St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan Department ...

are proposing to include in your study; outlining any specific restrictions (e.g., age); specific methods of
compensation for non-pool participants if applicable.
• Please read the notes which appear below for further information regarding study participants that may be
relevant to your study
Participants may be selected by the researcher from several sources. First, students for 300 level laboratory classes
may participate in exchange for reciprocal participation in their research studies. Research participation by student
in laboratory classes is encouraged to permit a broader understanding of the research enterprise. Second, friends,
family and relatives of the researcher may be recruited. Finally participant may be recruited from the psychology
participant pool, and they receive one bonus mark for approximately each half hour of research participation. The
study will be posted on a secure web page (http://usask.sona-systems.com/). Participants sign-up to participate after
reading a description of the study (several studies are posted simultaneously) and then selecting a convenient time to
attend. There is no anticipated relationship between pool participants and the researcher.
INVOVLEMENT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Please note that family and friends should not be involved if
the study topic is in any way sensitive. The appropriate procedure for recruiting friends and family is to develop a
letter of invitation (to be submitted with your application) that outlines the pertinent aspects of your study, and asks
them to contact you if they are interested. This process should also be followed if you are using the snowball method
of recruitment (participants with specific characteristics identify other similar individuals who may be interested in
participating). In this case you should ask the initial individual to provide a letter of invitation to any individuals
who might be interested, who can then contact you for more information. This procedure minimizes any potential
for the perception of coercion.
PARTICIPANT RESTRICTIONS: You must indicate if you are planning to restrict participant eligibility in any
way (e.g., only women; only individuals whose first language is English), and you must provide a rationale as to
why this restriction is necessary.
SAMPLE SIZE: Note that the number of participants available through the participant pool is limited. Please consult
with the current Participant Pool Administrator for the number of participants available for your study. Please
remember that the goal of 300 level lab projects is to gain hands on research experience and further develop your
research skills…it is not to obtain publishable results. The Psychology Department recommends that you restrict
your sample size to 20 participants at most. This number should be more than adequate to allow you to gain
experience with recruitment, data collection and analysis.
USE OF COMMUNITY SAMPLES: Please be aware that the use of community samples (e.g., schools, daycares,
elder care facilities, etc.) is strongly discouraged by the Psychology Department. The main concerns revolve
around the time required to gain access to these samples, and the burden placed on limited community research
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