Enroll in the eCourtDate research program to compare your agency's performance against peers, participate in collaborative studies, and access benchmarking data.

### Overview

The eCourtDate research program connects government agencies that want to use data to improve outcomes. By enrolling, your agency gains access to anonymized benchmarking data, collaborative research opportunities, and performance comparisons with peer agencies. Whether you want to understand how your court appearance rates compare to similar jurisdictions, explore best practices for client communication, or participate in studies that shape the future of court technology, the research program provides the tools and community to make it happen.

- **What it does:** Lets your agency enroll in a research program for benchmarking, collaboration, and data-driven insights
- **Why it matters:** Gives your agency evidence-based comparisons to identify strengths, uncover improvement areas, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators, court managers, program directors, and leadership responsible for performance measurement and reporting
- **Expected outcome:** Enrollment in the research program with access to benchmarking data, peer comparisons, and collaborative research resources

### Prerequisites

Before joining the research program, make sure you have:

- Administrator access to your eCourtDate agency
- Authorization from your agency leadership to participate in research and data sharing
- An understanding of your agency's goals for benchmarking (for example, appearance rates, message delivery, payment collection)
- Active data in your eCourtDate agency (messages, events, clients, or cases) so meaningful comparisons can be generated
- Familiarity with your agency's data privacy policies and any restrictions on sharing anonymized data

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Access the Research Program Enrollment

1. Sign in to your eCourtDate agency at [app.ecourtdate.com](https://app.ecourtdate.com).
2. Navigate to the **Research Program** section from the platform menu.
3. Review the program overview, which describes the benefits, data sharing practices, and participation expectations.

#### Step 2: Review Program Options

1. Review the available research goals to determine what aligns with your agency's priorities:

| Research Goal | Description |
|---------------|-------------|
| Benchmarking | Compare your agency's metrics (appearance rates, message delivery, payment collection) against peer agencies of similar size and type |
| Collaboration | Participate in joint research studies with other agencies to answer questions about court processes and client outcomes |
| Learning | Access published research findings, best practices, and data-driven recommendations from the eCourtDate research community |

2. You can select one or more goals during enrollment. Most agencies start with benchmarking and add collaboration as they become more familiar with the program.

#### Step 3: Complete the Enrollment Form

1. Click **Enroll** or **Join Program** to open the enrollment form.
2. Enter your agency's details:
   - **Agency Name** (pre-populated from your account)
   - **Primary Contact** for research communications
   - **Contact Email** for receiving program updates and research findings
3. Select your **Research Goals** from the available options (benchmarking, collaboration, learning).
4. Review and acknowledge the data sharing terms. The program uses anonymized, aggregated data only. No personally identifiable information (PII) is shared with other agencies.
5. Add any notes about specific areas of interest or questions for the research team.

#### Step 4: Submit Your Enrollment

1. Review your enrollment details to make sure all information is accurate.
2. Click **Submit** to send your enrollment application.
3. Your application status changes to **Submitted** and the research team is notified.

#### Step 5: Track Your Enrollment Status

1. Return to the **Research Program** page to check your enrollment status.
2. Enrollment progresses through the following stages:
   - **Submitted** - Your application has been received and is under review
   - **Under Review** - The research team is evaluating your application and preparing your account
   - **Approved** - Your enrollment has been approved and research resources are available
   - **Active** - Your agency is actively participating in research and receiving benchmarking data
3. You receive an email notification at each stage of the enrollment process.

#### Step 6: Access Research Resources

1. Once your enrollment is approved, return to the **Research Program** page.
2. Access the available resources:
   - **Benchmarking Dashboard** to view your agency's metrics compared to peer agencies
   - **Research Library** for published findings and best practice guides
   - **Collaboration Board** to see open research studies and participation opportunities
3. Use the filters to focus on metrics and studies relevant to your agency's goals (for example, appearance rates for courts, compliance rates for probation, or payment collection for fines).

### What to Expect

After submitting your enrollment, the research team typically reviews applications within five to ten business days. Once approved, you gain immediate access to benchmarking dashboards and the research library. Benchmarking data is updated on a regular cycle, so your agency's comparisons become more valuable over time as more data is collected. Collaborative research studies are announced periodically, and you can choose to participate on a case-by-case basis.

### Best Practices

- **Ensure your data is current before enrolling.** The more complete and up-to-date your eCourtDate data, the more accurate and useful your benchmarking comparisons will be. Make sure your agency is actively importing or entering data for clients, events, messages, and payments.
- **Start with benchmarking.** Benchmarking provides immediate, tangible value by showing how your agency compares to peers. Use these insights in budget presentations, grant applications, and stakeholder reports.
- **Involve your leadership team.** Share benchmarking results with directors and administrators. Data-driven performance insights are powerful tools for securing resources and justifying technology investments.
- **Participate in collaborative studies when possible.** Collaboration studies contribute to the broader court community and often produce findings that directly benefit participating agencies.
- **Review benchmarking data regularly.** Schedule monthly or quarterly reviews of your benchmarking dashboard to track trends and measure the impact of process changes.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Is my agency's data shared with other agencies?**
A: No. The research program uses anonymized, aggregated data only. Your agency's individual records, client information, and case details are never shared. Other agencies see only aggregate benchmarks (for example, average appearance rates across all participating courts of a similar size). No PII leaves your agency's account.

**Q: Does participating in the research program cost anything?**
A: Enrollment in the research program is included with your eCourtDate subscription at no additional cost. There are no separate fees for benchmarking, accessing the research library, or participating in collaborative studies.

**Q: Can I leave the research program after enrolling?**
A: Yes. You can withdraw from the research program at any time by contacting the eCourtDate support team or updating your enrollment status on the research program page. Your historical data is removed from future benchmarking calculations after withdrawal.

**Q: What kind of benchmarking metrics are available?**
A: Common benchmarking metrics include court appearance rates, message delivery and response rates, payment collection rates, average case processing times, and client engagement scores. The specific metrics available depend on the type and volume of data your agency has in eCourtDate.

**Q: How do collaborative research studies work?**
A: When a collaborative study is announced, you receive a notification with details about the study's purpose, methodology, and expected time commitment. You can opt in or decline on a per-study basis. Participating agencies contribute anonymized data or complete surveys, and all participants receive the final research findings.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Your enrollment has been in **Submitted** status for more than ten business days.
**Symptoms:** You submitted the enrollment application, but the status has not changed to **Under Review** or **Approved**.
**Solution:**

1. Check your email (including spam and junk folders) for any correspondence from the research team requesting additional information.
2. Return to the **Research Program** page and verify that all required fields in your enrollment form are complete.
3. Click the **Start a Chat** button in the bottom left corner to ask the support team about your enrollment status.
4. If the issue persists, create a support ticket by clicking the **Create a Ticket** button in the bottom right corner and reference your enrollment date.

**Issue:** Benchmarking data appears incomplete or shows limited comparisons.
**Symptoms:** Your benchmarking dashboard shows "insufficient data" or only a few comparison metrics after enrollment is approved.
**Solution:**

1. Verify that your agency has active data in eCourtDate across the categories you want to benchmark (messages, events, clients, cases, payments).
2. If you recently started using eCourtDate, allow two to four weeks for enough data to accumulate for meaningful comparisons.
3. Check your data imports to ensure records are being created and updated on a regular schedule.
4. Contact the research team through the support chat if specific metrics you expect are missing from your dashboard.

### Related Articles

- [How to Review Your Agency Performance Score](/how-to-review-your-agency-performance-score)
- [How to Create Data Dashboards](/how-to-create-data-dashboards)