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The Psychology Research Experience Program (PREP) offers you the opportunity to earn course credit towards your grade by participating in psychology research studies. The program was developed for two reasons:
If your course includes a PREP component, check your course syllabus to see what percentage of your grade you can earn, and whether this is a required part of the course or if it counts as an optional bonus credit.
The deadline to participate in studies for PREP is the official last day of class for the term, April 10th , 2023. We recommend that you get started early – don’t leave it to the end of term or you may miss out on opportunities.
There are two types of studies, online and lab studies. The credits work differently for each of these studies.
For participating in lab studies, you will earn a half credit (0.5 credits) for every half hour of participation. For example, you will earn 1.0 credit for an hour-long study.
You earn more credits for participating in lab studies because many studies cannot be conducted online, so this provides extra incentive for you to participate in lab studies.
For participating in online studies you will earn a quarter credit (0.25) for every half hour of participation. For example, you will earn 0.5 credits for an hour-long study.
If you are a PS101 or PS102 student on the Waterloo campus, you can only earn a maximum of one credit in a term through online studies. The rest of your student must be done in lab.
If you are a PS101 or PS102 student on the Brantford campus, you can earn all three credits in a term through online studies.
For example, if you are enrolled in two classes that require five PREP credits total, you can still only complete two of these credits via online studies and the remaining three must be completed in lab. Note: Credits may not be updated right away.
Credits are earned separately for each course. So if you have two classes that each require three PREP credits, then you need to earn a total of six PREP credits.
The number of required credits shown on the PREP website may not be correct (due to a system restriction). Check your syllabus to see how many PREP credits that you need. You can, however, use the PREP website to check how many credits you have earned.
For those taking more than one PREP course, the total required credits are cumulative. Earned credits cannot be used for more than one course.
The PREP teaching assistants (TA) will issue announcements in two ways:
Each term, the first time you log into the PREP system, you will be asked to fill out a consent form to participate in PREP. Read this consent form carefully. The system will refer to this as the prescreen and it will appear in your account as a completed prescreen.
Note: If you choose to decline participating in PREP after reading the consent form, you will not be able to participate in studies this term. See the "Alternative Assignment" option to earn your PREP credits.
Online studies are done on your own personal computer. You will be given the study link after signing up for the study. Ensure that you complete the online study before the study’s participation deadline.
For lab studies, make sure that you arrive at the PREP waiting area on time. It is your responsibility to be at the waiting area on time, otherwise the researcher will record that you had an “unexcused no-show”. If you accumulate two unexcused no-shows, you are no longer allowed to sign up for any PREP studies. You will, however, be able to keep any prior earned credits.
In order to avoid getting an “unexcused no-show,” cancel any study 24 hours prior to the start of the study through the PREP website. If you must cancel with less than 24 hours before your scheduled timeslot, you must contact the researcher via their email listed in the study information.
If you have missed a study (without cancelling it beforehand) due to a medical or personal emergency, email the researcher of the study first as they are in charge of giving out credits. If the issue remains unresolved after speaking with the researcher then you may email the PREP TAs at prep@wlu.ca. Similarly, if you have any questions regarding a specific study, email the researcher.
If you have general questions about the PREP system or your account, email prep@wlu.ca. You should never email your professor about any PREP system issues.
Log into PREP to find the "Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire" listed under the "Studies" list.
Completing this questionnaire is highly recommended as this allows you to become eligible for additional future studies. The questionnaire takes up to 60 minutes and you are granted 0.5 credits towards your online credits when you complete it. You must do the entire questionnaire in one sitting as you cannot resume once you have stopped.
There is a separate mass testing questionnaire for each semester. Your answers or credits from previous semester do not roll over to the next semester. It is recommended that you do the questionnaire each semester to be eligible for studies in that specific semester and to earn 0.5 credits towards your online credits during the semester you complete the questionnaire.
As an alternative to participating in studies, you can earn credits by writing short critical reviews of journal articles. The reviews are graded on a pass or fail basis and each critical review receives the same credit as participating in a one-hour in-lab study. Students may choose to do critical reviews for all or a portion of their PREP credits.
Guidelines and a list of acceptable journal articles to review are available in the information sheet below.
Note that the deadline for submitting critical reviews is the same as the deadline for participating in studies (i.e. last day of class for the term).
To ensure that you get your PREP grades, your earned credits must be accurate in your account. Check all of the following throughout the term, but especially by the day after the term ends:
Q. How do I start?
A. To see what studies are available and to sign-up, you must visit the PREP website. Alternatively, you can access the PREP website from this webpage by clicking the PREP Website link above (at the tope right-hand side).
Q. How do I log into my PREP account?
A. In the center of the PREP webpage is a box labelled “Announcement” under “First time logging in?” When you are logging in for the first time, follow the instructions in this box carefully.
Q. How do I know if I can log into PREP?
A. Your account information will already be in the system so you already have a User ID and Password (PREP obtains the information from the registrar’s office before the term begins).
