Each year, the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association receives requests from individuals, agencies, and institutions to conduct research involving CATA members. While we recognize the benefit of research, this must be balanced with a commitment to research that is beneficial and relevant to our members and an assurance that CATA members’ rights and preferences are adhered to.
Applications to recruit CATA members as participants should include research studies or research-based surveys that address an important issue and/or barrier within athletic therapy (note: CATA does not allow broad based opinion surveys to be conducted to members). Proposed studies must also have ethical approval in the form of a letter from REB confirming ethical approval or confirming that the study is exempt from ethical approval.
Application and Approval Process
- Proposed studies can be submitted using the Request for Research Study Participants Application Form available on CATA’s website.
- Applications should be submitted at least eight (8) weeks prior to the desired date of study administration.
- Submissions must include the following:
- Completed application form
- Copy of the study as a MS Word document, PDF, or a link to a web page showing the study/ study questions
- REB letter confirming ethical approval or exemption.
- Applications will be reviewed by CATA’s Research Review Panel, and a notification will be emailed to applicants confirming results of the review as approved or not approved. Non approved studies may be re-submitted a maximum of one more time.
- Upon application approval, CATA will schedule a date for a call for participants email to be sent to members and will notify applicants of the confirmed date. Email dates are approximate, cannot be guaranteed, and applicants will be informed of any email date changes.
- Prior to the call for participants email date, applicants must provide a URL link where members can be directed to view details of the study/survey and sign up to participate. Details should include the study name, purpose of the study, number of questions, anticipated completion time, potential risks/benefits of participation, voluntary withdraw details (for non-completion), confidentiality statement, consent, contact information for the approving ethics review board (if applicable) and investigators.
- A call for participants email will be sent to members on the scheduled date including a short summary of the study, an invitation to participate, and a link to view the study details and sign up to participate.
- Call for participants emails may include multiple studies/surveys in the same email. Call for participants emails may be repeated up to a maximum of 3 times for any given study/survey.
- Applicants must agree to CATA sharing the results of the research study/survey with CATA members. Within eight (8) months of study data being collected, applicants must provide to CATA a summary of the study/survey results with a visual abstract conveying the key the findings or equivalent documentation if a visual abstract is not available.
At this time we are not able to support French language submissions and all applications should be submitted in English.
Any questions regarding the application process or call for participants may be sent to CATA’s Research Review Panel via email to research@athletictherapy.org.