Preparing for ACC-RAC 2012

We are coming close to the deadline for submissions of abstracts to the upcoming Association of Chiropractic Colleges Research Agenda Conference, which will be held at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas in March of 2012. Last year, Palmer College had a tremendous showing, comprising nearly a third of all papers and workshops presented at the 2011 program. I am hoping we will continue to have such a huge presence at this program, and encourage you to consider submitting your work.

I do wish to remind you that if you are conducting human subject research you must have approval from the PCC Institutional Review Board or from the Human Protections Administrator in the case of exempt studies. College policy prevents us from granting approval retroactively, and this makes sense. The purpose for IRB review is to assess human risk and benefit, and obviously this can't be done after the fact. Risk has to be assessed prior to the entry of a person into a study.

Instructions for the conference submission can be found at http://www.chirocolleges.org/accrac/. The organizers note that the theme for this next program is “Diversity,” but that you may feel free to submit papers from a variety of disciplines: basic science, clinical science/health care systems, and educational research. You will need to prepare both a short abstract (limited to 195 words) and a longer and more detailed abstract (of up to 2100 words). In addition, you must submit an authorship form and provide information about IRB approval where it is appropriate to do so. Also, if you are presenting a case report, you will need to provide a signed patient release form with your submission. These are required, and copies of each form are included with the submission requirements on the website. The instructions have one statement worth noting: “If the submission does not meet the submission requirements (e.g., not a completed research study, missing items), it will be rejected without review. The ACC RAC Peer Review Chair will not contact authors if any submission does not meet the requirements. Notification will be sent out as a rejection notice.”
The Center for Teaching and Learning can help you with preparation of your material. I can help review your abstracts to ensure they comply with submission requirements, and if you are later accepted, we can help you develop your slides (using college templates) and your posters. Please also note that in addition to submitting your own research or other scholarship, you can also propose workshops. As example, I have submitted one with Stu Kinsinger of CMCC about the bioethical principle of autonomy in research and clinical practice.

We have done so well with past conferences. Let’s all work together to continue the streak. I know I have reviewed a growing number of submissions, and let’s send in more. Looking forward to it!