PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH ASSISTANT

HANDBOOK

University of Waterloo

Faculty of Arts

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

FRANKI KUNG

CLAUDIA LABAHN

BO-YEE LAM

ROBIN LEUNG

TRUDIE TONG

REVISED BY:

CAMERON SMITH & EMILY CYR

© COPYRIGHT BY FRANKI KUNG OR AS CREDITED 2014

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

WATERLOO, ONTARIO

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PREFACE

Research assistants are hired every term in the Department of Psychology by faculty members and

graduate students. To streamline the training of research assistants across various research labs, we have

created this centralized training program.

Through this program, we hope to increase inter-area information sharing, uniform understanding and

systematic training protocols, consensus regarding best practices, and a direct line of communication

from research assistants to our Research Experiences Group (REG) Coordinator and Ethics

Administrator.

To these ends, we have developed this RA handbook and an accompanying training workshop to

provide a clear and standardized instruction of the general tasks most RAs face in their role. Workshops

are run by a small group of graduate student instructors each term, thereby alleviating the redundancy of

having each researcher provide general training themselves.

This training program aims to improve work efficiency and productivity among researchers in the

department as well as provide a comprehensive and well-rounded learning experience for newly-hired

RAs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank numerous members of the Department of Psychology for their contribution to this

project. First, we want to express our deep gratitude to the 2014 Graduate Student Advisory Team that

initiated this program – Justin Brienza, Jeff Hughes, Yourie Kim, Jane Klinger, and Kevin Leung.

This handbook and other training materials could not have been completed without their thoughtful and

valuable suggestions, thorough editing and continuous encouragement throughout the handbook

development process. We would also like to thank the 2018 Graduate Advisory Team that provided

assistance updating this edition - Anna Hudson and Chanel Larche.

We would like to thank Michelle Manios, our REG coordinator, and Bill Eickmeier, our computer

systems manager, for their generous assistance and advice in refining the materials. We would also like

to thank Dr. Colin MacLeod, the department chair that has supported this project.

Last but not least, we would like to thank the Graduate Student Endowment Fund for supporting our

vision financially.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Orientation 5

What to Expect 5

What is Expected of You 6

General Guidelines 7

Preparing for Your First Day 8

Printing Study Materials 9

IT Support 10

Payroll Information (for Paid RAs) 11

SONA Guide for RAs 12

Logging In 12

Features of SONA 13

How to Create/Edit Timeslots 13

Cancellations 15

Granting Credits 16

Marking No-Shows 17

End of Term Maintenance 18

General Lab Study Protocol 19

Research Integrity 19

Ethics 19

Meeting Participants for Lab Studies 20

Overview of Running a Study 21

Important Things to Remember 22

Department Staff Contacts 23

Contacts for Posting Posters 23

Other Booking Procedures 24

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GENERAL ORIENTATION

What to Expect…

Research Assistants (RAs) are involved in a variety of administrative and research-related activities that

help faculty and graduate students carry out studies in the Psychology Department. Although most RA

positions are voluntary, the research experience you will gain is invaluable: you will develop new skills

and discover your research interests and potential. You will also have an opportunity to network with

faculty members who could potentially be supervisors for thesis projects or for full-time research

positions, as well as referees for recommendation letters.

Depending on the lab you join, you may assist psychologists with diverse research methods from

surveys to experimental laboratory studies. You may also help prepare findings for publication and

assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.

Typical tasks may involve:

1. Research studies

Participant pool management – using SONA, Qualtrics, etc.

Pre-study preparation – photocopying, printing, filing, setting up studies in Qualtrics

Conducting experiments – running studies or acting as a confederate

Data Management – data entry, data cleaning, coding, data analysis

2. Literature reviews

Conducting literature searches

Preparing reference lists

3. Recruiting participants

Posting study advertisements

Making phone calls

Contacting companies or organizations

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What is Expected of You

The following table summarizes the duties of an RA as well as the skills and work styles that are required. For

more detailed information, you can visit the following website: http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-

4061.00

WORK ACTIVITIES SKILLS WORK STYLES

Analyzing Data or Information —

Identifying the underlying principles and

reasons by breaking down information or

data into separate parts.

