Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
Applications to conduct outside research shall include the
following:
(1) a cover page including
title, names, and affiliations of principal investigators of proposed
research;
(2) a one page abstract,
written in layman terms, briefly describing the proposed research and the
research goals of the project;
(3)
a curricula vitae or resume of the principal researcher and
all research staff: knowledge and experience shall be judged in terms of
recent, relevant, and successful experience of the staff to undertake the
research activities;
(4) an
endorsement by a recognized research organization, such as an accredited
university or college, private foundation, consulting firm, or public agency
that has a mandate to perform research, certifying that the research proposal
is for valid scientific, educational, or other public purposes;
(5) a research hypothesis, a list of the
goals of study, and a justification for the research: the Research Director or
designee shall evaluate the soundness of the statements about empirical reality
involving the relationship of the variables proposed for study as they relate
to the goals of the project;
(6) a
detailed research design including:
(a)
Department resources or personnel that may be needed for the study: specify the
amount and extent of need as well as a description of the proposed duties of
Department personnel;
(b) subjects
for study: identify the sampling methodology and procedures for selecting
inmate subjects or inmate records for the research. Describe the criteria used
for sample selection as well as the proposed sample size and its relationship
to the results;
(c) security
procedures that shall be followed to protect subject privacy and
confidentiality;
(d) the
measurement of key variables: proposed definition and measurement of key
variables in the research. Explain how these definitions and measurement
methods duplicate or differ from those of previous research on this
topic;
(e) choice of research and
data collection methodologies: Proposed procedures for data collection as well
as justification for chosen method. If triangulation of collection methods is
used, provide separate justifications for each method. Data collection protocol
(questionnaires, survey instruments, and/or survey schedules) shall be
included;
(f) data analysis:
indicate the kind of analysis proposed. Specify the purpose and logic of the
proposed analysis. The Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Research or
designee shall evaluate the analysis methodology in terms of its fit with the
proposed hypothesis, variables, and data;
(g) informed consent: a copy of the informed
consent documentation as described in
103
CMR 180.08;
(h) details of compensation of any type, if
any, proposed to be paid or made to the inmate subjects;
(i) results of the Institutional Review Board
or Human Subjects Committee of the principal researcher's affiliated
organization, when required;
(j)
schedule for the various stages of research: a detailed timeline of the steps
of the research process as well as an indication of specific duties to be
performed by each member of the research team, scheduled start and completion
dates, evidence that research can be completed within the timeframe
specified;
(k) a detailed list of
the expected outcomes of the research project;
(l) any item or equipment
(e.g. recording devices) proposed to be used to conduct the
research study.
(7) an
application for new longitudinal studies shall, in addition to the requirements
in 103 CMR 180.07(6)(a) through (l), include:
(a) a copy of the survey instrument to be
used;
(b) the frequency in which
the interviews/surveys shall be conducted;
(c) a time schedule of when the
interviews/surveys shall take place;
(d) the amount of time required to conduct
each interview/survey;
(e) a
statement of the procedure used to conduct the interviews
(e.g., in person, phone, mail).
