Getting Started

You are responsible for:

1. Creating an account with the Psychology Research Participant Pool. If you have an account from prior terms, reactivate the old account.
2. Scheduling appointments for research participation.
3. Showing up on time for your scheduled research appointments. In the event that a researcher is late, wait 10 minutes. If the researcher does not appear in that time, you are free to leave without penalty AND you will be awarded 50% credit for the study.
4. Cancelling by 6pm the day before the study if you cannot attend the appointment.
5. Writing down important information about the studies for which you sign up. You need to know:
   1. The name of the study
   2. The name of the researcher
   3. The room number
   4. The study time

   If you arrive at the Psychology Department without this information, the front office staff does NOT have this information. You must bring it with you! If you lose the study information, you can always access it (name/date/location) by logging in to your Sona account and going to “my schedule/credits.”

Creating an account

On the subject pool website (uopsych.sona-systems.com), click on the “New Participant – Request an account here” link.

Name

Please enter your first and last name as it appears on your student ID.

User-ID

This will be your login name for this system. Use whatever you like, as long as it is something you will remember. It is fine to use a name that you might use in an internet chat room or something else anonymous.

Email Address

Ideally you will enter a uoregon.edu email address. If you are using a non-UO email address, please be sure your internet service provider allows emails from this system. Hotmail often “junk mails” messages from the system. Enter the full address (yourname@uoregon.edu) or the email address will not register.

Student ID #

Please enter your student ID number, NOT your SSN.

Course #

You will need your course number and instructor’s name. Select your course from the pull-down menu. If your course is not listed, please contact an administrator. If you are in more than one course, use the control key to select more than one line.

Password Change

The system will send you your assigned password to the email address you entered. You can change your password after you first logon.

Account Creation or Password Problems?

If you are unable to create an account or you do NOT receive a password, please drop by the Psychology Department front office or email hscoord@uoregon.edu to get help with your account.

Prescreening Survey

When you log into Sona the first time a prescreening survey will be made available on the system. All students will be prompted to complete this survey. All students are required to complete the prescreening question that asks about age. All students who participate in studies must be over the age of 18, and this question will make sure everyone who participates meets this qualification.

You are not required to complete any other questions on this on-line questionnaire, and can choose the “choose not to respond” option for any or all questions except the ‘Over Age 18’ question. However, you will get 1/2 research credit and you may be eligible for far more studies if you do complete it. Your responses to this survey are completely confidential.

The purpose of this survey is to get information from students so they can be selected for studies. The online forms you complete are meant to be “screening” questionnaires that researchers will use to recruit eligible participants with selected characteristics, which vary from study to study. The only way to participate in these studies is to be selected from the prescreening survey.

If you qualify for a particular study, the individual researcher may call or email you to schedule research appointments for which you will receive research credit. Additionally, some researchers use Sona to filter you into studies so you will only see the study on the list if you are eligible. If you see password protected studies, these too require the prescreen. You may be contacted by a researcher if you are eligible.

Sign up for Studies

There are two ways to sign up for studies.

1. Select a study from the list of studies in Sona. Studies are posted as researchers schedule times. Check often and search for studies by date to find something to suit your schedule.
2. Respond to contact by a researcher. Individual researchers may contact you via phone or email if you qualify for their study based on your responses to the prescreening survey. The researcher will ask if you are interested in participating in their study for research credit. In some cases, the researcher may give you a password that will allow you to sign up for the study using the web-based Sona system . If you are interested in their study, follow their directions. However, there is NO obligation to participate in any study just because you qualify for it.

Eligibility

You should NOT sign up for a study for which you are not eligible (e.g., male signing up for a study requiring all females); you will NOT receive research credit for doing this.

Study Passwords

If a study requires a password, that study is restricted to those who qualify based on responses to the Prescreen. Individual researchers may contact eligible participants to give them a password so they can use the password to sign up for the study. Do not share your password with other students please, as they may not be eligible for the study.