Prolific Academic Survey Alerts

Value

Deleted_User, did you have a lot of studies before this spell? There is something in Prolific's algorithms that if you've recently completed a lot of studies (they don't say what a lot is!) then you don't get offered ones at the start of data collection with plenty of places for a while as they go to people who have completed fewer studies. This will cause you to complete fewer studies so you should then cycle back to getting some more with plenty of places. Have a look at this link which might help:
How Prolific helps you find engaged, naive, research participants

MollyR

I find that the Firefox "Prolific Assistant" extension which pops up an alert box from time to time frequently offers studies which have zero places left, or sometimes for which I am patently not eligible (e.g. having to be male, or a US resident).  Now and then it offers a survey which also appears on my Prolific Studies page.  It is only rarely that it offers me a study which I am actually able to complete.  Far more often, studies appear on the Prolific Studies page (and this puts a number in the browser tab, to alert me) and I can always enter them - but mostly the extension never seems to be aware of them!  To be honest, I don't know why I keep it.

olliebean

I had quite a few in the last couple of days that turned up with only one place left, which was obviously gone by the time I clicked on them.

[Deleted User]

Thanks very much, Value,  MollyR and olliebean.  That makes sense.  I have had quite a few successful studies previously and, one day last week I had about six in one day - that was a record and had not happened before or since.  I was discouraged because most of the studies more recently said there were, for example sometimes 30+ or 65+ places available yet when I clicked immediately the notification arrived - it said: 'Study full.' 

It happened again this morning when there were places available, I clicked on it immediately and, again, the study was full.  The link you gave, Value, is helpful.

I'll have to be patient.  It would be helpful if Prolific did not notify studies as being available, with quite a number of spaces still free, when there is no prospect of being able to start the study in the circumstances.

Even so - when I do have a study - I am pleased as I really do enjoiy them and many are very interesting.  As I mentioned above - the 'reward' is also much appreciated. If I am honest, I was apprehensive about saying anything to Prolific in case I am blocked and I'm pleased to have been able to ask here.  I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Thank you very much for the link and for replying.

Crimson

DiamondLil

Same happened to me yesterday - must have had at least ten notifications, every single one of which was "study full".

And twice this morning ... so far...

[Deleted User]

Thanks DiamondLil.  It's a pity Prolific can't tell us when we are not going to be allowed to access studies when we are informed about them  being available and 'click' to start, to find that the study is full.  It would save time and effort - but Prolific's the boss and we don't want to fall out of favour when it's really a great opportunity to participate when allowed to - as well as being rewarded too.

Crimson

Anyanka1

Deleted_User and anyone else who may be interested, I found my first month on Prolific to be wonderful; I was, after all, "naive" in the sense they mean so a more "desirable" respondent.  The longer I did studies, the fewer I got but, overall, the first year was pretty darned good.

The second year was very disappointing indeed; far fewer studies and much longer delays in between them.  Peeved, I was.  The third year, things settled down somewhat and I seemed to get alternating good weeks and bad weeks, IYSWIM.  Having just re-read that link about algorithms, this would seem to bear that out.  I still find this nearly five years down the line but, IMHO, Prolific is still streets ahead of any other survey site I have tried.  I gave up on most of them because they were a dead loss and, please bear in mind, ones' demographic makes a significant difference to which studies/surveys one is eligible for.  In a nutshell, the older/poorer you are, the less anyone cares what you think.  Who'd have thunk?  At least that seems to apply less with Prolific than with most other sites, who just want to sell you stuff.  HTH.

I have a question about the Rey figure studies:  Has anyone done it/them and the optional second block(s) of 10 and, if so, have they been paid for the extra work yet?  I have not although the first study was approved within a day but only the obligatory first block of 10, not the second.  I have now done another such study and the extra and am beginning to wonder if I am being taken for a ride as I have contacted the researcher twice and received no reply.

Sorry for the long post and the fact I am the harbinger of non-payment issues at the moment.  Prolific, when pressed, admitted they still have yet to fix the automatic payment thingy when studies reach 22 days; they have been paying them manually so I suggest keeping an eye on your older ones and chasing if necessary.

olliebean

I've done the Rey-figure study three times now. I did the extra 10 tasks all three times, and for the first two, the main and bonus payments arrived within a couple of days of doing the study, and within an hour of each other. The third, I only did today, so I've not been paid for it yet.

Anyanka1

Wow, olliebean, thanks.  May I ask if the extra payment reflected that for the study itself?  No need to post an amount but, if it's only 50p, I won't bother again.  May I ask, does it show as a "bonus"?  It is not one, after all; we worked for that, rather than won it.

I am still waiting for payment for the first block from 23rd April and have had no reply from the researcher even though the first study was approved the next day, as you say.  I can't see how my performance could have deteriorated enough to be rejected in a matter of minutes between the first and second blocks.  I will await his review of the study I did today...

[Deleted User]

This is interesting, thanks everyone.  I'll just be glad to accept any studies I'm eligible for and successful in accessing.  It's a pity it's so complicated though, because I really am enjoying the studies.
... A wee update.:   I managed to access and complete two very short surveys yesterday (Sunday 09 May 2021) and, only a total of about four or five minutes, but pleased about it anyway!

Crimson