states there is no cost to your agency. It sits on the **Research** tab of **Agency Setup** inside the app.

### Overview

The page opens with the heading **Research Program** and a short description: analyze your data and benchmark the results with comparable jurisdictions, and gain and provide insights in collaboration with the eCourtDate research partners. Below the description sit a **Learn More** link, a **Current Status** badge, one checkbox for each research goal, a **Comments** box, and a **Submit** button.

- **What it does:** Records the research goals your agency selects and sends your agency's interest to the eCourtDate research team
- **Why it matters:** Benchmarking against comparable jurisdictions starts with telling the research partners what your agency wants to compare
- **Who it is for:** Accounts that can view agency settings and create agencies, which is what the page and the form require
- **Expected outcome:** A **Current Status** of **Pending** on the **Research** tab and follow-up contact from a research partner

### Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

- A signed-in eCourtDate account with your agency selected
- The view_any_settings permission, which the page needs to load your agency's current status
- The create_agencies permission, which the form needs to submit
- The **Research** tab visible in the **Agency Setup** tab strip, since a role can hide it under **Hidden Navigations**
- A decision on which of the three goals fit your agency, because the checkboxes and **Comments** are the only fields on the page

### How-To Steps

1. Click **Agency Setup** in the footer of any page in eCourtDate.
2. Click **Research** in the tab strip.
3. Read the description under the **Research Program** heading.
4. Check the **Current Status** badge, which reads **Not Enrolled** until your agency submits the form.
5. Click **Learn More** to open the eCourtDate research program page in a new tab if you want more background first.
6. Select the checkboxes under **What are your research goals?** that match your plans:
   - I want to benchmark my agency's performance against comparable jurisdictions.
   - I want to collaborate with researchers to improve my agency's performance.
   - I want to learn more about the research program and how it can benefit my agency.
7. Enter any extra detail in **Comments**, the only free text field on the page.
8. Click **Submit**.

### What to Expect

Submitting the form shows the confirmation "Thank you for your interest in the research program." and the **Current Status** badge changes from **Not Enrolled** to **Pending**. Your first submission emails the eCourtDate help team with your agency name and region, the name and email address on your account, the goals you checked, your comments, and the submission time. The page then tells you that one of the research partners will contact you to discuss your goals and how eCourtDate can help. The badge can also read **Approved** or **Rejected**, which eCourtDate sets. The page has no control for changing your own status.

### Best Practices

- **Check every goal that applies.** The checkboxes are the only structured detail the research team receives with your request.
- **Name your metrics in Comments.** Spell out what you want compared, for example appearance rates, message delivery, or payment collection, because the form asks for nothing else.
- **Submit from the account that should receive the reply.** The notification carries the name and email address on the account that submits the form.
- **Open Learn More before you submit.** The linked page describes the program in more detail than the short summary on the tab.
- **Return to the Research tab to check progress.** The **Current Status** badge on that tab is where your status appears.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does joining the research program cost anything?**

A: No. The **Research Program** page states there is no cost to your agency.

**Q: Do I need to enter contact details on the form?**

A: No. The form holds only the research goal checkboxes and **Comments**. Your name and email address come from your eCourtDate account.

**Q: What does eCourtDate receive when I click Submit?**

A: The goals you checked, your **Comments** text, your agency name and region, the name and email address on your account, and the submission time.

**Q: Can I change my goals after I submit?**

A: Yes. Return to the **Research** tab, adjust the checkboxes and **Comments**, then click **Submit** again. The new answers replace the old ones and **Current Status** returns to **Pending**. Only your first submission notifies the eCourtDate team, so open the **Help** menu and select **New support ticket** if a later change needs attention.

**Q: What do the status values mean?**

A: **Not Enrolled** means your agency has not submitted the form. **Pending** means your request is recorded and waiting on the eCourtDate research team. **Approved** and **Rejected** are set by eCourtDate.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Submit** button stays greyed out.

**Symptoms:** The button under **Comments** is disabled and clicking it does nothing.

**Solution:** The button is disabled while the page loads your agency's current record. Reload the **Research** tab. If **Submit** is still disabled, open the **Help** menu and select **New support ticket** to send your research goals to the eCourtDate team.

**Issue:** The **Research** tab does not appear in **Agency Setup**.

**Symptoms:** The tab strip shows tabs such as **Setup**, **Billing**, and **Training**, but not **Research**.

**Solution:** Ask an administrator to open your role, check the **Hidden Navigations** field, and remove research from that list.

**Issue:** A message reads "You do not have permission to do that." after you click **Submit**.

**Symptoms:** The **Current Status** badge still reads **Not Enrolled** and no confirmation appears.

**Solution:** Submitting requires the create_agencies permission. Ask an administrator to add that permission to your role on the **Roles** tab.

### Related Articles

- [How to complete your agency setup checklist](/how-to-complete-your-agency-setup-checklist)
- [How to earn credits through referrals](/how-to-earn-credits-through-referrals)
- [How to review your agency performance score](/how-to-review-your-agency-performance-score)
- [Roles and Permissions](/roles-and-permissions)