Q. How do I know if there are any PREP announcements?
A. The PREP TAs will communicate announcements in two ways. The first is through email. Your WLU email address is connected to the PREP system, if there are any important messages they will be emailed to your Laurier email address. The second is through the Announcement box on the login page of the PREP website. Please pay attention to this box throughout the term because the PREP TAs will post important information from time to time (e.g., the date that the PREP pool is closing for the term).
Q. What are the different kinds of studies that I can participate in?
A. Generally, there are two different kinds of studies. The first is an “on-campus” or “in-lab” study, the second is an “online” study. For in-lab studies, you must schedule a specific session using the PREP system. On the day of the study, you would show up at the scheduled time and wait in the appropriate waiting area for the researcher to come and call your name. In-lab studies can last between 20 minutes and several hours. For online studies, generally you will be taken to the study webpage as soon as you sign up. Online studies can be completed at any computer with internet access (i.e., at home or on campus).
Q. What is Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire and how can I complete it?
A. The Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire is an online study that could make you eligible for additional studies. Completing this questionnaire is highly recommended as this allows you to become eligible for additional future studies. The questionnaire takes up to 60 minutes and you will be granted 0.5 credits towards your online credits for completing this questionnaire. You must do the entire questionnaire in one sitting, as you cannot resume once you have stopped.
Q. How many credits do I get for a study?
A. That depends on the kind of study. For doing in-lab studies, you would receive .5 credits for every 1⁄2 hour. For doing online studies, you would receive .25 credits for every 1⁄2 hour.
Q. How do I sign up for a study?
A. To sign up for studies, you would log onto the PREP website and click on “Studies.” You will see a list of available studies. You can read what the study is about by clicking on the study title. If you are interested in participating, click on “Timeslots Available.” At the bottom of the screen, click on “View Time Slots for This Study.” When you see a date and time for a timeslot that meets your schedule, click on “Sign-Up.” You should then see a “Sign-Up Successful” system message at the top of the screen. You can verify by clicking on “My Schedule/Credits.”
Q. What happens if I’m not interested in any of the studies currently offered?
A. Keep checking the PREP website. New studies are being added throughout the term. However, don’t wait too long because studies are first come first serve. Each study has a total number of required participants it needs to be finished and once it reaches that total, the study will no longer be available.
Q. I signed up for an on campus study and I have to meet the researcher, where do I go?
A. On the Waterloo Campus, there is generally one main PREP waiting area, and that’s where the researcher will come to meet you. The waiting area is in front of the Psychology Main Office (N2006), which is located at the second floor of the Science Building, close to the elevator. Always take as much information as you can with you to each study session (e.g., the study name, the researcher’s name, the time and location). However, please note there may be studies that require an alternative meet-up spot (example: Northdale campus (campus maps), certain lecture hall on campus, etc.), but this will be clearly stated in the study description.
On the Brantford campus, go to the location indicated when you sign up for the study.
Q. How long before a scheduled timeslot can I cancel a study?
A. You can cancel a study up to 24 hours before the session is scheduled to happen.
Q. I have an emergency and 24-hour cancellation window has passed, what do I do?
A. Email the researcher as soon as you can to let them know your situation.
Q. I missed a session, what now?
A. The researcher will assign an “unexcused no-show” to your account. If you accumulate 2 unexcused no-shows then you will no longer be allowed to sign up for any studies.
Q. Is there any way to get rid of an unexcused no-show?
A. You can try to email the researcher of the study you missed and reschedule the session, but it is up to the researcher whether they can accommodate you or not. The best way to avoid this situation is to be considerate and show up for your sessions. Keep in mind that most researchers are students as well and if you fail to show up for your study it is also an inconvenience for him or her.
Q. Who do I talk to if I’m having trouble with my PREP account?
A. If you are having trouble with your PREP account, contact the PREP TAs at prep@wlu.ca.
Q. What if I wish to earn the credits but don’t want to participate in studies?
A. As an alternative to participating in studies, you can earn credit by writing critical reviews of journal articles. Guidelines and instructions are posted on this webpage above under the "Alternative Assignment" section. Note that the deadline for submitting critical reviews is the same as the deadline for participating in studies (i.e., last day of class for the term).
Read the following information very carefully. Failure to follow the guidelines contained below could result in suspension of your researcher privileges.
Before you are able to access PREP as a researcher, you must have a researcher’s account, which will give you different system options than a participant account.
The PREP administrators will be able to create an account for you; however, before they can do so, you must have first completed the tutorial on the Tri-Council Policy Ethics. Everyone must complete this tutorial to ensure that they are knowledgeable about the guidelines for conducting ethical research involving humans.
Submit your completed certificate as an email attachment to the PREP TA's at prep@wlu.ca, along with your research account request.
When requesting a researcher’s account, provide your
A TA will create your ID and you will receive an automated email with your user ID and password.
Once you have your login information, you are now ready to access the PREP website.
If you already have a participant ID and password, the two accounts will not be combined. Your participant login will be separate from your researcher login and you will have two sets of login information.
Log in to the PREP system portal using the user ID and password given to you by the PREP TAs.
On the right side of the login page, there is a section titled, “Notes.” Pay attention to this section throughout the term because the PREP TAs will post important information from time to time (e.g. the date that the subject pool is closing for the term).
