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Fulfilling the
Department of Psychology’s Research Participation Requirement |
Spring,
2007
Q: What is the research participation requirement?
The research participation requirement is a way to provide you with hands-on experience in the field of psychological research. Rather than just hearing about what has been found in psychology, you will get the chance to be a part of the process by being a participant in psychology studies.
Q: Do I need to do the research participation requirement even if I’m not majoring in psychology?
Yes. Fulfillment of this requirement is part of your final grade in many classes, including PY103: Introduction to Psychology. Please check your class syllabus for specific information as to how much the research participation requirement is weighted in determination of your final grade.
Q: How can I fulfill the research participation requirement?*
The research participation requirement can be fulfilled through any combination of the following activities:
1) Signing Up to Participate in Actual Research Studies: You can sign up to participate in ongoing research studies through our web-based research participation management system known as HaRP (aka “Hawk Research Pool”). To do so, go to the following link: http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/~harp/. The number of credits you earn for participating will depend on the amount of time each study takes. For each 15 minutes of participation, you will earn .5 research credits. So, a study that is worth 1 credit will require at approximately 30 minutes of your time. How to sign up for studies via HaRP is described more fully below.
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2) Alternative Assignments: These assignments involve reading a published research article and answering several questions about the article. You can learn more about the requirements for the alternative assignment by clicking on the “Available Alternative Assignments” menu option once you have logged into the HaRP system. You will only earn a research credit if your alternative assignment submission is deemed to be “acceptable” (i.e., a thoughtful and thorough job, with no evidence of plagiarism). Unacceptable submissions will not receive research credit. The due date for alternative assignments changes from semester to semester but it is listed with the Alternative Assignment Instructions within HaRP and it is listed on the HaRP materials available through eCampus. The assignments must be submitted to the HaRP Administrator (check the opening page of HaRP for that name) in the Main Office of the Psychology Department. Do not submit these to your instructor. Late submissions will not be accepted.
3) Conference Attendance (1 credit): You can earn a research credit by attending the Psychology Department Research Conference at the end of the semester. The exact date, time, and location will be communicated to you sometime after mid-term.
Q: Why do I have to do research participation?
Whenever possible, courses at a university provide students with direct experiences related to the course material. For example, when you take a Music Appreciation course, you will often listen to the music. When you take a Literature course, you will often read the original works of the authors you are studying. Psychology is no exception. In order to provide you with the full experience, we give you the chance to be a part of the research process.
Q: Who came up with this requirement?
The requirement to participate in ongoing psychological research studies is a common one in undergraduate psychology courses. This requirement is not unique to Monmouth University, or to your professor. The research participation requirement is found in many Psychology Departments across the country. If you were taking this class at Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers, or UCLA you would likely have a similar requirement.
Q: Who are the researchers collecting data?
The researchers who are running the studies are Monmouth University professors, or students who are working under direct supervision of a Psychology professor. Often students are collecting data as part of their Senior and/or Honors thesis. By participating in research you are helping your fellow Monmouth University students.
Q: What happens to the information that I provide in these studies?
The information you provide while participating in these studies serves to advance our knowledge about human behavior and mental processes. Much of what you learn in this course is based on information provided by college students in these types of studies. More specifically, this data is often used by Monmouth University professors to write scientific papers that appear in academic journals so that other professors and scientists around the world can benefit from the knowledge we have learned at Monmouth University. Thus, the scientific integrity of the research conducted at Monmouth depends on your honesty in the process.
Q: Will anyone know what answers I provide in the studies?
All data you provide will be anonymous and confidential. Each study you participate in has been approved by a review board that has deemed the study to be ethically sound.
Q: What if I don’t have time to sign-up and participate in the experiments?
We realize that students often have very busy schedules and may not be able to participate in the studies. If this is the case you can fulfill your research participation requirement through the alternative assignment.
Q: What if I have an ethical objection to participating in psychological research?
It is certainly your right to refuse to participate in psychological research as all such participation is strictly voluntary. If you do not wish to participate in actual psychological research studies, you can fulfill your research participation requirement through the alternative assignment.
Q: What if I’m not 18 years old?
Due to ethical considerations, all participants must be 18 years old or older. If you are not 18, you can fulfill your research participation requirement through the alternative assignment.
Q: How long do I have to earn my research credits?
Regardless of the avenue by which you choose to complete this research requirement, the best plan is to not procrastinate. Typically the Alternative Assignment cut-off date is about 2/3 of the way through the semester, research opportunities usually end about two weeks before the last day of classes and the research conference is about one week before the last day of classes. Because these dates change each semester, please read carefully any information you receive regarding HaRP credits.
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Completing
the Research Requirement Using HaRP |
HaRP is a password protected website that allows you to sign up for research studies, access alternative assignment articles, and keep track of the research credits you have earned. The URL for HaRP is http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/~harp/. Your initial login and HaRP password is “s” followed by your student id number. Please note that this password is NOT the same as your hawkmail or e-campus password.
