Can someone help me, Please?

Hello,

I am really hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction, here. I have just submitted my research proposal to the IRB at my school. They have returned it telling me I need to contact the author of the Nursing Stress Scale and get her permission to use this scale. It was designed by Pamela Gray-Toft in 1981. I have been all over the internet trying to find her and I just don't know where to look anymore. It is a widely used scale and many studies have used it, but I just don't know where to go from here.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks so much for your help,

Rachel

I "googled" her name and found and address for her in a siting on http://www.springerlink.com/content/xg8m88506g5r1t42/ It lists: Department of Medical Research, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Inc., 46202 Indianapolis, Indiana

You could start there. If that doesn't work, try her publisher. They should have contact info or at least be able to forward correspondance for you.

Good luck.

Thanks. I never thought about trying her publisher. I have looked at that springerlink as well.

[Christen, ANP]

Wow, that's tough! Did you get ahold of anyone?

Good luck!

[Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C]

Just curious, was it an expedited review? If so, won't they cut you a bit of slack since it has been common domain for 25+ years? If not, will having a release from the publisher suffice?

Were you able to contact her or get permission from the publisher? I want to use the NSS also, but am having the same trouble.

Just curious, was it an expedited review? If so, won't they cut you a bit of slack since it has been common domain for 25+ years? If not, will having a release from the publisher suffice?

"Common domain"? US copyright law provides that, since, 1978, a copyrighted work is legally protected for the life of the author plus 50 years. Even if the author died the day after she copyrighted the tool (I'm assuming it's copyrighted), it still would not be in the public domain. If you use the content of the instrument in a thesis or "D" without permission of the entity holding the copyright, you're violating US law. A legitimate university IRB is not going to support that.

Edited Jul 29, 2009 by elkpark

Try contactong one of the more recent studies that used this tool and ask how they contacted her to get persmission.

Good Luck.