9000 Dissertation Survey Questionnaire
1
Institutional Review Board,
Subject: Doctoral Student Inquiry – Research Involving Justice-Involved Racial/Ethnic Minority Adults In Forensic Mental Health Settings
Dear IRB Office / IRB Staff,
My name is (Student Name) (Student ID). I am a doctoral student at Walden University and am currently working on my dissertation prospectus. I am writing to seek advice on the viability and institutional requirements for research involving a vulnerable population.
Proposed Population and Research Focus: I plan to conduct a basic qualitative study focused on the lived experiences of justice-involved racial and ethnic minority adults (predominantly Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino persons) who face structural, cultural, and technological obstacles to accessing forensic mental health services. My proposed population for research includes settings related to competency evaluation and restoration, mental health diversion, jail- or prison-based mental health services, and reentry programs.
Request for Advice: To finalize my dissertation prospectus, I would greatly appreciate your advice on the following questions:
1. What requirements, if any, relate to research involving justice-involved / forensic populations at Walden University? The requirements are the same for any study-the risks need to be sufficiently minimized and measures in place to ensure the protection of participants. A key question you will need to further consider is how you will define ‘justice involved.’ This is a very broad terminology, which could range from individuals who are currently incarcerated to those with a parking ticket. Including prisoners would involve different risks compared to those who are currently on probation or parole compared to those who were incarcerated in the past but are no long under the supervision of the criminal justice system.
2. What is the current institutional policy on research with vulnerable populations such as the one I proposed? Many students conduct research on more vulnerable populations and it is recommended that you review prior dissertations to see what other students have done with populations similar to yours.
3. What barriers, restrictions, or other difficulties have been encountered by student researchers while proposing research on justice-involved adults? There is no single answer for this question and would depend on myriad factors from what the final inclusion criteria are, to recruitment, to data collection, to data storage and analyses. At this time, it is recommended that you review the Research Ethics Approval Checklist which is available online. This document is an outline of the criteria that will be used during the ethics review process and can be a useful planning tool.
4. Does the IRB advise some other populations (e.g., forensic mental health providers, re-entry program personnel, or other stakeholders) that would be better suited for dissertation research yet allow for a significant contribution to the understanding of disparities in accessing and using forensic mental health services? This is another option to consider as collecting data from professionals would certainly involve less risk. This is something you should discuss with your committee, as this is something you would determine under their direction.
As I understand it, justice-involved individuals fall into the category of a vulnerable population, raising ethical concerns. I would greatly appreciate your advice on this matter at this early stage of my research. As you further develop your topic, please note there are also research ethics advising sessions (information available online), which can be useful brainstorming sessions to identify potential solutions to ethical concerns.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation. I am ready to provide further information on my proposed population. Please let me know the appropriate process or who I should contact regarding my request.