Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 103 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION › Title 103 CMR 180.00 - Research and Evaluation › Section 180.07 - Application to Conduct Outside Social Science Research

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 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.