Global Experiments Lab: Solicitation for Proposals

Calvert W. Jones, Associate Professor, Government and Politics

University of Maryland

We are soliciting proposals from researchers around the world and in the U.S. who are interested in participating in the pilot stage of the Global Experiments Lab (GEL). The Lab will offer unique, reciprocal opportunities for researchers to administer online surveys to student samples at different universities, or by distributing the survey link via social media in their countries, and at the same time, provide access to researchers from those other universities who want to survey students outside of their own university.

This reciprocal approach will create a decentralized, peer-to-peer network to provide faculty and graduate students opportunities to collect survey data for free -- without the time and expense of travel or the use of expensive, third-party survey firms -- and will be especially valuable for researchers with limited budgets. The data collected can be considered pilot data, or actual data for publication (with IRB approval). Ideally, sample sizes should be at least 200 respondents to provide sufficient data for reciprocal research projects.  

We welcome participation by researchers in any field both inside the U.S. and in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. We anticipate organizing a small number of network participants in this pilot stage, but hope it will grow after the pilot stage's proof of concept. 

The figure below shows how this reciprocal approach might work:

Network participant researchers should be able to recruit at least 200 undergraduate students at their university (or respondents via social media) to complete a voluntary 10-15 minute online survey. A variety of incentives might be used, including participation points or extra credit. A small amount of funding is also available to incentivize respondents on social media using a lottery approach.  

To launch their own survey via another network participant, researchers will need to develop the survey in software such as Qualtrics, and provide any translations that might be needed. Surveys will be reviewed before launch. 

Submit a Statement of Interest:

If you are interested in participating, please complete this short statement of interest form:

FAQ

How did the Global Experiments Lab get started?  

The University of Maryland Department of Government and Politics (GVPT) operates a lab under the direction of Professors Antoine Banks and Mike Hanmer. The lab offers opportunities for Maryland faculty and graduate students to administer surveys to undergraduates, in exchange for a small amount of course credit. This approach enables researchers to collect pilot data and test hypotheses, or collect data for publication (with IRB approval). During the COVID pandemic, I developed the idea for a Global Experiments Lab built on reciprocal, peer-to-peer principles, which would expand access to universities both in the US and around the world. The aim is to remove barriers to access, level the playing field for all scholars, and thereby help to broaden the marketplace of ideas with respect to survey work. Seed funds were provided by the Dean’s Office and the Sadat Chair for Peace and Development directed by Prof. Shibley Telhami.

What are the GEL’s goals?

Key goals include facilitating research opportunities for scholars with limited budgets and increasing the diversity of student samples for research. A broader goal is to create a more open, inclusive space for researchers to test first-cut hypotheses and assess the validity of new measures at low-cost, prior to larger-scale and often higher-stakes data collection efforts.  

How many surveys does a university need to run each semester?

Typically, we envision that a university would just offer 1 survey to students, but some very large universities may be able to host more than 1. Network participants may also facilitate access to samples of respondents by distributing the survey link via social media.

How will research surveys be selected?

Researchers should submit a summary of the project they would like to launch, including the desired location or country. If a network participant is available, that network participant can coordinate with the researcher to recruit respondents. For example, if the network participant is a professor at a hosting university, that professor can invite students at his/her university to complete the survey for extra credit.

How can I ensure that students will be available to complete surveys at my institution, or respondents in my country?

At the University of Maryland, faculty teaching large GVPT classes have agreed to provide a small amount of course credit (or bonus points) for completing a survey, regardless of whether the students will be completing one of their own surveys. The surveys are short and often educational, providing opportunities to discuss research methodologies in political science. Alternatively, network participants may distribute the survey link via social media to recruit participants. In this case, a small amount of funding is available during the pilot stage as a raffle incentive to encourage participation.