Ignore the login instructions as these instructions are for participants.
For more information on research ethics, see the following websites:
If you are a research assistant, the study may already have been added on PREP by your supervisor. Your study name should appear under “My Studies.”
If you see the message “No studies found,” but you know the study has already been created, contact your supervisor to add you as a researcher.
If the study has not already been created, follow the next steps to create your new study.
To add your study, use the following procedure:
For participants to sign up and take part in your study, you must post timeslots. To post timeslots, follow the steps below:
For Waterloo campus studies, enter the following location for all in-lab studies: “PREP waiting area: outside of the Psychology Main office (N2006), on the second floor of the science building”. Enter this location exactly as shown in the quotation. The department wants all researchers on Waterloo campus to use this same waiting area in order to minimize confusion and questions at main office. For Brantford campus studies another location may be entered.
When you schedule a session, it is your responsibility to show up and be on time. Any scheduled sessions that you can’t make must be cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled time. If you were to cancel a session within 24 hours of the scheduled time, participants may not have a chance to check their email and will not be aware that the session has been cancelled.
For session cancellations at Waterloo campus in addition to emailing the participant, also email Lucy Carreiro and CC Rita Sharkey.
For session cancellations at Brantford campus in addition to emailing the participant, also email Kristina Huff-Malecki.
Before meeting your participants, make sure you know their full names. Meet your participants in the appropriate location and don’t be late. When calling out your participants names, be sure to use their first and last names (e.g. there may be more than one Brittney in the waiting area).
From time to time, participants will arrive late for a session. If you are running a session with a group of participants, only wait a few minutes for late comers. It would be unfair to make the rest of your participants wait any longer. If you are running a session with a single participant wait for at least 10 minutes before leaving.
Occasionally, students will not show up for their scheduled session. PREP has a system in place to deal with these situations.
Avoid missing participants. If you show up on time, wait a reasonable amount of time for latecomers.
PREP has a built-in system to discourage participants from missing scheduled sessions. If a participant misses an in-lab session, they receive an “unexcused no-show.” If a student is assigned two unexcused no-shows then they will be locked out of the system for the rest of the term. As a researcher, it is important that you apply penalties appropriately.
It is the participant’s responsibility to email the researcher should they miss a study. If a participant contacts you requesting a penalty to be cancelled because of a justifiable reason, such as sickness, family issues, health emergency, waited in the wrong place, etc. Double-booking with another appointment or not actually needed the credit, apply an unexcused no-show for these cases – these are not good reasons to miss an appointment. But also give the student an explanation why this is not a good reason and encourage them to sign up again. If there was a snow day, or school was officially closed, don’t give penalty or credit (excused no-show), ask them to sign up again.
Participants are not penalized credits for missing online studies, they would just not receive credit for the missed study. If a participant fails to complete your online study, follow the same steps as above with one exception: select the radial button under “Excused No-Show.”
After participants take part in your study, you will need to assign them credits.
You can do this using the following procedure:
Each study has been approved to collect a certain number of participants. Monitor your study carefully to be sure that you don’t exceed this number. The PREP administrators will also monitor the number of participants that have been run through each study.
When the approved limit has been reached, the PREP administrators may disable the study because many different studies need participants throughout the year and we need to make sure there are enough participants to go around.
If you are approaching your required limit and you need to collect a few more participants, with good reason, contact the PREP administrators for approval. For Waterloo-based studies, contact prep@wlu.ca. For Brantford-based studies, contact Dr. Chris Alksnis at calksnis@wlu.ca.
Once you have completed data collection, make the study “inactive.”
The last day for students to participate in PREP studies in any given term is the last day of classes for the term. The PREP TAs will send a reminder email to researchers close to that date.
To ensure students have the credits assigned as part of their course grade, you must have all the credits for your studies updated by the date specified in the email.
To date, there is not a limit on the number of participants allotted to specific researchers. However, it is important to remember that the PREP pool is a shared resource that is vital to many researchers within the department. Typically, there are not enough participants to meet all researchers’ needs. Please keep this in mind, and make responsible decisions about how many participants you require in studies and how many studies to post.
The PREP pool is not intended for studies that offer participants a monetary payment, or any other form of compensation than the PREP credits. If you believe there are exceptional circumstances for which alternate compensation is appropriate, you should contact the PREP TAs to request approval.
Also researchers should not use the PREP email function to recruit students for a specific study, or ask course instructors to advertise a specific study to their students. If there are exceptional circumstances that require the targeted recruitment of participants (e.g. selection criteria that leave few students eligible to participate), contact the PREP TAs to request approval.
If you would like to include a measure in the mass testing questionnaire for the semester, you must get in touch with the PREP team via email at least one month prior to the start of the term to allow the PREP team to get ethics approval.
Once the semester has begun and you would like to access the collected data for your measure, email the PREP team at prep@wlu.ca.
Contact Us:
Janet Reimer, Undergraduate Program Assistant
E:
psychadvising@wlu.ca
T:
519.884.0710
Office Location: N2006
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Rita Sharkey, Graduate Program Assistant
Lucy Carreiro, Senior Administrative Assistant