Insights into Developing and
Submitting Successful Research
Proposals for AOTA Conference
Shelly J Lane, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor, Occupational Therapy, Virginia
Commonwealth University
Chair, Research Advisory Panel
Objectives
• Identify critical elements of a strong research
proposal.
• Understand the submission process and
application of scoring criteria.
• State three strategies from successful research
presenters.
Some common sense advice…
• Read the instructions; take guidelines seriously
• Proof read
• Ask a friend
• Know your audience
Initial thoughts and tips
• Determine where your abstract belongs
– Research Proposals: data based
– General Conference Proposals: all other
(includes research education)
• Read guidelines, and read guidelines again
• Begin at the end
– Look at the scoring guidelines here; use those to
guide development
• Make sure to include 2nd and 3rd authors as appropriate
Considerations for the Title
• Make it
– Interesting
Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Elders in
Senior Residences
– Descriptive
• Predictors…Elders…Senior Residences
– Content rich
Common Errors in Title development
• Too long
A holistic survey of global lizards in order to
understand lizard diversity and the roles lizards play
in the ecosystems and to help start a lizard museum
• Too short
OT works!
• Not descriptive
OT works!
• Title ≠ content
Thinking about Objectives
•
•
•
•
Communicate your intent
Describe the take aways
Use active voice, action words
Reflect audience level you will target
– Introductory: define, list…
– Advanced: explain, analyze…
Examine motor ideation and planning in typical
preschool children.
Common errors in objectives
• Missing
• Do not include action verbs
Lizards need to be counted globally
• Do not reflect content
Learn that lizards are crucial for children to understand
• Are not realistic within timeframe
Gain knowledge of all lizard species in the world
Plan your presentation based on format
• Research Paper
– Will be grouped with 2 other papers
– 15 minutes each with 15 minutes for facilitated
discussion
• Poster
– Presented during a designated 2 hour period
1. Completed Research
2. Research in progress
• Must include preliminary data analysis
Poster format
• Many variations
• Templates online
• http://www.makesigns.c
om/SciPosters_Templat
es.aspx
• http://office.microsoft.c
om/enus/templates/scienceproject-posterTC104001343.aspx
Choose an appropriate primary and
secondary focus
• Primary
– Assessment/Measurement
– Prevention and
Intervention (e.g. Efficacy)
– Translational Research (e.g.
Effectiveness)
– Basic Research
– Health Services Research
• Secondary
– Children & Youth
– General & Professional
Issues
– Health & Wellness
– Mental Health
– Productive Aging
– Rehabilitation, Disability,
& Participation
– Work & Industry
First Section of Research Proposal
• Objectives
– One or two clear, concise, accurate objective of the
work to be presented
Significance
• Brief summary
• Describe how your research addresses an
important problem or issue in occupational
therapy
• Indicate how project aims change concepts,
methods, technologies, treatments, services, or
preventative interventions that drive this field
Scoring for Significance
Score
Descriptor
Additional Guidance for Scoring
9-10
Excellent
7-8
Very good
Exceptionally strong with few or no
weaknesses
Strong but with some minor weaknesses
5-6
Good
3-4
Satisfactory
0-2
Poor
Strong but with at least one moderate
weakness
Some strengths but with some moderate
weaknesses
Very few strengths and numerous major
weaknesses
Innovation
• Brief summary
• Describe how project challenges or shifts
current research or clinical practice paradigms
by using novel theoretical concepts, approaches
or methodologies, instrumentation, or
interventions for one field of research or in a
broad sense.
Scoring for Innovation
Score
Descriptor
Additional Guidance for Scoring
9-10
Excellent
7-8
Very good
Exceptionally strong with few or no
weaknesses
Strong but with some minor weaknesses
5-6
Good
3-4
Satisfactory
0-2
Poor
Strong but with at least one moderate
weakness
Some strengths but with some moderate
weaknesses
Very few strengths and numerous major
weaknesses
Structured Abstract
• Clearly stated research questions or hypotheses that have guided this study
• Focused rationale/background describing why your research is needed; link
this back to your research questions and hypotheses
• Methods
– Describe the study design (e.g., cross sectional, survey, etc.); be certain it is
appropriate for your research question(s) or hypotheses
– Clearly explain how your data were gathered
– Describe the settings (location(s) and/or environment) where your research was
undertaken.
– Describe the criteria and method(s) used to recruit and select participants or data
sources for study (e.g. diagnosis, age, severity level, studies).
– Describe the instruments or methods used to collect data or outcomes. If study is
qualitative, describe data sources and type.
– Describe analysis approach and rationale. If study is qualitative, describe data
analysis and integration.
Results, Discussion, Conclusions
• Results
– Briefly summarize findings, linking back to hypotheses or
research questions.
– Be certain to include results of analyses, appropriately
described
• Discussion and conclusion
– Concise discussion; indicates what this study adds to the
literature
– Interprets salient findings based on previous literature
– Draws appropriate conclusions based on current
knowledge
Scoring for Structured Abstract
Score
Descriptor
Additional Guidance for Scoring
21-25
Excellent
16-20
Very good
Exceptionally strong with few or no
weaknesses
Strong but with some minor weaknesses
11-15
Good
6-10
Satisfactory
0-5
Poor
Strong but with at least one moderate
weakness
Some strengths but with some moderate
weaknesses
Very few strengths and numerous major
weaknesses
Impact Statement
• Scored separately from overall score
• Responds to the question
– How is this research important to practice, policy,
and/or science?
– How likely is this work going to exert a powerful
influence on occupational therapy?
Rating Guidelines for Impact
Rating:
Descriptor
A
Outstanding
B
Very good
C
Good
D
Satisfactory
E
Poor
FAQs
• Do I need to include references?
No
• Is a spell-check and character counter available
in the online template?
No. You should write your research proposal using
word processing software and check
spelling/counts before copying and pasting into
online form.
Review of Common Errors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Learning objectives not supported by content
Research question poorly defined
Rationale poorly justified
Methodology does not support purposes of study
Methods absent or insufficient
Participants inadequately described
Too much text on background – not enough on
methods and findings.
Common errors (con’t)
• No data
• Analyses omitted, inappropriate, poorly described
• Results too general; suggesting that data has not been
collected
• Conclusions unjustified based on results; poorly
described
• Contribution to OT unclear
• If research work in progress, lack of preliminary data
analysis
More submission tips
• Give yourself time
– Call for abstracts opens in May 2014; begin soon
• Avoid jargon, acronyms when possible
• Avoid developing the proposal online
– Develop. Rest. Edit. Rest. Review, edit. Copy and
paste. Submit.
Last thoughts and ‘wisdom’ borne from
experience
• You were not accepted
– “The response to this year's Call for Papers was
record-breaking with over 1,500 proposal
submissions. The competition for available space
was steep and many excellent proposals simply could
not be scheduled… Regretfully, we were unable to
schedule your proposal for presentation.”
• Take a minute. Then
– Regroup.
– Rethink.
– Revise (if appropriate).
– Resubmit next year
• You were accepted!
– “Congratulations! The American Occupational
Therapy Association (AOTA) is pleased to inform you
that your proposal submission has been accepted
…Nearly 1,500 proposals were submitted this year
with 1,021 submissions accepted for presentation...
Accept or decline the invitation…deadline for
accepting or declining this invitation is …”
• Follow up
– Accept or decline.
– Register for conference.
– Develop your presentation or poster!