Participants 101 - Part 1 - Why take part in research?
02 December 2015
There are many reasons to get involved with academic research. Today we are going to take a look at a few as Part 1 of our new "Participants 101" series. This series of posts is aimed at anybody new to taking part in research as a participant and we will be covering a range of topics from ethics to finding research opportunities to take part in.
But today, it is all about getting started - why should you take part in academic (or other) research in the first place. Here are three great reasons to help you jump right in - rewards, causes and interests. Let me explain what I mean:
1) Oh the rewards!
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Top earnings per study
£150 - £600
You can earn up to these amounts by taking part in a single study
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Total offered out
£165,141
Total amount offered by UK universities over the previous 12 months
By taking part you can earn many monetary rewards and other goodies. Just to put things into perspective for you - by taking part in a few select studies, you could receive between £150-£600 per study in compensation for your time. UK universities including University of Birmingham, University of Leeds, and University College London, were amongst the most rewarding to participants over the past 12 months. Collectively, there was over £165,000 in rewards and compensation (£165,141 to be exact!) available on Call for Participants for the public last year, just from UK universities. So if it's a bit of extra cash you are after - step right in!
But it’s not all about money. Researchers have been offering out some other interesting rewards over the past 12 months including access to online guided interventions for unhelpful perfectionism, health and fitness evaluations, homemade cake, more cake, and a shingles vaccine. In other words - exactly the things that were missing in your life.
2) Near & dear to your heart
One of the biggest reasons people take part in research on Call for Participants is to support causes that are close to their heart for various reasons. 46% of the opportunities to take part in research were repaid with a simple and sincere “Thank you!” from the researcher. Maybe it is because you have come across one of challenges like eating disorders, cancer, hearing loss, a mental health issue in your life, or know somebody else that has. Maybe you know somebody that struggles with alcohol use or is trying to quit smoking. Researchers from around the world are trying to find solutions to these problems and they need your help. Often, you don't even need to be affected by the illness or problem yourself to be able to contribute - researchers usually need both people who are affected and who are not.
3) Tech, glorious tech!
And finally, taking part in research is a very simple way to experience first hand some of the innovations that will be changing the world of tomorrow before they are common household names. You could find yourself exploring mars, testing state-of-the-art virtual reality kits, assessing driverless cars, or getting the inside scoop on the next big app.
Not to mention, taking part is a lot of fun. So whatever inspires you, there are many reasons to take part in research! And stay tuned for more tips and tricks introducing you to the world of taking part in research.