Active Listening — Paying attention to and

understanding what people are saying,

asking questions as appropriate, and not

interrupting at inappropriate times.

Integrity —Being honest and ethical.

Processing Information — Compiling,

coding, categorizing, calculating,

tabulating, auditing, or verifying

information or data.

Reading Comprehension —

Understanding written sentences and

paragraphs in work-related documents.

Attention to Detail —Being careful

about detail and thorough in

completing work tasks.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers,

or Subordinates — Providing information

in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Complex Problem Solving — Identifying

problems and reviewing information to

develop options and implement solutions.

Analytical Thinking —Analyzing

information and using logic to address

work-related issues and problems.

Getting Information — Observing,

receiving, and otherwise obtaining

information from all relevant sources.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and

reasoning to identify the strengths and

weaknesses of alternative solutions,

conclusions or approaches to problems.

Dependability — Being reliable,

responsible, and dependable, and

fulfilling obligations.

Interacting With Computers — Using

computers (including hardware and

software) to program, write software, set

up functions, enter data, or process

information.

Writing — Communicating effectively in

writing as appropriate for the needs of the

audience.

Independence —Developing one's

own ways of doing things, guiding

oneself with little or no supervision

and depending on oneself to get

things done.

Documenting/Recording Information —

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing,

or maintaining information in written or

electronic/magnetic form.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey

information clearly and effectively.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Being

open to change (positive or negative)

and to manage accidents and

uncertainty at work

Interpreting the Meaning of Information

for Others — Translating or explaining

what information means and how it can be

used.

Active Learning — Understanding the

implications of new information for both

current and future problem-solving and

decision-making.

Cooperation — Job requires being

pleasant with others on the job and

displaying a good-natured and

cooperative attitude.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and

Events — Identifying information by

categorizing, estimating, recognizing

differences or similarities, and detecting

changes in circumstances or events.

Judgment and Decision Making —

Considering the relative costs and benefits

of potential actions to choose the most

appropriate one.

Initiative — Job requires a

willingness to take on responsibilities

and challenges.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing

Work — Developing specific goals and

plans to prioritize, organize, and

accomplish your work.

Mathematics — Using mathematics to

solve problems.

Persistence — Job requires

persistence in the face of obstacles.

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General Guidelines

The following are some pointers on how to get the most of your RA position:

1. Communicate well and be responsive

● Check emails daily and respond accordingly

● Reply using the same email thread for related issues

● Report to your supervisor on work progress and updates regularly

● When in doubt, ask for clarification

2. Be organized, self-disciplined, and prepared

● Master the tasks you are working on

● Organize your work so you are ready to report your progress at any time

● Make sure to put all materials back where they belong

3. Be proactive, learning-oriented, and motivated

● Think, give suggestions, and share ideas

● Treat every task as a chance to learn something new and practice your skills

● Seek opportunities to learn

4. Be conscientious and considerate

● Always use your UW email when corresponding about work and especially to staff because they

could then easily identify you by your UW user ID.

● Turn off the lights and electronics when leaving the lab

● Make sure to lock the doors at all times when leaving the lab (even for a quick washroom break)

● Meet deadlines

● Arrive early and start experiments on time

5. Be professional and respectful

● Act as an example for the University of Waterloo

● Study your training manual and know your responsibilities

● Follow departmental policy at all times

● Treat others in the department with courtesy

● Consider how your actions might impact others

● Respect others’ time

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Preparing for your first day

TCPS 2 CORE Tutorial

All researchers in Canada running studies with human participants have a standardized code of ethics.

