Guidelines for Use of TAPA Member Database for Research Purposes

Purpose:  The purpose of this policy is to provide clearly defined guidelines for the utilization of TAPA members as research subjects when and if approved by the Board of Directors.  TAPA identifies and embraces the need for research specifically on workforce issues within the State of Texas.

Guidelines:

1. Researchers will not be given any membership demographic information.
2. Researchers may not correspond directly with TAPA membership.
3. TAPA will be responsible for disseminating approved research surveys to the membership
4. All research conducted utilizing TAPA membership must be electronic in format. Data must be collected through email and/or internet correspondence.
5. TAPA will not incur any costs besides in-kind dissemination of email notifications to TAPA membership.
6. TAPA will not house and/or administer data collection instruments on its own website.
7. TAPA will not endorse any research project and offers approval of research endeavors through the TAPA membership only as a service and benefit of membership.
8. TAPA retains the right to terminate any approved survey at any time during the process for any reason without explanation.
9. The data collection instrument AND any correspondence to subjects should include a statement stating that TAPA does not endorse the research project.
10. A maximum of two email notifications will be sent to membership inviting them to participate.The first notification is the initial invitation. The second, if indicated, is a reminder and final notification to participate.
    

Requirements for Researchers:

The following are requirements of every request for TAPA membership participation in research endeavors:

1. Principal investigator(s) must be a TAPA member in good standing.
2. A letter of approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB) for student requests.
3. Faculty sponsor is required for student requests.
4. Cover letter detailing a summary of the research, confidentiality measures, subject protections and risks.
5. Data collection instrument AND any correspondence to subjects should include a statement stating that TAPA does not endorse the research project.
6. All data collection should be collected utilizing internet formats preferably. Email communication is discouraged.
7. Final copy of the data collection instrument must be presented for approval.
8. Notifications to membership inviting them to participate are limited to two. The first notification is the initial invitation.The second is a reminder and final notification to participate.
9. All approved research projects and their principal investigator(s) must present their research findings and conclusions by poster presentation at the spring conference.  This expense is incurred by the principal investigator.
10. Any approved research project and its principal investigator(s) may be asked to present their findings and results in lecture format at the spring conference. This expense is incurred by the principal investigator.
11. All approved research projects and their principal investigator(s) must prepare an abstract suitable for publication in the TAPA Newsletter upon completion of the research process.

To submit a research request, please submit the required information to the TAPA Office.