Research Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in conducting research with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Our agency is committed to facilitating and promoting research that increases our ability to inform corrections policy, practice, and that contributes to general knowledge in criminal justice and other academic fields.
While our policy and procedures regarding research generally follow those of university/college research review boards (IRBs), there are some differences which are detailed in the A Guide to the Research Approval Process document referenced below. Please become familiar with this document. The guidelines are in place to manage the challenges inherent in maintaining the agency's commitment to research while operating a large system. We follow the federal regulations at 45CFR46. The web address of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) is http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp if you need more information on the federal guidelines.
The following links summarize the procedures and requirements for research conducted with offenders under the custody of staff of the Department of Adult Correction. Please contact us at administrative-analysis@dac.nc.gov if you have any questions about these documents.
A Guide to the Research Approval Process
Application for Research Approval
Application for Modification Approval
Application for Renewal Approval
Application for Project Closure