Undergraduate Research SONA

Research participation is a requirement in 100- and 200-level courses and will impact your course grade. To satisfy this requirement, you may serve as a research participant in projects conducted by members of the Psychology Department (requirements differ based on course number; see below), or by participation in the research alternative option (more details provided below). Individual course instructors will determine the consequences associated with failing to complete the research requirement.

Important Note: If you are a student in 100- or 200-level courses, you have to decide on one of the two options. You cannot mix and match between the options to complete the requirement. In other words, all your credits have to be earned through participating in research or all your credits have to be earned through completing essay quizzes.

In upper division courses research participation can add extra credit toward your final grade if the instructor allows for extra credit through research participation. The amount of extra credit you are eligible to earn (if any) will be announced by your instructor and/or included in your syllabus. It will not negatively affect your grade if you elect not to participate when research is not required (i.e., in 300 or 400-level classes).

If you are under the age of 18, you will have to complete the research alternative (articles and quizzes).

Studies vary in length, and credit will be awarded based on half-hour increments. For example, participating in a study that lasts 1 hour gives you 1 research credit.

Participating in a study that lasts 2.5 hours gives you 2.5 credits. You will receive credit with the specified time allotment.

Listed below is the required number of credits for 100 and 200 level courses. The number of credits for each course listed is effective across all psychology instructors. The required number of credits is broken down by course type (online versus on campus), and type of study (in person versus online).

100 Level Courses (111)

• 4 credits of research must be completed
• Alternative – quizzes about basic psychology articles due at specified times (through Qualtrics)

200 Level Courses (210, 241, 250, 270)

• 2 credits of research must be completed
• Alternative – quizzes about basic psychology articles due at specified times (through Qualtrics)

An online “Pre-Test” survey will be available to you during the 2^nd week of the semester. It is HIGHLY recommended that you complete the online pre-test survey if you anticipate participating in studies to earn credit through research participation. You will earn at least 0.5 hours of online research credit by completing it. The number of credits earned for completing the pre-test can vary on a semester basis (between 0.5 to 1 credit) depending on how long the pre-test takes. During the survey, you will be asked to provide some preliminary information by filling out questionnaires. Most of the research projects conducted at UND make use of this information in some way and will invite participants for their study based on information collected in the survey. Although completing the Pre-test is not required for participating in studies, failure to complete it will make it more difficult to find studies to sign up for. Therefore, completing the online Pre-Test will ensure you are eligible for as many studies as possible.

If you need assistance accessing and/or completing the online Pre-Test, the research coordinator and administrator, Dr. Andre Kehn, will be available for assistance by appointment UND.sona@UND.edu.

If you are unsure about whether or not you will participate in research studies, it is recommended that you create a research account and participate in the online pretest session.

You will need to create your own User ID and password for the UND Research Participation system. To do this, complete the following steps:

1. Go to the UND SONA System Website. Click on the link on the right side under “Request an Account.”
2. Enter your personal information on the next page. To be sure that you are given credit for all of your research participation, enter your student ID number in the appropriate line. Next, select each of the courses to which you want to be able to assign your credits. Be sure that you are selecting courses in the proper semester and with the proper instructor. Please verify this step for accuracy.
3. To select a course or multiple courses, simply click on the course on the list of available courses (bottom right; only select the courses you are enrolled in). The course(s) that you select will then appear in the selected courses Then request the account.

After logging in, the STUDY SIGN-UP icon is where you will find the studies currently available for participation. Neither your instructor nor the psychology office will know when the studies will be posted. Typically, a few studies will begin to appear at the beginning of the semester, and they will become more numerous as the semester progresses. However, many researchers will complete their data collection toward the end of the semester and the number of studies will likely diminish within the last three weeks of the semester.

1. Log in to the SONA system using your User ID and password.
2. Click on the STUDY SIGN-UP (View Available Studies) icon to search studies that are currently available for participation.
3. Click on a study of interest. Before signing up for a study, read the description of the study and any information concerning participation restrictions. For example, a researcher may wish to study only males or females, or may exclude those who have participated in another specified study. If the research has restrictions and you fit the special requirements, then you may sign up. If you do not fit the description (e.g., the study only allows male participants and you are female) then DO NOT SIGN UP. Being deceitful about the criteria is considered academic dishonesty and will be disciplined in accordance with UND Policy on Academic Dishonesty.

On-Campus Studies

For on-campus studies, the researcher will have indicated a day, time, and room for each time slot. Pick one that you are sure you can attend. Do not sign up unless you are sure you can make that appointment. You will receive credit by the researcher upon completing the study.

Online Studies

Online studies will be specifically identified as online studies. For online studies, a deadline by which participation must be completed will be specified. However, the researchers would appreciate if you complete the online study when you sign up. You will not receive credit until you have completed the study.

