Review Process for Research Proposals

The NASP Research Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving (in advance) all research conducted by NASP workgroups, as well as proposals for research partnerships from NASP members and organizations external to NASP. The committee also is responsible for approving requests from NASP members for access to NASP database information, including members' contact information for research purposes. Potential researchers are urged to read and apply Tips for Submitting Successful Proposals to Survey NASP Members.

• NASP does NOT review proposals to conduct research via the association’s Communities, nor does NASP policy permit the release of members’ e-mail addresses, but NASP will send emails on behalf of researchers that solicit member participation in research.
• Research must be approved by the Research Committee before research activities are undertaken, regardless of the manner of data collection employed (e.g., e-mail, postal mail, telephone, interviews).
• The NASP Research Committee will not approve proposals for research partnerships with students, but the Committee will consider students' requests for access to NASP members for research purposes, if the research is approved by the student's faculty advisor.

Research with NASP Members as Research Participants 

Researchers who wish to survey a sample of NASP members may submit a brief proposal for doing so to the NASP Research Committee. Proposals are considered in four submission cycles per year; the researchers must be a member of NASP. Approval depends on a number of factors, including the purpose of the research and feasibility of the research plan. Click here for more information.

Research Partnerships 

Occasionally, teams of researchers from external agencies or institutions request to form a research partnership with NASP, and these proposals must be reviewed and approved by the NASP Research Committee. Partnership research should yield findings that are of interest and significance to all participating partners. A primary consideration in the review of research partnership proposals is the potential for the partnership to result in valuable outcomes for NASP, especially in relation to the association's strategic priorities. NASP's specific contribution to partnership research must be clearly described in the research proposal. Note that the standards applied in reviewing partnership proposals are more stringent than those that might be applied to other research or sample access proposals. Click here for more information.

Research by NASP Committees and Other NASP Entities 

NASP committees or other workgroups sometimes conduct research relevant to their specific mission; proposals for such research must be submitted to the Research Committee for review and approval. Click here for more information.

Access to other NASP data

NASP officers and workgroups, as well as external partners engaged in advocacy efforts, may occasionally need access to data collected and maintained by NASP, such as information about approved graduate training programs, characteristics of NASP membership, or evaluation results from trainings or other programs conducted by NASP. Access to these data requires approval by the Research Committee. Click here for more information.

Committee Review Procedures for All Proposals

The NASP Director of Research reviews every proposal to confirm that all required components have been included. NASP Research Committee members then evaluate each proposal, identifying strengths and deficits based on the review criteria, and make a recommendation to the committee Chair regarding the proposal; the Chair or designee will make the final determination based on reviewer input. Reviewers consider proposal elements including the purpose of the project, the research questions to be addressed, sampling plan, adequacy of research methodology (including proposed data analyses), quality/relevance of survey item, and feasibility of the overall research plan. Ordinarily, notification to authors will be made within 60 days of submission. Each proposal will be accepted; returned with a request for submission of a revised proposal based on reviewers' recommendations; or rejected. Those whose proposals are "returned with a request for submission of a revised proposal based on reviewers' recommendations" (i.e., revise and resubmit) must resubmit their revised proposal within 30 days for review. Those whose proposals have been rejected will receive a summary from the committee Chair or designee explaining the rationale for the decision. There is no provision for appeal of decisions. Questions regarding the review process or the outcome of a particular review should be made via email to Dr. Nicholas Affrunti, NASP Director of Research.

Research Committee

The Research Committee coordinates the research activities of the Association and collects and analyzes data that are relevant to the practice and profession of school psychology. It conducts the NASP Membership Survey every five years and the annual evaluation of the Executive Director. For more information, contact the chair, co-chair, or one of the staff liaisons.

Committee Members