You must complete the ethics training tutorial before running any experiments. The TCPS 2 CORE

certificate is typically submitted when signing up for the RA Training Workshop. You will not be

provided with a SONA researcher account until you have submitted this certificate.

Link to the TCPS 2 Core Tutorial: http://pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education/tutorial-didacticiel/

Lab Keys

To access the research areas in PAS (as well as relevant lab rooms), you must request a key permit:

1. Submit an email containing your full name (as it appears on Quest), your UW student ID, and

your full UW email address to your supervisor

2. When notified via email, pick up your key permit slip from Fiona McAlister (the

Administrative Assistant) in PAS 3020

3. Submit your key permit at Key Control (located in the General Services Complex)

4. Return your keys to the Administrative Assistant when your key permit expires (the date will

be on your key permit slip). If you need to extend your key permit, let your supervisor know.

Room and Equipment Booking

Each lab has their own procedures for booking rooms/equipment. However, there are a few general

points to follow:

1. Navigate to the booking calendar for your lab. This may be a shared Google Calendar, or a

printed sheet on the lab door.

2. Select a timeslot when the room will be available. Remember to allow yourself ample time to set

up the lab room/equipment.

3. Continue to select timeslots until you have reached your desired number of hours for the week.

4. Be considerate and do not pre-book excessively. It is recommended to book no more than 2

weeks in advance, but lab protocols vary.

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Printing Study Materials

When your Nexus account is created (the account to log in to school computers), you will have access to a printer

called q_arts in PAS 1099 – there is a real money charge to print to the q_arts printer.

Adding a lab printer

!! DO NOT use the "Add Printer" wizard !!

Follow these steps while logged into a Nexus station in Psych:

1. Double-click on the "Psych Shortcuts" icon/folder on your desktop

2. Double-click "Printer Setups"

3. Double-click on the printer you would like to install

a. The printer name is usually on a yellow sticky note on the top of the printer.

b. You can specify your default printer by going into 'Start/Devices and Printers', right-

clicking on the printer name and selecting 'Set as Default Printer'.

If it asks you for a password at any point, when specifying your user ID, enter 'nexus\YOURUSERID' (all

lowercase) along with your Nexus password.

Only faculty, staff, grads, RAs, or others associated with a group in Psychology will be able to browse

the "Psych Shortcuts" folder. If you cannot access “Psych Shortcuts”, ensure that your supervisor has

sent your UW userID and full name to the Psychology IT Request Tracker at PsychIT@uwaterloo.ca.

If you have problems printing

Computer related notices are in the top-right corner of the beeHive

(http://beehive.uwaterloo.ca/). Check there first if you have any printing or computer issues.

First ensure it is not a problem with the printer itself - turn the printer off, wait about 40 seconds,

and turn it on again. If the printer still does not work, try removing and re-adding the printer:

1. To delete a printer, from the Start Menu, select "Start / Printers and Faxes" and then right-click on

the printer you want to remove and select "Delete"

2. To re-add the printer, follow the steps above.

Large amounts of printing

For large amounts of printing, for example consent forms, feedback letters, etc., contact the Support

Services Assistant, Helen Simon (PAS 3017) at hsimon@uwaterloo.ca. Please be specific in your

printing requests; for example:

“We would like to have everything printed by May 27th (Tue). 7 pages, 150 copes in total, single-

sided, black & white, each copy collated & stapled”

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Photocopying

There is a photocopier located on the 3rd floor (PAS 3023). You will need to enter your UW username,

as well as an access code and a password. Please ask your supervisor for these codes when needed.

The lab printers are for research purposes only. Please DO NOT print any of your personal course

materials.

IT Support

Any IT requests (e.g., software requests/issues or hardware issues) can be sent to the Psychology IT Request

Tracker queue at PsychIT@uwaterloo.ca.

If you require further assistance, e-mail Bill Eickmeier (PAS 4008), at bee@uwaterloo.ca, Michael Wagoner

(PAS 4006) at mwagoner@uwaterloo.ca or Prath Balasingam (PAS 3030) at pbalasin@uwaterloo.ca.

