Policies

Organisational Policies may be viewed here. This is a developing process and policies will be added as they become available.

Current Policies are under review to be updated in 2024.

 

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Research Policy plus Appendices 2024

New research policy has been adopted and accepted by Management Committee. Please click on the link to open the pdf file enabling you to read it. The eResearch Form has also been updated for research requests.
Any queries please contact the Research Convenor.

Research Policy and Procedure

Appendix 1 - Research Request Form

Appendix 2 - Research Agreement

Appendix 3 - Research Pricing

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Grievance Policy 2024

New Grievance policy has been adopted and accepted by Management Committee 19th February 2024. Please click on the link to open the pdf file enabling you to read it.
Any queries please contact Secretary or President.

Grievance Policy 2024

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Membership Policy 2024

New Membership policy has been adopted and accepted by Management Committee 18 March 2024. Please click on the link to open the pdf file enabling you to read it.
Any queries please contact Secretary or President.

Membership Policy 2024

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Privacy Policy - Under review

The Genealogical Society of Queensland is dedicated to keeping your details private. Any information, collected in relation to you, is kept strictly secured. GSQ does not pass on/sell/swap any of your personal details with anyone.  Your information is only used to identify your orders, provide you with our monthly newsletter and quarterly journal, enable you to book events and to personalise your shopping experience with GSQ.

Website privacy policy
The Genealogical Society of Queensland uses cookies to allow you to login to your account, maintain a shopping cart and to purchase items from the GSQ Shop or via Events. Cookies sent to your computer from the Genealogical Society of Queensland only last while you’re browsing our web site. We do not store persistent cookies on your computer. Cookies also allow us to give you a more personalised shopping experience by displaying products that interest you throughout our product pages, thus providing you with a more friendly, interesting and enjoyable shopping experience. Whenever you use our web site, or any other web site, the computer on which the web pages are stored (the Web server) needs to know the network address of your computer so that it can send the requested web pages to your Internet browser. The unique network address of your computer is called its "IP address," and is sent automatically each time you access any Internet site. From a computer's IP address, it is possible to determine the general geographic location of that computer, but otherwise it is anonymous.

We do not keep a record of the IP addresses from which users access our site except where you have specifically provided us with information about yourself, in which case we also record your IP address for security purposes. An example of this would be when proceeding to a checkout to finalise an order you may wish to make. After completing the form provided, your IP address will be stored along with a transaction number that allows us to track your order.

Individual Privacy
The Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc, through this web site, does not knowingly include information on any living person (except where they give prior permission). If you have any concern about information contained on this website, including the use of a descendant’s name, then please make contact by email.

Membership Data
In order to properly manage the Society and as part of its requirements under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (QLD), GSQ maintains a membership register. This database includes member’s personal information comprising names, addresses, financial membership status, telephone numbers, email addresses, year of birth and membership numbers. Note: The year of birth is required for insurance purposes only.

Unless GSQ maintains complete and accurate personal information about members, it may not be able to effectively provide the level of service expected.

The purpose of membership data is to:

  1. facilitate correspondence with members including the provision of the GSQ journal, Generation
  2. facilitate the provision of member’s discounts over a range of GSQ services
  3. provide data for the development of membership statistics or other information to:
    1. better understand the present and past composition of GSQ membership in order to facilitate planning for the benefit of members; and
    2. facilitate GSQ marketing
  4. enable authorisation of entry to the library, members-only web pages and other relevant services,

We shall remove a member’s personal information from the membership data no later than seven years beyond the membership ceasing, unless the member requests otherwise. This information will then be securely stored until it may be reasonably assumed that the member has died, after which GSQ may make the information available for genealogical research provided that use is consistent with the GSQ Ethics Policy.

Access to the personal information is restricted to:

  1. paid or volunteer staff whose duties require them to have access
  2. members of the GSQ Management Committee who are office holders or whose duties require them to have access
  3. programmer(s) who create or maintain the data software
  4. as otherwise required by law.

