Using Qualtrics with Prolific

First, Configure Prolific

• Where Prolific asks "What is the URL of your study?," enter the Qualtrics Single Reusable Link. (Qualtrics also calls this the anonymous link).

• Then, underneath, select "I'll Use URL Parameters".

You'll notice that the link you entered (above) has now changed, automatically, to a longer form. It is this longer-form link that Prolific participants will access on the Prolific Web site. That longer link will automatically insert additional columns to the completed data file you eventually download from Qualtrics. Some of the additional columns may be blank (which is fine), but one will be a column of Prolific IDs (specifically, PROLIFIC_PID). Note that you'll only need these IDs if you'll be using individual participants' performance to make decisions about payments (such as paying bonuses or rejecting poor quality submissions).

• Then, where Prolific asks, "How do you want to confirm participants have completed your study?," select "I'll redirect them to a URL."

• At some point you'll need to select "copy" to copy the "URL to redirect," since you'll need that URL later for configuring Qualtrics.

• Select "Save as Draft."

Next, Configure Qualtrics

• Somewhere subsequent to the consent form, add a Text Entry question. The question should say something like:

"Your Prolific ID (The response field should already be auto-filled with the correct ID)"

• Ensure that the IDs are recorded in your data set. To do this, go to the Survey Flow. Select Add a New Element, then Embedded Data. Where it says Crete New Field, enter the the following text (but do not press the enter key afterward):

PROLIFIC_PID

Instead of pressing the enter key, click the Apply button.

• You'll see:

PROLIFIC_PID value will set from panel URL.

• Do not select Set a value Now.

• Drag to the top of the survey flow, the entire Embedded Data element you've created.

• Select Apply.

• Go to the Text Entry question you've already created (the question that records the participant's Prolific ID), right-click on the text-entry field, and click Default Choices. On the window that opens click on the blue drop-down arrow to the right of the text-entry box, and go to Embedded data field. Here, click the drop-down arrow to the right of the text entry box and select PROLIFIC_PID, then click Insert. This will create a string called ${e://Field/PROLIFIC_PID}.

• Now click Save. The result will resemble the image, below.

• In Qualtrics, in the Builder area of your survey, select the End of Survey element. (You'll see it below your final question but above the trash area.) From the menu on the left, select Redirect to URL. In the empty field enter the "URL to redirect" URL that you copied from prolific. (Note: The URL should begin with https://app.prolific.co/submissions/complete [...])

• Select the Publish button.

You can find further details on the Prolific web site.

Note regarding Prolific's new fee structure:

https://community.prolific.co/t/ask-prolific-changes-in-service-fees/6244

I think the previous way of talking about the service fee–as a percentage of participant rewards–was probably the clearest way to talk about. Now, for customers to know how you calculated the total, you’ll either have to tell them what percentage you used to calculate the total (that percentage is 33.33 in the example above), or they’ll have to set-up and solve their own equation:

ServicePercentage =

((NewFangledServiceFee * (1/NewFangledServicePercentage) ) / (RewardsAmount)) - 1