For information on how you can save files and how to recover files from backups, you may also refer to

the "Psych Nexus Notes" link on the beeHive (http://beehive.uwaterloo.ca/nexus/usernotes.html). You

can check the top-right corner for any computer-related notices.

Also, please remember to leave the computers on 24/7 and logout each night before you leave as nightly

updates and backups must be carried out.

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Payroll Information (for Paid RAs)

Instructions for registering with Human Resources:

Go to the UW HR website for general information - https://uwaterloo.ca/human-resources/

1. Click on ‘Pay Administration’

2. Click on ‘Payroll Forms’:

https://uwaterloo.ca/human-resources/pay-administration/payroll-forms

3. Print and complete the following:

a. Casual new hire form

b. Direct deposit form

c. Federal TD1 form

d. Ontario TD1 form

Then attach a 'void' personal cheque and submit the forms to Katy McEwen (PAS 3027), the Research

Finance Coordinator.

The forms will be processed with Human Resources, and they will set you up on the payroll system and

issue you a Payroll ID# (process takes 2-3 days). You are responsible to look up your Payroll ID# by

logging on to myHRinfo (using your user ID and password). This # must be entered on future Casual

Pay Request Forms.

Submitting Casual Pay Request Forms

1. Check with your supervisor (graduate student or supervising faculty) regarding how to track

your hours worked

2. Print and complete Casual Payment Form (follow above instructions to find forms)

3. Once you have your Payroll ID#, you do not need to fill out your SIN and banking

information on these forms

4. Fill in the Dates, Department, Payroll ID#, Name, Dates Worked, Description of Work, Rate

of Pay, Number of hours Worked, and Gross amount

5. Your Faculty Supervisor must complete the Accounting Flexfield and sign the Authorization

portion of the form

6. Bring the completed form to the Research Finance Coordinator (PAS 3027)

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SONA GUIDE FOR RAS

SONA is the software researchers use to manage student sign ups for paid studies and studies for credits

towards course grades. As an RA, you will use this website to create and manage timeslots for studies.

SONA website: https://uwaterloo.sona-systems.com/

Logging In

The SONA log-in page has three parts:

● Announcements

● Important Dates

● Log-in Area

Announcements

Announcements should be checked every time you login. There are different types of announcements,

such as announcements for participants, researchers, or RAs. Action may need to be taken if the

announcements apply to you.

Important Dates

Important dates are listed as they occur throughout the term. Meeting dates and other notes will be listed

here as well. It is important that you take note of these dates. Here is a guideline of the important dates

pertaining to SONA:

SONA opens, Phase 1 (Prescreen & Mass Testing) – 8:30am, first day of lectures

SONA opens, Phase 2 (Credit & Pay Studies) – 10 days later approximately

SONA closes (Credit & Pay Studies) – 5:00pm, last day of lectures

Log-In Area

The log-in area is where you will input your Quest User ID (e.g., j2smith) and password to gain access

to the SONA system.

First Log-In

When you first log in, you will see the Human Subject and Privacy Policy Notice. Read through this and

acknowledge the policies at the bottom of the page.

After your first log-in, you MUST change your password using the temporary password provided in the

e-mail with your SONA researcher account information from REG admin. To do this, click “My

Profile” on the home screen or at the top of the page.

Note: Make sure the alternate e-mail address you enter is your uwaterloo.ca e-mail address. ORE

only allows uwaterloo.ca addresses on SONA.

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Features of SONA

There are many features on SONA. Here is a quick summary:

My Studies – Shows all the studies associated with your account (only APPROVED and ACTIVE

studies are visible to participants. If your study is NOT APPROVED or INACTIVE, advise your

supervisor.)