Personal information is not otherwise divulged to any person or organisation unless required by law.

Members have the right to view and amend their own details through the GSQ web site. It is the member's responsibility to ensure that their information is kept up-to-date and GSQ cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the member's information. Members may request that GSQ amends information, not held in a member's profile, which is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, by contacting GSQ or writing to the Secretary at the current GSQ postal address.

A former member may obtain a copy of their personal information by writing to the Secretary at the current GSQ postal address. Unless prohibited by law the Secretary will provide that information.

Any complaint about a breach of privacy should be made in writing to the Secretary at the current GSQ postal address.

Part of the GSQ activities undertaken to meet its objectives comprises the indexing of material of genealogical value for the use of members and sometimes for publication.

Personal information about persons who may be alive will be included in indexes only if all the conditions in the following sub-paragraphs are met:

  1. the index conforms to the GSQ Ethics Policy
  2. none of the personal information is "sensitive" as defined in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, that is, is information or an opinion about an individual's:
    1. racial or ethnic origin
    2. political opinions
    3. membership of a political association
    4. religious belief or affiliation
    5. philosophical beliefs
    6. membership of a professional or trade association
    7. membership of a trade union
    8. sexual preferences or practices
    9. criminal record.
  3. health information about an individual, that is, the person who may be alive would be at least 75 years of age; and if it would not be practicable to seek to contact the persons who may be alive in order to seek their agreement for their personal information to be indexed.

This statement was approved by the Management Committee on 13 May 2013.

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Code of Ethics - Under review

  1. The Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc (GSQ) is a non-profit Society which exists to assist its members and others researching their family history.
  2. GSQ and its members are conscious that collecting, collating and sharing information about people, living and deceased, is an essential element of family history.
  3. Responsible family historians respect the law and the feelings of others and will always:
    1. seek by all reasonably available means to inform themselves about the legal principles in force from time to time governing the protection of copyright and of a personal privacy
    2. observe the legal rights to copyright owners, by copying or distributing any part of their works only with their permission, or to the extent allowed under the copyright law's 'fair use' provisions
    3. be sensitive to the hurt that revelations of criminal, immoral, bizarre or irresponsible behaviour may bring to family members
    4. obtain specific consent from living people that they are agreeable to further sharing of information of themselves
    5. inform people who provide information about their families of the ways it may be used, carefully recording and observing any conditions they may impose about the use of it
    6. recognise that legal rights of privacy may limit the extent to which information from publicly available sources may be further used, disseminated or published.

 

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Honorary Life Membership Policy - Under review

As outlined in the Constitution and By-laws, the organisation may accept applications for life membership on the proviso that the member meets certain criteria.

(Please note that this does not refer to Life Enduring Membership.)

Definition
Honorary Life Membership applies to single membership only.

Life Membership criteria
The applicant:

  1. should have been a member for at least ten years
  2. should have held a responsible position in the Organisation
  3. should show that he/she has contributed their services for the betterment of the Society
  4. should be nominated by a current member of the Society.

Life Membership Procedure
Prior to approving life membership, the Management Committee must be satisfied that the above criteria has been met.

Approved by the Management Committee on 9 November 2013.

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Editorial Policy - Under review

  1. The Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc (GSQ/the Society) is a non-profit Society which exists to assist its members and others researching their family history.
  2. The Society is committed to providing quality and relevant publications to members particularly Generation and eNews, that adhere to the principles of family history.
  3. In this Policy, the Society accepts responsibility to develop and maintain an appropriate editorial policy, outlining its underlying principles and processes.


Principles
The Society has adopted the following principles to underpin its editorial policy:

1. Family history principles:

  • accuracy
  • independence
  • advertising limited to material directly relevant to family history research
  • non-sectarian
  • apolitical
  • unbiased
  • informative
  • eclectic with material drawn from various sources
  • consistent with privacy and copyright legislation.

