Prolific Academic Survey Alerts

BookWorm

I completed that study and have not had the bonus yet. As it happens I contacted them a few days ago and was told they are working thought the data and bonuses will follow once that is done

BookWorm

I've received the bonus now

C_J

Thanks BookWorm - I've received it as well.

sailorjack

Morning all,

Is there a way to get survey alerts on my phone by any chance?

I use the chrome extension on my laptop but it's not very swift, and by surveys are often full by the time I get a notification.

TIA

[Deleted User]

Recently I have had some survey alerts and managed to click successfully to reserve a place when places were still available.  There seem to be quite a few now where, after clicking to start straight away something like this comes up:

Welcome!   START:  Then,  after clicking to proceed something like this comes up:  "Experiment not available
This experiment is currently full.

Please cancel the task on Prolific."

The only option is to Return the study without completing it although a place had been successfully secured.  Prolific say that the account is in good standing but I wonder if, because of the increasing number of 'forced' 'Return without completing' with no other option being available, there may, eventually, be some penalty from Prolific.

I contacted the most recent Researcher hoping that there was another option as it is not possible to cancel the task on Prolific without agreeing to Return the Study without completing.  If allowed, I would have been pleased to complete the Study.  The Researcher has not managed to get back to me.

Is anyone else experiencing an increasing number of studies like this where, after securing a place, it becomes impossible to proceed and the only option is to Return the study without completing it - even when prevented from starting it?  Thank you.

Crimson

olliebean

I've had a few like that, and when I return them I select "Screened out" and write in what happened. But I've also returned a fair number without completing just because I no longer wanted to do them once I saw what they involved, and I haven't suffered any penalty for doing so.

ndf9876

Deleted_User said:

Recently I have had some survey alerts and managed to click successfully to reserve a place when places were still available.  There seem to be quite a few now where, after clicking to start straight away something like this comes up:

Welcome!   START:  Then,  after clicking to proceed something like this comes up:  "Experiment not available
This experiment is currently full.

Please cancel the task on Prolific."

The only option is to Return the study without completing it although a place had been successfully secured.  Prolific say that the account is in good standing but I wonder if, because of the increasing number of 'forced' 'Return without completing' with no other option being available, there may, eventually, be some penalty from Prolific.

I contacted the most recent Researcher hoping that there was another option as it is not possible to cancel the task on Prolific without agreeing to Return the Study without completing.  If allowed, I would have been pleased to complete the Study.  The Researcher has not managed to get back to me.

Is anyone else experiencing an increasing number of studies like this where, after securing a place, it becomes impossible to proceed and the only option is to Return the study without completing it - even when prevented from starting it?  Thank you.

Crimson

This is a quirk of the Prolific platform and the way it interacts with Gorilla (the external survey software). When a study is returned by a user on the Gorilla platform, it does not automatically free up a new space - however, Prolific sees (correctly) that a study has been returned and a new place is available. So the researcher could end up with 300 (for example) study takers, 10 of those having returned their surveys for whatever reason, and those 10 spots cannot be filled unless the researcher manually opens up more slots.

It is irritating, but the best you can do if you see the message is to not return but message the researcher. If they are responsive, they can open up a slot for you - otherwise sadly the only option is to return the study.

[Deleted User]

That is helpful to know, ndf9876.   It helps me to understand.  Unfortunately the Researcher did not respond but it helps being able to learn more about how the 'system' works.

Thank you for your helpful reply.

An update from this morning, ndf9876.  Although my recent returned study is still 'Returned' I received a message from the Researcher giving me a link because more places would be available.

Because I could not access the Returned Study I clicked on the new link and secured a place for the 'procedure/study' via Zoom in early November.  The link stressed that the Researcher would not see my email and I am reassured by that.  A confirmatory email came to my normal in box (not Prolific) giving me the link to join the Zoom 'procedure/study.'  I don't have any sense that this is unsafe and they have my Prolific ID number.

I have not experienced this before and there is no way of changing 'Returned' on my initial attempt.  At that time I sent a message on Prolific explaining what had happened and, today, this is the Researcher's response.  Does this sound all right?

Crimson

Ivana_B_Rich

ndf9876 said:

Deleted_User said:

Recently I have had some survey alerts and managed to click successfully to reserve a place when places were still available.  There seem to be quite a few now where, after clicking to start straight away something like this comes up:

Welcome!   START:  Then,  after clicking to proceed something like this comes up:  "Experiment not available
This experiment is currently full.

Please cancel the task on Prolific."

The only option is to Return the study without completing it although a place had been successfully secured.  Prolific say that the account is in good standing but I wonder if, because of the increasing number of 'forced' 'Return without completing' with no other option being available, there may, eventually, be some penalty from Prolific.

I contacted the most recent Researcher hoping that there was another option as it is not possible to cancel the task on Prolific without agreeing to Return the Study without completing.  If allowed, I would have been pleased to complete the Study.  The Researcher has not managed to get back to me.

Is anyone else experiencing an increasing number of studies like this where, after securing a place, it becomes impossible to proceed and the only option is to Return the study without completing it - even when prevented from starting it?  Thank you.

Crimson

This is a quirk of the Prolific platform and the way it interacts with Gorilla (the external survey software). When a study is returned by a user on the Gorilla platform, it does not automatically free up a new space - however, Prolific sees (correctly) that a study has been returned and a new place is available. So the researcher could end up with 300 (for example) study takers, 10 of those having returned their surveys for whatever reason, and those 10 spots cannot be filled unless the researcher manually opens up more slots.

It is irritating, but the best you can do if you see the message is to not return but message the researcher. If they are responsive, they can open up a slot for you - otherwise sadly the only option is to return the study.

When this has happened to me I've kept my Prolific reservation, closed the Gorilla tab and waited.

I then use the link in Prolific, which is something like, "Open survey in another tab' to try and access the survey at various times until I run out of time.  Most of the time I will eventually secure a space on the Gorilla platform and usually I've still got enough time to complete the study. Until ndf9876 provided that explanation I'd assumed I was waiting for others to complete their study and it was a load issue on Gorilla.   

I've had mixed results contacting researchers so it's my option of last resort if I can't solve the problem myself

[Deleted User]

An update from this morning, ndf9876.  Although my recent returned study is still 'Returned' I received a message from the Researcher giving me a link because more places would be available.

Because I could not access the Returned Study I clicked on the new link and secured a place for the 'procedure/study' via Zoom in early November.  The link stressed that the Researcher would not see my email and I am reassured by that.  A confirmatory email came to my normal in box (not Prolific) giving me the link to join the Zoom 'procedure/study.'  I don't have any sense that this is unsafe and they have my Prolific ID number.

I have not experienced this before and there is no way of changing 'Returned' on my initial attempt.  At that time I sent a message on Prolific explaining what had happened and, today, this is the Researcher's response.  Does this sound all right?

Crimson