All Studies – Displays all currently active studies (including studies with other researchers)

Add New Study – Only used by researchers

Prescreen Results – Only useful for researchers (or to confirm participants’ IDs)

My Profile – To change your password, lab room, or phone number

Frequently Asked Questions – Very useful for researchers and research assistants

You can quickly access these features either from the home page or at the top menu bar of every page.

How to Create/Edit Timeslots

For LAB studies:

You have two options: 1. Create multiple consecutive timeslots, or 2. Copy timeslots from one week to

another.

1. Create multiple consecutive timeslots

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the home page or the top menu bar

b. Find the active and approved study you would like to create timeslots for and click on

“Timeslots”

or

use the “Study Menu” drop down list and select “View/Administer Time Slots”

At the upper right side of the page, click “Add Multiple Timeslots”

c. Fill out the following form:

i. Number of Timeslots – This is the number of consecutive timeslots to be posted

ii. Date – Day of the timeslots to occur

iii. Start Time – The time the first timeslot is to occur

iv. Free Time between Slots – If needed, you can add free time between timeslots

(Therefore a timeslot duration = study duration +/- free time)

v. Number of Participants – Maximum number of participants for each timeslot

vi. Location – Where the participant meets the researcher/RA. It is important to see FAQ #1

for the approved location text. This can be accessed from the top menu bar under “FAQ”

vii. Researcher – Name of the researcher/RA running the session. The researcher for each

timeslot can be updated later

d. Click “Add”

i. Click “Add Selected Time slots”

2. Copy timeslots from one week to another

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the Home page or the top menu bar

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b. Find the active and approved study you would like to create timeslots for and click on

“Timeslots”

c. At the upper right side of the page, click “Add Multiple Timeslots”

d. Select which weeks to copy to and from

e. Click “Add”

f. All timeslots are shown, not just your own. So in “Add this study?”, click “No” to all

timeslots but your own

For ONLINE studies:

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the Home page or the top menu bar.

b. Find the study you would like to create timeslots for and click on “Timeslots”

c. At the upper right side of the page, click “Add a Timeslot”

Create a timeslot for multiple participant sign-ups and set the final participation date (the

deadline to complete the online study)

Note: There are no longer two different deadlines for credit and paid studies at the end of the

term. Sona closes at 5 pm for both paid and credit studies on the last day lectures.

Manual Sign-Ups

This is used for rescheduling or creating timeslots to accommodate participants’ special requests, etc.

Participants may request a day/time that is not offered in the current timeslots, or you may need to

reschedule someone from a timeslot you cancelled, or replace a “registration” timeslot with the actual

timeslot, etc.

Manual sign-up allows you to create a timeslot and help a participant sign-up for it, to prevent someone

else from signing up for it.

To do this:

a. Create the timeslot following the steps above

b. Click on “Modify” for the specific timeslot to manually sign-up a participant

c. Scroll down to “Manual Sign-Ups”

i. For the “Username” option, enter participant’s Quest User ID

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ii. For “ID Code” option, enter participant’s Sona ID (6-digit number)

Note: Very few participants know their Sona ID. It is different from their regular

student ID (8-digits)

Cancellations

If at all possible, avoid cancelling timeslots! Alternatives to cancelling timeslots can be to find another

RA to run your timeslot and contacting the participant earlier to reschedule their timeslot. Below are

instructions on how to cancel a timeslot depending on whether participant(s) already signed up.

Empty timeslots

If the timeslot is empty, with no participant signed up, you can cancel the timeslot by following these

steps:

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the Home page or the top menu bar

b. Click on “Timeslots” under the study that the timeslot being cancelled is for

c. Click on “Modify” for the specific timeslot to be cancelled

d. Click on “Delete” and confirm the deletion when SONA prompts you to do so

Participant has signed up

If the participant has signed up and you need to cancel…

1. …more than 24 business hours before the timeslot is to occur:

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the Home page or the top bar

b. Click on “Timeslots” under the study that the timeslot to be cancelled is for

c. Click on “Modify” for the specific timeslot to be cancelled

d. Click on “Cancel”.

e. You MUST enter a message to participant. This is MANDATORY

i. Explain, apologize, offer help in rescheduling if needed.