Q: What if I need help using the HaRP?
For help navigating the HaRP website, please click on the Student Help Page located on the initial HaRP login page (http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/~harp/) as well as on the main page once you are logged into the system. The student help pages will answer the follow questions:
1. How you initially log on to the website. Please note that your initial login and password are identical – your student id number preceded by an “s”.
2. How you can modify your student profile.
3. How you can change your password.
4. How to use the available projects list to sign up for a research study
5. How to use the available projects calendar to sign up for a research study.
6. How to cancel a research appointment.
7. How to report that the researcher missed his or her appointment with you.
8. How to access the available alternative assignments.
9. How to read your credit summary to keep track of the number of credits you have earned.
Q: Where do I go for my research appointment? What should I bring?
Typically, all research studies are held in the basement of Edison Science Building. The basement can be accessed using the stairwells by the elevator or the Psychology Office or the outside doors that are located under the link between Edison and Howard halls. If the specific room is not listed in the study description, you should check the “HaRP Research Directory” bulletin board located in the Edison Basement Hallway by E-6. When you do attend your study, please bring the e-mail notification you received when you signed up for the study. This e-mail will remind you which study you signed up for as there may be multiple studies running at the same time with different experimenters. If you participate in a study you did not sign up for, you may be penalized for missing the study for which you DID sign up.
Q: What do I do if I signed up for a research appointment and now have to cancel it?
If you need to cancel an appointment, do so as soon as possible via HaRP. You can do this by clicking on the study you have signed up for and then click on the “Cancel” radio button. Please note that you cannot cancel an appointment within 12 hours of the actual appointment time. If you need to cancel the appointment within 12 hours of the scheduled time you will need to contact the researcher conducting the study. The researcher’s phone number and e-mail address should be listed with the description of the study.
Q: What will happen if I forget to attend a research appointment or show up late?
Please be aware that you will be penalized for missing an appointment or showing up late to your appointment (more than 5 minutes). You will be penalized one (1) research unit credit for each missed appointment, regardless of the number of credits that study is actually worth. This means that if you miss one appointment, you must now earn a total of five (5) research credits (one to make up for the missed appointment and four more to satisfy your research requirement).
Q: What should I do if I’m there for a research appointment, but the researcher is not?
In the event that you arrive for your appointment on time and the experimenter is not there, wait 15 minutes. The experimenter may be busy with another research participant. If the experimenter is more than 15 minutes late, go to the website, click on the study in question, and then click on the “Researcher Did Not Show” radio button. This will take you to a form for you to complete which will then be submitted to the Research Pool Coordinator, Dr. Strohmetz.
Please note that you MUST SUBMIT THIS FORM WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE MISSED APPOINTMENT. Dr. Strohmetz will investigate the situation and, if appropriate, will award you the research credit even though you were unable to actually participate due to the experimenter’s absence. Students who fail to submit the “Researcher Did Not Show” form will not be awarded credit and may even be subjected to the “missed appointment” penalty if the researcher was indeed there for the scheduled appointment (see above).
Q: Do the eligibility rules REALLY matter than much?
YES! Please be sure to read the eligibility rules for each study. For example, some studies are limited to students currently in a long-term romantic relationship. Therefore, do not sign up for such a study if you are not in such a relationship. If you do so, you will be dropped from the study and not receive credit for the study, even if you have completed that study. Lying about one’s eligibility to participate in a study will considered to be academic dishonesty and can even lead to honor code violation charges (see the Student Handbook).
Q: Do I actually have to sign up for a study to participate in it?
Yes. Occasionally, you may be asked to participate in a study by another researcher after you have finished participating in another study. You can participate in that study, but in order to receive credit, the researcher MUST register you for that study in HaRP. It is your responsibility to check with the researcher to make sure that the researcher did indeed signed you up for the study and given you credit for participating.
Q: I participated in a study, but it is still listed as “pending” in my HaRP credit total. What should I do?
If, after a week has elapsed since you participated in a study and you have not been given credit for the study, you need to contact the researcher, not the research pool coordinator, Dr. Strohmetz, to resolve this issue. It is the researcher, not the research pool coordinator who gives students credit for participating in a study.
Q: Other than participating in a study, is there anything else that I need to do to satisfy my class’s research participation requirement?
You may be required to complete a brief writing assignment in conjunction with your participation in a research study. Please consult your class syllabus for this information. There is a link on the main page menu to the research participation questions commonly used by the psychology professors. This is a Word file that can be directly edited. This form goes to your psychology professor, not the research pool coordinator.
Q: Who should I contact with any other questions I may have about HaRP?
All problems, questions, or comments concerning the number of research credits you have earned should be directed to the Research Participant Pool Coordinator (check the login page of HaRP). The Coordinator’s office hours are posted in the Psychology Department or you may send e-mail to the address on the login page.