AOTI as an organisation supports research and if the procedure outlined below is followed, research details will be forwarded to the members of AOTI on the database who have expressed an interest in participating in research.

AOTI does not circulate members’ information to any outside bodies and will not circulate contact lists of members to individual researchers.

If a researcher wishes to contact members of AOTI they must approach the AOTI Research Sub Group via the AOTI office by email to request authorisation. The following attachments must be with the initial email request:

• A brief title or the area of study as this will be in the title of the email to attract participants.
• A brief (max.250 words) description of their proposed research including the involvement required by participants
• Proof of Ethics Committee approval for the research (include a copy of such approval letters by email or scanning)
• A Cover Letter/Participant Information Letter that may be used to recruit participants.
• Please ensure that you include your email address or other contact details in the description of your research project as the AOTI members who are interested in participating in your study will then contact you directly. You can then forward on surveys, an information sheet, consent forms or the web address of a survey.

If the research is acceptable to AOTI, the researcher will be informed by email and a copy of the description of the study will be sent to the AOTI membership via email who have agreed to participate in research.

To access specific Advisory Group members the Chair of the Research Sub Group will contact the Chair of the Advisory Groups when all relevant information has been received and approved.

AOTI will aim to process the first access to the database within 4 weeks of receipt of all relevant information.

AOTI will send out research requests once to the database and only on request from the researcher will it be sent out once more two weeks later. There will be no third sending of the research request by AOTI via email.

If a member chooses to participate the member will be requested to contact the researcher directly and not via AOTI.

AOTI will not canvas for research participants for any piece of research.

It is not the responsibility of AOTI to ensure the research has taken place in the agreed manner, and AOTI do not endorse the results of any researcher.

Members of AOTI can access the AOTI database for research following this procedure with no charge. For non-members of AOTI there is a fee of €30 for this service. Cheques to be made payable to Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland and posted to the AOTI office.

The Research Sub group will coordinate the access of the AOTI database for research purposes with the AOTI Office Manager. The Chair of the AOTI Research Sub Group plus one group member will be responsible for giving approval for access to the database if the procedures have been adhered to and will instruct the AOTI Office Manager to circulate the relevant information on the database when payment has been received. The AOTI Executive Council will be contacted by the Chair of the Research Sub Group with any queries and will also approve the research database requests if the Research Sub Group is not in situ.

Devised by AOTI Research Sub Group and approved by AOTI Council June 2009