2. …less than 24 business hours before the timeslot is to occur:

Note: This is to be followed only as a last resort and you will have to grant the participant

credits. The best solution is to find another researcher to run the study instead

a. Click on “My Studies” from either the Home page or the top bar

b. Click on “Timeslots” under the study

c. Click on “Modify” for the specific timeslot

d. Click on “Contact” for the participant signed up.

e. Click “Participated” to grant full credit for the study

f. In the comments, write “Study cancelled, credit granted”

g. Explain, apologize, and notify that the credit will be granted

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Exceptions

There are certain exceptions to cancellations (if there are, your supervisor will let you know), such as

dyadic studies, where you only have one participant signed up and you need two participants to run the

study. In this case, try to contact the participant ahead of time to reschedule them. If the participant

agrees to be rescheduled, you do not need to grant the credit even though it is done less than 24 business

hours ahead.

Make sure you still enter a message to the participant saying “Rescheduled – (New Date and Time)”.

When in doubt, always write a message to the participant and add a comment. The REG admin reads

these messages and this will properly communicate to the REG admin what you are doing.

Granting Credits You must grant credits on the day of participation.

Full Credits

Full credits are granted on one of two conditions:

1. Upon completion of the study

2. Upon withdrawal from the study

● If participants start the study and after a while say the study/task/topic is bothering them,

upsetting them, or is too difficult for them, they are allowed to withdraw and receive full

credits (unless the study is approved for a pro-rating system, see below)

● With withdrawals, participants must do more than just show up and sign the consent

form. They must have demonstrated some attempt to do the study. If they say they are

tired or unwell, ask them to reschedule

Pro-rated Credits

Upon approval from the ethics committee, some studies have a pro-rating system in which participants

will get the amount of credit based on how much time or the number of tasks they have completed.

Check with your supervisor about it before giving pro-rated credits.

Partial Credits

If a study runs over time due to reasons outside the participants control, grant 0.5 extra credits. Reasons

can be that the participant arrives on time, but the lab/program/RA is not ready to start, or there are

technical difficulties.

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Marking No-Shows If a participant arrives more than 10 minutes late, and you could not run them (or they contacted you

later):

a. Click “Modify” for the timeslot

b. Select “Excused” under “No-Show” column (at least they eventually showed up)

c. Add in a comment “Arrived too late to participate”

d. Click “Update Sign-Ups”

If a participant arrives more than 10 minutes late (without contacting you) or not at all:

a. Click “Modify” for the timeslot

b. Select “Unexcused” under “No-Show” column

c. Click “Update Sign-Ups”

Note: If a participant contacts you to explain/apologize within 24 hours, you may (if you wish) excuse

their no-show. After 3 “Unexcused No-Shows”, SONA will deny the participant access to studies.

“Excused No-Shows” do not count towards this limit, but the REG Coordinator will track participants

who are taking advantage and will shut them down.

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End-of-Term Maintenance Before SONA closes, for both Credit and Pay studies:

All LAB and ONLINE timeslots must be closed out

Notify REG Coordinator if you are finished with your RA account, or anytime you

change/add labs

If you intend to continue RA work, keep your account active

Important Things to Remember

Check the front page of SONA frequently for announcements and act upon them if

required

Proper format of the location for the study

Grant credits within 24 hours upon study completion

Avoid last minute cancellations

Participants have until 9pm on the previous business day to cancel their timeslots

themselves

Check FAQ page (accessed on the home page or top menu bar) if unsure of

cancellation policies

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GENERAL LAB STUDY PROTOCOL

The following are the guidelines you must follow when running a study as an RA. Remember, however,

that these steps are general in nature and that your supervisor will give you more specific instructions.

