SOP 104.75-att-1: Research Request/Proposal Guideline

Attachment 1

SOP 104.75

10/26/17
Page 1 of 2

# Research Request/Proposal Guideline

Pursuant to the Georgia Department of Corrections standard operating procedure _104.75_
_Research Guidelines_, all research proposals, including both internal and external, must be
reviewed and approved by the executive leadership team and the Commissioner or his/her
designee prior to the start of any research or evaluation project. The requirements for submitting
research proposals includes the following:

1. Title of Project

2. Principal Investigator - Include name, address, telephone number, email address and agency

3. Researchers - List name, address, telephone number, email address, and affiliation of any

researchers or staff who might have access to participants or data

4. Funding source - Describe originating funding source

5. Study Facility - Includes state, county, or private prisons, detention centers, transitional

centers, treatment facilities, administrative offices, or any other offices under the jurisdiction
of the Georgia Department of Corrections or its partners

6. Stakeholders and Agency Liaison - Please identify all stake holders for this project. Do

you have contacts within the agency who you anticipate assisting with this project?

7. Project Description - Briefly summarize the purpose of this project.

8. Goals/Objectives - What are the goals and objectives of this project?

9. Justification for Study - How will this study expand the current knowledge

base/understanding of the topic? If this study includes offenders, please describe the
rationale/need for using this particular sample of subjects and what safeguards will be taken
to protect these participants.

10. Participants - Are the participants staff or offenders? How will you identify the

participants? How are you obtaining voluntary consent from these participants? How many
participants will be included?

11. Data Collection - What type of data will you be gathering? Do you plan on having face-to
face with participants? List assessments or surveys you plan to administer (attach a copy as
well). Describe your process for administering any surveys or tests.

12. Electronic Data – Will you be requesting to obtain electronic records? If so, how do you

plan to obtain these records? List any records you will be requesting in the following
categories and justification for your collection of these records:

a) Personal Information;
b) Physical and/or Mental Health Records;
c) Education Records;
d) Criminal Justice Records; and
e) Other.

Retention Schedule: The Research Request/Proposal Guideline shall be maintained until obsolete or
replaced, then shall be destroyed. All submitted requests/proposals shall be maintained for three (3) years
and then shall be destroyed

Attachment 1

SOP 104.75

10/26/17
Page 1 of 2

13. Data Analysis Plan – How do you plan to analyze the data you have collected? What

statistical analyses do you plan on conducting? Will you be comparing different groups?

14. Consent – If you do not have participant consent, please explain why you were unable to

obtain authorization. Why do you need information with identifiable information which
would require a release?

15. Security Procedures - Describe what precautions and measures you will take to protect the

privacy of participants’ data.

16. Timeframes – How long do you expect your study to take? When you expect to begin, how

long will data collection/surveys take, and how long will it take you to analyze your findings
and produce results?

17. Impact on Facility Operations and GDC Resources - Do you foresee this study causing

any impact on staff being pulled from duty to participate? Do you foresee any other issues
that might cause security concerns?

This information must be submitted to the Commissioner or his/her designee. Each request will
be reviewed individually. The review process can take an extended amount of time depending on
current events and other security measures being undertaken by the agency. Once approved by
the executive leadership team and the Commissioner or his/her designee, a research liaison will
contact the principal investigator with the final determination and, if approved, what the next
steps will be.

Retention Schedule: The Research Request/Proposal Guideline shall be maintained until obsolete or
replaced, then shall be destroyed. All submitted requests/proposals shall be maintained for three (3) years
and then shall be destroyed