In the College of Business, we are motivated to ensure that our students are both effective consumers of knowledge generated through academic research and knowledgeable of聽the academic research process. Participating in low-risk research studies is an important way of obtaining first-hand experience with academic research.
In the College of Business, we are motivated to ensure that our students are both effective consumers of knowledge generated through academic research and knowledgeable of the academic research process. Participating in low-risk research studies is an important way of obtaining first-hand experience with academic research. This offers several benefits to students:
- Deepens students’ understanding of the research process
- Provides hands-on experience on how data for academic research is collected
- Exposes them to multiple ways of collecting data: surveys, experiments, critical incident techniques, interviews etc.
- Early exposure to cutting-edge research and innovative ways of collecting data
- Can inspire future career paths or academic interests
- Exposure to new topics and perspectives may spark interest in fields they haven’t considered before
- As students can select which research studies they take (out of a list), they can also deepen their knowledge in a sub-field of their interest
- Students may be exposed to cutting-edge technology used in the research process, further increasing their knowledge/skill sets valuable for their career
- Allows contributions to the advancement of knowledge in their field
- Sense of purpose and tangible way to make a difference
- By contributing, students can provide valuable data that can not only shape research but also may impact policies
- Potential networking opportunities with researchers and faculty
- May spark students' interest in research and/or becoming an undergraduate researcher in connection with the Behavioral Insights Lab under which the subject pool will be housed
- May initiate mentorship and future research collaborations Alternative assignments are aimed to fulfill similar purposes and goals.
Important Considerations & Guidelines
- Students using聽Behavioral Insights Lab聽-聽聽should refer to their class syllabus for details on the number of participation credits required or offered as extra credit.
- Students who are聽under 18 years聽of age or who prefer not to participate in research can select an alternative assignment.
- All students must enroll through the聽BIL聽-聽, regardless of whether they choose to participate in studies or complete alternative assignments.
- Once a student chooses to be a research participant or to complete alternative assignments, they must remain in that mode for the entire semester聽鈥撀爏witching between options is not permitted.
- Studies and assignments are offered in 15-minute increments, with each 15 minutes equal to 1 Sona Participation Credit (e.g., 30-minute studies = 2 credits).
- Students are responsible for checking new studies posted throughout the semester and ensuring they meet their credit requirement.
- Study credits will be reported to instructors at the end of the semester.
- Studies fill up quickly, so enroll in them as soon as they are released to obtain credits. If sign-ups for studies at the end of the semester are full, BIL will not be responsible for receiving full extra credit.
Student Login and Study Access Information
- To access your account and current studies, students should聽 and use the login information emailed from the BIL -Sona System. You may also download the free Sona Systems app for Android or iOS for your mobile phone, allowing you to sign up for studies directly from your mobile device easily. Please check the site frequently for new studies. 鈥�
- Login information will be sent during the second week of classes (after the add/drop date) and studies will be accessible until the last day of classes. Each semester, the system聽will reset and you will have to create a new account if you continue to participate. Do not request your own account from the website but wait until log-in information are聽mailed to you.聽鈥�
- Please note that the Sona System of the Behavioral Insights Lab and the Sona System of the Department of Psychology at 糖心Vlog are not related, so students MUST complete studies from the BIL 鈥� Sona System website to receive credit for their course. If you have questions,聽contact us.鈥�
Checklist for Students Participation
- Create your Sona Account (using log-in information sent during second week of classes).鈥�
- Login with your credentials and choose the account configuration.
- Select Studies and complete them to earn Sona Credits.鈥�
- Studies fill up quickly, so keep checking Sona Systems regularly for new opportunities.鈥�
- Credits are tracked automatically, and sent to your instructor at the end of semester.
Tutorial Videos
Introduction to the BIL and how to sign up/navigate the Sona account
Participant Tutorial