2. Principles specific to Generation:

  1. caters to needs of all members
  2. provides interesting content, i.e. motivational/inspirational to readers
  3. primary avenue for members to publish their research
  4. focuses on items of longer term value
  5. designed to open up two-way communication between members and GSQ.

3. Principles specific to eNews:

  1. caters to needs of members and non-members who opt in to receive eNews
  2. designed as communication tool to members from GSQ, its branches and interest groups
  3. provides current news and information in world of genealogy/family history
  4. focuses on items of shorter term interest.


Procedure
1. The Editor, Generation and Coordinator, eNews have overall responsibility, on behalf of the Management Committee, for ensuring that publications are consistent with the above principles. Material which is not consistent with the above principles will not be published. A member of the Management Committee will be delegated as contact officer for referral of material deemed inappropriate for publication.
2. Prior to the commencement of each Volume of Generation the Editor, following consultation with the Editorial Committee, will provide the Management Committee with a Governance and Accountability - Editorial Policy- Policy and Procedure Page 1 of 2 theme for each issue of Generation. The Editor, Generation will consult, as appropriate, with the Editorial Committee on material to be included in each issue.
3. The editor, Generation, and Coordinator, eNews may recommend changes to the author of articles submitted for publication to meet GSQs standards. The author may withdraw the article if they do not approve of the editorial changes.

Liability of the Society
The Society does not hold itself responsible for any statements made, or opinions expressed, by the authors of papers or articles published in Generation and eNews. The Society cannot vouch for the accuracy of offers of services or goods that appear in Generation, nor be responsible for the outcome of any contract that may be entered into with any advertiser. The Society reserves the right not to publish or republish any advertisement. If a GSQ member, or member of the general public, raises concerns about material published in either Generation or eNews, the matter should be reviewed by the Editor or Coordinator in the first instance, in conjunction with the delegated Management Committee contact officer. If necessary, the formal complaints procedure should be followed.

Authorisation Hon.Secretary Approved by the Management Committee 11 April 2014.

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Volunteer Code of Practice - Under review

In order to enhance the volunteers' experience, and comply with legislation and duty of care, the Genealogical Society of Queensland agrees to:

  • Interview and engage volunteer staff in accordance with anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation
  • Provide volunteer staff with orientation and training
  • Provide volunteer staff with a healthy and safe workplace
  • Not place volunteer staff in roles that were previously held by paid staff or have been identified as paid jobs
  • Differentiate between paid and unpaid roles
  • Define volunteer roles, and develop clear job descriptions
  • Provide appropriate levels of support and management for volunteer staff
  • Provide volunteers with a copy of policies pertaining to volunteer staff
  • Ensure volunteers are not required to take up additional work during industrial dispute or paid staff shortage
  • Provide all staff with information on grievance and disciplinary policies and procedures
  • Acknowledge the rights of volunteer staff
  • Not ask a volunteer to work in a voluntary capacity for more than 16 hours per week
  • Ensure that the work of volunteer staff complements but does not undermine the work of paid staff
  • Offer volunteer staff the opportunity for professional development
  • Reimburse volunteer staff for approved out of pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation
  • Treat volunteer staff as valuable team members, and advise them of the opportunities to participate in agency decisions
  • Acknowledge the contributions of volunteer staff
  • Ensure that all voluntary work is undertaken on a voluntary basis and without coercion
  • Offer volunteers work opportunities appropriate to their skills, experience, and aspirations
  • Maintain written policies and implement procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of volunteers, including maintaining appropriate current volunteer Personal Accident Insurance and Public Liability Insurance which includes volunteer workers
  • Maintain policies and implement procedures in compliance with all legislation pertaining to volunteer workers. In particular, the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, and any other legislation that is relevant to volunteer workers
  • Ensure the tasks and activities undertaken by volunteers benefit the community and that volunteers do not derive financial gain for themselves.

