Academy Research Committee

About the Academy Research Committee

Goals

  1. Promote submission of the highest quality of research-based presentations at the ASCIP Annual Conference.
  2. Promote submission of SCI/D-related research in the JSCM by all the sections.
  3. Provide members with networking opportunities to facilitate the development of research ideas and the dissemination of research findings to the larger SCI/D professional community.
  4. Provide membership with information on valuable research resources (grants, funding, collaborations, etc.).
  5. Support research efforts for early career and trainees in SCI/D health care.

Objectives

1. Membership Support for Research Development

a. Provide consultation on issues related to research development, funding, and grant writing.

b. Conduct ASCIP membership surveys and focus groups as a method of periodic self-evaluation and a medium to identify member needs that will inform ARC’s activities.

c. Provide networking opportunities for research activities.

2. Education

a. Offer conference sessions on presenting research and promoting research.

b. Host a conference activity(s) that showcases and promotes research of early investigators and/or trainees in each discipline of ASCIP.

c. Consult with the Program Committee to ensure the selection of high-quality research presentations.

d. Recognize and award outstanding posters at the annual conference.

e. Provide sessions and consultation on effectively presenting research findings to the professional community.

3. Publications and Public Relations

a. Collaborate with JSCM editorial staff to promote submissions.

b. Develop and maintain information on the ASCIP website with resources related to various research activities.

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    Committee Members

    Click Here to View Committee Members.

    Join the Research Committee

    Contact Rafer Willenberg (rwillenberg@mgb.org)

    Research Subject Recruitment through ASCIP

    For researchers looking to recruit subjects who are professionals in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI), ASCIP supports recruitment of its ASCIP members.  The ASCIP newsletter The Spinal ReCord and the ASCIP Listserv are powerful tools to reach this specific population. The Spinal ReCord and the ASCIP Listserv comprise an audience of over 500 SCI professionals.

    Submission Process

    1. Applicants submit their request by downloading and completing a recruitment request application and emailing the application to the ASCIP Academy Research Committee (ARC) Chairperson.
    2. Recruitment request application includes:
      • Applicant's information
      • ASCIP members on the research team (if any)
      • Funding source (if applicable)
      • Project summary: purpose, population, recruiting plan, intervention/data collection, privacy/confidentiality plan, relevance to ASCIP, IRB status, informed consent, and VA facility R&D approval (if applicable).
      • Approved recruitment materials and any associated verbiage to include in the recruitment email.

    Review Process

    • ARC assigns at least two members, including one focus area reviewer and one familiar with human subject protections. Reviewers may also include ad hoc members if needed.
    • Assigned reviewers determine whether the purpose, study population, and privacy protections align with ASCIP’s mission and sampling pool.
    • Reviewers present the study and their recommendation at an ARC meeting.
    • The applicant may be asked to attend the ARC meeting or respond by email to address concerns or questions.
    • A consensus recommendation is made after the discussion and forwarded to the Governance Board (GB) for final approval.
    • If the committee approves, a one-time email with recruitment information provided during the application stage will be sent via the ASCIP Listserv or ASCIP newsletter.

    Post-Recruitment

    • An ARC member will contact applicants post-recruitment to obtain information on recruitment outcomes for committee reporting and process improvement purposes.
    • Findings are encouraged to be reported at the ASCIP annual meeting and/or published in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.

    Approval Timeline

    The process typically takes 1-2 months from submission to approval.

    Recruitment via ASCIP

    • Research recruitment activities may include: professional interviews/surveys at ASCIP conferences, surveys distributed via the ASCIP mailing list, online survey links distributed via the ASCIP Newsletter, etc.
    • Research subject recruitment is of ASCIP members — SCI professionals.  Recruitment via ASCIP is not of non-professional community members with SCI.

    Download the ARC Research Activities and Recruitment Policy here.

    Fundamentals of Research

    Definitions

    Quantitative Research: an investigative method for examining trends or outcomes through the collection of measurable data, which can subsequently be analyzed using statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques.

    Qualitative Research: an investigational method that involves gathering and analyzing non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences.  

    Quality Improvement (QI): an approach defined as systematic, evidence-based activities designed to bring about immediate improvements in a particular setting.  Often flexible and incremental in design, employing strategies such as a plan-do-study-act cycle.  

    Case Study/Case Series: a collection of case reports involving patients who received similar treatment.

    Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT): a study design that randomly assigns participants to either an experimental group or a control group and must include an intervention, randomization, and a control group.

    How to Prepare a Scientific Poster: "Mastering the Art of an Effective Scientific Poster" video
    Navigating Research with Reference Management Software

    “I’ve got 99 references… and they’re out of order.”

    Kimberly R. Monden, PhD, Pavel Burskii, MD, and Rafer Willenberg, MD, PhD, on behalf of the ASCIP Academy Research Committee

    Reference management software has become essential for researchers, streamlining collecting, organizing, citing, and sharing references with both accuracy and efficiency. Reference management tools enable users to easily import references from various sources, including databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, and library catalogs. Imported references can then be organized into folders or subgroups for convenient retrieval. Additionally, many of these tools integrate with word processors, allowing inserting citations and generating bibliographies in multiple styles. Some reference managers also support collaboration via sharinge libraries or projects with colleagues.

    Specific applications, such as Mendeley and Zotero, offer built-in PDF annotation and highlighting capabilities. Here are some of the most popular reference management tools, based on perspectives from the ASCIP Academy Research Committee.

    EndNote: A premium, robust tool for professional researchers and academic writers. Users can import references from online databases, organize them into libraries, and insert citations directly into Word and other office applications. This application is notable for customizable citation styles and large storage capacity but has an expensive subscription and a steeper learning curve than other tools.

    Mendeley: A hybrid reference manager with a user-friendly interface and an academic social network that allows users to automatically organize PDFs, collaborate with colleagues, and generate bibliographies. It has a free tier with basic functionality and includes both desktop and cloud-based options for seamless syncing.

    Zotero: An open-source tool integrated with web browsers to allow users to capture citations directly from web pages. It also provides robust organizational tools, including tagging and note-taking, but has limited cloud storage unless upgraded.

    Paperpile: This web-based reference manager is designed for simplicity and integration with Google tools. It allows users to manage references directly within Google Docs and seamlessly synchronizes with Google Drive. After a free trial, a subscription is required.

    References:

    1. OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com

    2. Downloading Mendeley: The Key to Organizing and Citing Your Research Papers - Ask.com. https://www.ask.com/news/downloading-mendeley-key-organizing-citing-research-papers

    3. EndNote 20.5 Build 16860 Free. https://getintodrive.com/endnote-20-5-build-16860-free/

    Detailed Reference Software Comparisons Table.