Participate in Studies

Most studies require participants to meet certain criteria in order to participate. Some studies have broad eligibility criteria such as English proficiency and age. Other studies have more specific eligibility criteria, like taking a specific medication. It is important to avoid participating in studies that you are uneligible for because your data may skew the results of the study. Most studies will begin with questions designed to detect ineligible participants, who are typically prevented from continuing the study and do not receive any compensation. You should ensure that you are eligible to participate in a study before attempting to participate.

Many studies compensate participations for their time, though some studies only recruit participants on a volunteer basis and do not compensate them. You should consider what compensation you believe is fair for your participation before signing up for a study.

Compensation can come in many forms. Students are often compensated with course credit when they are asked to participate in research studies as part of their degree. Studies may also provide guaranteed monetary compensation in the form of cash or vouchers. Many studies use prize draws to compensate participants, where each participant will have a chance to win a voucher.

There are many aspects of a study's procedure that you should consider before signing up as a participant.

• Duration: How long it takes to complete a study can vary. Studies can be as short as 5 minutes, but some require hours of participation. Ensure you have enough time to complete a study before beginning to participate.

• Number of sessions: While most studies are done in one session, some studies require participants to return for multiple sessions. These sessions may be spread out over days, weeks, or even years. Consider how long you are willing to commit to a multi-session study before attending the first session.

• Location: Studies may be conducted online or in person. If a study requires in-person participation, make sure you are able to travel to the study location before signing up.

• Equipment: Some studies may require participants to use certain equipment like MRI machines or eye trackers while completing tasks. You should consider whether you are comfortable with using any equipment that may be involved in a study before participating.

Studies may contain sensitive content. These studies will typically include clear warnings about any materials or themes that may cause participants distress or discomfort, as well as information about relevant support services that participants (or potential participants) can access. Make sure to read all study information carefully and consider whether you are comfortable with the topic and contents of a study before you participate.

You should be provided with information about how the researchers involved will be handling your data before you begin participating in a study. This should include details about:

• What kind of data they are collecting

• How and when you can withdraw your data

• How and when data is de-identified

• Where the data will be stored

• How long the data will be stored for

• Who will have access to the data

• Whether the data or research findings may be published or otherwise made publicly available

• Whether the data may be used for future research projects

Many studies collect sensitive data including your age, gender identity, and ethnicity. These questions are typically not mandatory, or will include a "prefer not to answer" option. Identifying information is typically removed or modified to prevent participant identification before the data is analysed or made publicly available.

Researchers may also ask for your name and your contact information, which is typically collected and stored separately from your participant data. This is most commonly used when you have indicated that you are willing to receive further contact from the researcher, often regarding prize draws, overall study results, or possible participation in future studies.

In some studies, researchers may make audio or video recordings of your participation. Some of the most common uses for this type of data includes using audio recordings to create accurate interview transcripts and using video recordings for eye-tracking or facial expression analysis. These recordings are often deleted after an initial round of analysis or processing, however this is not always the case.

Before you participate in a study, you should carefully consider whether you are comfortable with what data is being collected and how it will be managed in the future. It is also important to check whether you can ask for your data to be withdrawn from the study at a later date. Some studies will leave your data identifiable for a set period of time in case you decide to withdraw your data from the study. However, some studies never collect or store identifiable data and so will not be able to find and remove your response.