Research Guidelines

Guidelines for Research

The AFA-NST views its national tournament as a learning laboratory for the participants. While competitive speech experience is most central to the tournament, the AFA-NST also embraces research activities as a dimension of the tournament. Consequently, when sanctioned research activities are included in the tournament, the AFA-NST Committee encourages its tournament participants to actively participate in the research process. In some instances, the AFA-NST Committee may commission a particular research project at the tournament. In other instances, the AFA-NST Committee may choose to sanction research proposals submitted by academic scholars in the forensics community. Research projects utilizing materials in the public domain need not be submitted for review.

All research projects administered in conjunction with the AFA-NST must meet the following guidelines:

• 1. Research conducted at the AFA-NST must be sanctioned by the AFA-NST Committee prior to the beginning of the tournament.

  2. Researchers must submit copies of the research proposal on the request research form provided by the AFA-NST.

  3. Sample copies of the research instrument must be attached to the request for research form.

  4. All research proposals submitted for consideration to the AFA-NST must have been previously approved by the principal investigator's home univeristy's unit which is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal regulations governing research involving human subjects.

  5. A copy of the principal investigator's approval for research form issued by the researcher's home university must accompany the AFA-NST's request for research form.

  6. Unsanctioned research at the AFA-NST is not permitted.

  7. If unsanctioned research is discovered, the AFA-NST Committee will report that violation to the principal investigator's home institution's research board for disciplinary action.

  8. A research review committee will evaluate research requests. All requests must be received by the Research Committee chair by March 1st.

  9. The principal investigator should be available to discuss the research proposal with the NST Research Committee.

  10. All research administered at the AFA-NST must be coordinated with the Tournament Director.