Research Integrity

Remember that information gathered in studies in any form is to be kept confidential between

researchers and the participant. The general principles of integrity include: honesty, trust, fairness,

respect, and responsibility. According to Waterloo research ethics, the below are considered research

misconduct:

● False recording

● Manipulation of reporting of information

● Unauthorized use of confidential research results of others

For more information, visit: https://uwaterloo.ca/research/office-research-ethics

Ethics

Research conducted in the Department of Psychology follows the ethical guidelines set out in the Tri-

Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans 2nd edition (TCPS 2), and

the University of Waterloo’s Statement on Human Research and its Guidelines for Research with

Human Participants. As mentioned before, access to SONA is contingent upon completion of the CORE

tutorial.

For more information, check out the REG ethics guideline:

https://uwaterloo.ca/research-experiences-group/researchers/reg-ethics-guidelines

RAs will be dealing with confidential information. For specific guidelines, you can visit the following

links about information security and confidentiality:

https://uwaterloo.ca/information-systems-technology/about/policies-standards-and-

guidelines/security/information-security-research

https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-8

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Meeting Participants for Lab Studies Go to the designated location, waiting area/lab room, on time.

If the participant is there, confirm their identity on SONA by:

a. Confirming their SONA ID number

b. Or confirm other contact information (select the timeslot, click “Modify”, then “View

Prescreen” on SONA) such as:

i. Name

ii. Phone number

iii. E-mail

Note: If the participant does not match the information that you tried to confirm, do NOT run your study

with them. They are not your participant and another researcher should be expecting them. If they have

been waiting for more than 10 minutes, try and help them find their study by:

i. Letting them log into their SONA account in your lab

ii. Send them to see REG Coordinator (PAS 3006)

iii. Ask them to complete a “Researcher Not Found” form

If the participant is less than 10 minutes late, you must either:

Do the above, run the participant and grant full credit or

Do the above, dismiss the participant and grant full credit (e.g., if your study does not

allow participants to be 10 minutes late)

If a participant arrives more than 10 minutes late, see marking no shows (on p.17).

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Overview of Running a Study

1. Prepare materials and check for sign-ups

2. Greet the participant

3. Go over the consent letter

4. Administer the study

5. Debrief the participant when study is completed (*collect debriefing consent if deception was used*)

6. Clean up the lab

Preparing for the Study

1. The night before, or morning of, you should check SONA for any possible timeslots for the day. By

default participants have until 9pm the night before to sign up.

Note: Studies can be set up to give you e-mail notifications whenever there is a sign-up or

cancellation, but you should always check the timeslots to be sure.

2. Make sure you have the needed materials: consent letters, debriefing letters, receipts, and any extra

materials necessary for the study

3. Arrive 10-15 minutes early to prepare the lab room.

4. Check SONA to find out who is signed up for your study (details in the SONA section above)

Greeting the Participant

Go to your waiting area (see procedures above regarding “Meeting participants for lab study” on p. 20)

Check at the scheduled time and if they are not there, come back in a few minutes and stay in the waiting

room.

○ You must wait at least 10 minutes before assigning them an “Unexcused No-Show”.

Greet them politely and bring them to your room.

○ Remember that these are people, not objects, so treat them as such

Consent Letters

Once the participant is in your lab, you must have them read the consent letter. A typical consent letter

mentions who the researchers are, what the study is trying to find, what the participants will be doing,

and information regarding ethics. The participant must read and sign it. This is very important for the

research process.

Debriefing

Debriefing will be done when the study has finished. This is especially important when deception has

been used. Debriefing for deception studies includes an apology, reveals the purpose of the study, and

explains why the deception was necessary. Debriefing information may include emergency contact

numbers and references for additional information.

If deception is involved, participants will then be asked to sign the Post-Debriefing Consent Form. This

can be found here:

22

https://uwaterloo.ca/research/office-research-ethics/research-human-participants/application-

process/samples-and-other-supporting-materials/information-consent-samples

Paid Studies

You need to fill out a receipt form and have the participant sign it.

