Application to Conduct Outside Social Science Research

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).