VERY IMPORTANT – The online sign-up system will email you a reminder regarding the study, the place, the day, and the time for which you have signed up. This is your reminder slip so that you will know when and where to go for the research. If you forget the time, date, or location of the research, DO NOT call the psychology office, your instructor, or the research coordinator for this information. They do not know this information. You will need to log in to the system and find out this information under the MY SCHEDULE/CREDITS icon. If you miss a study, you will not receive credit!

Unless the study description states differently, you are not required to bring anything to the study. Show up on time; researchers must follow tight schedules. You may not be admitted if you are late. Someone will greet you and explain the study. Your only duty is to try to the best of your abilities. Most studies present little to no risk. However, you are the one with control over your participation. If you feel that the researcher is making unjustifiable demands on you or asking you to do something that violates your principles or makes you uncomfortable, then it is your right to stop the session.

You will not know what the research entails until you show up for the study session. Psychology studies vary considerably from one to the next. You may be asked to fill out questionnaires, work on problems or puzzles, or interact with other people in groups. Some studies require the activity be tape-recorded or videotaped. These recordings will never be used without your consent.

What if I am there, but there’s no researcher?

Wait at least 10 minutes after the time of your appointment. If no one has greeted you by this time, then double-check your information about place/time. If the researcher does not show up, email the researcher in charge of the particular study (Not your instructor or the research coordinator) to verify that you did arrive at the scheduled time and place. If this is confirmed, you will receive credit for the study.

What if I realize more than 24 hours before the study that I have to be somewhere else and cannot be at the study?

Using the online system, under the MY SCHEDULE/CREDITS icon, you may cancel your appointment. You must change your appointment in the online system at least 24 hours before the study is scheduled to begin!

When the record of your participation is entered into the online system you will receive an email notifying you of the credit, or the receipt of no credit if you were a “No Show.” You may track your participation records by logging in and clicking the MY SCHEDULE/CREDITS icon. Records of your research participation are kept here. If you have questions about your research hours record, you can contact the research coordinator via email at UND.sona@UND.edu. Your email notices are your insurance if someone makes a mistake with your records.

YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN A GIVEN STUDY ONLY ONCE. If you participate more than once, you will not receive credit for both occasions.

How do I get a copy of my User ID and password if I forget them?

Go to the Research Participation homepage and click on “Click Here to Retrieve It” located beneath the “Lost your password?” icon in the lower left hand corner of the screen. The dialog box will prompt you to enter your User ID (if you know it) or your email address. The system will email your log-in information (User ID and password) to that email address if it matches the one used to create your profile. Then check your email to retrieve your information.

What if the email I used to create my profile is not my preferred email address?

If you can access that email address for your log in information, you can change your contact email address under “My Profile” once you are logged-in.

What if the email I used to create my profile is wrong or misspelled?

If this occurs, you will need to contact the administrator at UND.sona@UND.edu.  The administrator will then correct the email address.

What if I do not create my account before the Pre-Test? Will I still be able to participate in research studies and create an account for the research pool?

If you do not create your account in time to take the Pre-Test, you will still be able to create a user account and sign-up for studies using the on-line system, although you will not be eligible for some studies. Follow the instructions listed above.

What are my rights as a research participant?

Before each study, you will be given a brief description of the research procedures. You will then be asked if you still wish to participate. This procedure is called “informed consent.” If you find nothing objectionable in the description, then you will be asked to indicate that you agree to participate. This does not mean you have signed away your rights, however. You are free to stop the session at any point.

Six articles will be posted in PDF form on the Psychology Department web page in the “Research Participation for Students” section. These articles are for students who choose to fulfill their research requirement by reading articles and taking quizzes. You have to take as many quizzes as research credits are required for your courses. In other words, if you are student in Psychology 111, you have to complete four quizzes to fulfill the research requirement. You may not substitute other articles. Each article presents some issue in psychological research. Reading them and taking the quizzes will familiarize you with psychological research. You must pass the quiz with 70% or better in order to receive credit.

If you score less than 70%, you will have to take another quiz to receive credit. The questions consist of short answer and essay. Students must register to take a quiz at least 24 hours in advance by emailing Dr. Andre Kehn at UND.sona@UND.edu. 

YOU MUST READ THE ARTICLE BEFORE THE QUIZ. Articles will not be supplied during the quiz sessions.

• Last day to participate in research: Friday, Reading and Review Day
• Questions? Please contact Dr. Andre Kehn via email at UND.sona@UND.edu. The research coordinator will get back to you as soon as possible but sometimes it may take up to 48 hours to receive a response.
• Additional copies of the “Research Participation Policies and Procedures” forms can be obtained electronically from the research pool coordinator.
• If you have signed up for a research study and cannot make the appointment, you must cancel or change your appointment at least 24 hours before the appointment!