The receipt can be found here:

https://uwaterloo.ca/finance/sites/ca.finance/files/uploads/files/ParticipantRemunerationandS

elfDeclarationFormFinal.pdf

Note: If you need detailed participant payment procedures and explanations, you can refer to UW

Finance:

https://uwaterloo.ca/finance/guidance-procedures/procedures-info/remuneration-research-

participants

Important Things to Remember

● Make sure to get the consent before starting the study, and explain the purpose after the study

● If participants have questions you do not know the answer to, say you do not know (and check with your

supervisor).

○ Do not make something up, it could affect the results

● If anything unusual happens during the study, make note of it

● The participant can leave at any time, you cannot force them to continue if they do not want to

23

DEPARTMENT STAFF CONTACTS

Fiona McAlister Administrative

Assistant fmcalister@uwaterloo.ca PAS 3020

519-888-4567

x32547

Prath Balasingam IT Specialist pbalasin@uwaterloo.ca PAS 3030 519-888-4567

x30162

Bill Eickmeier IT Specialist bee@uwaterloo.ca PAS 4008 519-888-4567

x36638

Michael Wagoner IT Specialist mwagoner@uwaterloo.ca PAS 4006 519-888-4567

x35669

Michelle Manios REG Coordinator regadmin@uwaterloo.ca PAS 3006 591-888-4567

x32690

Katy McEwen Research Finance

Coordinator katy.mcewen@uwaterloo.ca PAS 3027

519-888-4567

x38582

Helen Simon Support Service Staff hsimon@uwaterloo.ca PAS 3017 519-888-4567

x32813

Contacts for Posting Posters

Refer to the table below for information regarding the relevant contacts for permission to put up posters

advertising studies around campus:

Accounting and Finance

Student Association (AFSA) HH

*Please visit their office for more information in

order to put up posters in Hagey Hall (new wing)

Applied Health Sciences

Undergraduate Members

(AHSUM)

BMH 1039 ahsum@mailservices.uwaterloo.ca

Arts Students’ Society (ASU) AL 120 asu-admin@asu.uwaterloo.ca

Engineering Society (EngSoc) Carl Pollock Hall engsocstaff@engsoc.uwaterloo.ca

Environment Students’ Society

(ESS) EV1 138A environment.student.society@uwaterloo.ca

Mathematics Society

(MathSoc) MC 3038 mathsoc@mathsoc.uwaterloo.ca

Science Society (SciSoc) PHY 345 scisoc@uwaterloo.ca

24

Other Booking Procedures

Display Booths in the Student Life Center

At least one week in advance:

1. Contact staff through email: slc.bookings@uwaterloo.ca

2. Provide your study’s ORE #

3. Provide a brief description of your study

4. Request a maximum of 3 time frames per lab per month

5. Choose from time frames 10am-2pm or 2pm-6pm

Display booths in the Davis Center/Dana Porter Library

At least one week in advance:

1. Go to - http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/displays/request.html

2. Fill in the form

3. Provide your study’s ORE # (state that your study has been ethically approved)

4. Include exact locations, dates, times requested in the description box

6. Also provide a brief description of your study

5. List number desks/chairs needed

*Limitation to Dana Porter bookings: 2 hours per day

Note: When emailing any on-campus liaison, please ensure that you use your UW email address (eg.

johnsmith@uwaterloo.ca) since this is able to confirm your identity to whoever you are contacting.

Booking other rooms in PAS or Arts buildings for research/lab meeting purposes

In order to book a room in PAS, you need to provide the following information and email it to Katy

McEwen at katy.mcewen@uwaterloo.ca or at PAS 3027:

Room Booking Request

Course/Event: _____________

Name/Lab: _____________

Date(s): _____________

Begin/End: _____________

No. of seats: _____________

Flexible with Date and Time: Y / N

Building: _____________

Projector in room: Y / N

Portable project needed: Y / N

Laptop needed: Y / N