Sign In   

Thank you for your interest in data collection with PAR! Data collectors are an integral part of test development because they provide the clinical, standardization, and reliability samples that help us create our products.

PAR is currently collecting normative, reliability, and validity data for a number of new products in development. Data collectors are responsible for obtaining test subjects based on the specific project needs as outlined by the Data Collection Coordinator and are compensated on a “per case” basis that varies with each project. Typically, PAR offers examiners/data collectors an option for either cash payments or credit toward PAR products and has provisions for compensating examinees. PAR pays for all shipping and handling fees arising from data collection.

 

Here are some frequently asked question about data collection with PAR:

Who can collect data for PAR?

Professionals who are appropriately trained to administer, score, and interpret psychological tests are welcome to collect data on the tests we develop. For many projects, we welcome trainees under the supervision of a qualified professional to collect data as well. Common professional titles of our data collectors are clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychometricians, school psychologists, and other mental health professionals.

How do I become a data collector for PAR?

  1. Provide your contact information and indicate the populations you have access to on this form
  2. Complete a W9 and ACH (direct deposit) form and send to finance@parinc.com. This allows you to become a PAR vendor.
  3. Once you’re established as a vendor, you’ll receive an invitation to register for the PAR Data Collection Portal. The PAR Data Collection Portal allows you to track your activity on all open data collection projects. You’ll be able to make reservations on demographic spots you intend to test, manage your reservations, access needed documents, and view payment information.

What research participants are needed?

Sample needs vary by project. All our project samples are designed to be representative of the U.S. Census; therefore, each data collection project requires specific participant demographic characteristics. Many projects require both clinical and standardization, or normative, data. For each project, you’ll be informed of the sample needs as well as exclusion and inclusion criteria for participants.

Do potential participants need to register?

Research participants do not need to register or provide contact information prior to being tested for data collection purposes. When a project begins, you are free to recruit eligible participants to which you have access. Research participants will sign a unique informed consent form, which PAR will provide, for each project.

How are data collectors compensated?

Data collectors are compensated on a weekly basis via direct deposit for cases completed during the previous week across all open projects. We do not collect personal or tax information from research participants; therefore, PAR pays only examiners. You may elect to distribute some of this compensation to your participants in the form of gift cards, which can be purchased by PAR and sent to you to distribute. Many projects offer a choice of cash payment or PARiConnect product credit.

What am I committing to?

Data collectors for PAR are encouraged to get involved in data collection projects that pique their interest and need participants to which they have access. There is no minimum requirement for completing cases. However, we do set a maximum number of cases that can be accepted from any one examiner/site so that we can ensure geographic diversity in our samples.

Data collectors/examiners are expected to uphold ethical professional principles and integrity by providing accurate, complete, and valid data to the best of their ability and keeping PAR proprietary information confidential.

For any questions or concerns about data collection with PAR, please contact  datacollection@parinc.com 

Publishing opportunities

Working together to create the future of psychological assessment

We would like to invite you to be a part of our future. PAR is always interested in ideas for assessment instruments that reflect new research and perspectives. Psychological assessment is a rapidly changing field, and, at PAR, we want to provide our Customers with the tools they need to support the important work they do. Throughout our history, we have worked with some of the most respected authors in the field, and now we’re working to help build the next great generation of psychological assessment expertise. Naturally, technology will be a part of that future, and PAR is evaluating the many ways advances in technology can be used to improve the usability, flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of our products.

If you are developing an assessment resource that may be appropriate for PAR, or if you have ideas about enhancements or extensions to current PAR products, please contact us now. We encourage you to get in touch as early as possible in the development process to discuss your product idea or proposal and to identify the ways we can assist you in shaping your project for greater potential success. Authors of testing instruments accepted for publication will receive guidelines for the preparation of files, format, style, and other essential information. To help you prepare your proposal, please see the list of questions below for an outline of what should be addressed in your proposal.

Please be assured that all materials submitted to PAR are considered to be the exclusive property of the author(s) and are accessible only on a need-to-know basis. All reviews are conducted in a confidential manner, and no one else is ever informed that you have submitted materials to PAR for review.

We hope that you will consider working with PAR to develop the next generation of psychological assessment materials. Together, we can create connections and change lives.

Melissa A. Messer, MHS (mmesser@parinc.com)
Director of Product Development
PAR, Inc.
16204 North Florida Avenue
Lutz, FL 33549
Phone: 813.968.3003 / Fax: 813.968.4684

What should be included in my proposal?

Requests for research proposals

PAR invites proposals from non-student investigators for research and development on PAR instruments. Only one proposal per investigator will be considered, unless PAR has expressly invited specific proposals.

Priority will be given to studies that:

  • Validate PAR instruments in various settings, including schools, clinical, medical, outpatient, neuropsychological inpatient, residential, VA, and forensic settings.
  • Utilize PAR instruments for the purposes of developing and validating empirically validated treatments/interventions.
  • Focus on validating PAR instruments with Spanish-speaking populations within the U.S. as well as other underrepresented populations.

Although these areas have been identified as research priorities, we do not wish to discourage the submission of proposals in other areas that focus on the use of PAR instruments.

Please use the link below to complete the Research Proposal Form, providing thorough and detailed responses. Requests will be formally reviewed by the PAR’s Research & Development Team as to the quality of the proposal and the importance of the proposed research/development. The team will be asked to comment on the strengths and/or weaknesses of proposals. Proposals will be reviewed two times during the calendar year (May 1 and October 1).

Submission Process

Please submit requests using this downloadable form. In completing the form, please provide thorough and detailed responses. When completed, please send to Melissa Messer, Chief Product Officer, at mmesser@parinc.com.

PAR Data Program

The purpose of PAR’s Data Program, a research program launched by PAR in 2020, is to gather additional data on our existing tests with the goal further validating our instruments as well as identifying and developing product enhancements and features that will allow our Customers to better meet the needs of those they serve.

In alignment with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education, 2014), PAR has always emphasized fairness in all aspects of test development across diverse populations and contexts. However, one real challenge in product development is having access to these populations. We are inviting clinicians, research, and other professionals to partner with PAR to advance the breadth and scope of solutions we are able to provide across a wide range of populations, with a focus on underserved populations.

Program objectives

  • Partner and collaborate with professionals who have collected data with one or more PAR products.
  • Enhance our existing solutions in order to increase the number of individuals our Customers are able to serve.
  • Over the long term, develop an open-source repository where data can be shared with researchers, clinicians, and other professionals.

If you are interested in participating in PAR’s Data Program, please follow this link and complete the 5-minute survey.