 

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Social Media Policy - Under review

The aim of the social media policy is to provide GSQ with mechanisms to showcase its knowledge and skills in genealogy and to promote the society to new and potential members as a dynamic, modern and credible provider of genealogical and family history services.

Principles

All entries on social media should:

  1. Be responsible and enhance the reputation of the society
  2. Be friendly and positive
  3. Be regular
  4. Assume that everything posted will be seen by everyone and will be always available
  5. Respect individuals and organisations and not be disparaging, illegal, against policy or in bad taste
  6. Be free of personal contact or other information, particularly for living individuals
  7. Identify the bloggers either by name or nom de plume
  8. Be interesting and authentic
  9. Respect copyright and fair use
  10. Not include third party advertisements or gratuitous links to sites except with approval of the Management Committee
  11. Be relevant to genealogy and/or family history with off topic posts/comments being removed.

Procedure:

  • The GSQ blog will be weekly and undertaken by nominated bloggers on rotation.
  • The blog will be monitored by a member of the Management Committee who shall have authority to moderate blog postings or comments and remove those that do not adhere to the above principles.
  • GSQ nominated social media contributors may be known by a nom de plume if requested.
  • Comments on social media including Facebook will be responded to as soon as possible.
  • The following disclaimer applies to all social media apps utilised by GSQ: "GSQ does not hold itself responsible for any statements made, or opinions expressed by the contributors to social media".

Approved by the Management Committee 10 May 2014.

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Security Policy - Under review

When purchasing from the Genealogical Society of Queensland, your financial details are passed through a secure server using the latest 128-bit SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption technology. 128-bit SSL encryption is approximated to take at least one trillion years to break, and is the industry standard. No credit card details are stored or handled by the GSQ website.  Once the credit card option is selected, you are transferred to Westpac where the transaction is processed and returned to the GSQ on successful completion of the process. If you have any questions regarding our security policy, please contact GSQ.

Web Site Privacy Policy

The Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc (https://www.gsq.org.au) is dedicated to keeping your details private. Any information, we collect in relation to you, is kept strictly secured. We do not pass on/sell/swap any of your personal details with anyone. We use this information to identify your orders, provide you with our monthly newsletter, quarterly journal, other news items and to personalise your shopping experience with us.

What personal data we collect and why we collect it.

The Genealogical Society of Queensland uses cookies to allow you to login to your account, maintain a shopping cart and to purchase items placed in your shopping cart. Cookies sent to your computer from the Genealogical Society of Queensland only last while you’re browsing our website. We do not store persistent cookies on your computer. Cookies also allow us to give you a more personalised shopping experience by displaying products that interest you throughout our product pages, thus providing you with a more friendly, interesting and enjoyable shopping experience.

Whenever you use our web site, or any other web site, the computer on which the web pages are stored (the Web server) needs to know the network address of your computer so that it can send the requested web pages to your Internet browser. The unique network address of your computer is called its "IP address," and is sent automatically each time you access any Internet site. From a computer's IP address, it is possible to determine the general geographic location of that computer, but otherwise it is anonymous.

We do not keep a record of the IP addresses from which users access our site except where you have specifically provided us with information about yourself, in which case we also record your IP address for security purposes. An example of this would be when proceeding to a checkout to finalise an order you may wish to make. After completing the form provided, your IP address will be stored along with a transaction number that allows us to track your order.

Contact form submissions are kept for six months but the information provided is not used for marketing or any other purpose other than to respond to the query in the contact form.

Comments

When visitors to the site leave comments on the Blog, GSQ collects the data shown in the comments form and also the visitor's IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

What right you have over your data

The Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc, through this website, does not knowingly include information on any living person (except where they give prior permission). If you have any concern about information contained on this website, including the use of a relative's name, then please make contact by email. If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal or security purposes.

Contact information

For further information about the data collected by this site and any privacy-specific concerns, please contact the GSQ Secretary.

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