5 Reasons to Take Part in Research

clinical trials, research studies, paid research, focus groups, medical trials, recruit participants, recruiting for research, research recruiting

Why Do You Think People Take Part in Research?

What do you believe is the most popular reason for taking part in research? Most people, researchers and non-researchers alike, would most probably say that the usual cash reward is the most important factor. After all, who wouldn’t like some extra cash, right? Well, what if we told you the main reason for someone taking part in research studies of any kind (behavioural studies, market research or clinical trials) is not the money, but a non-monetary based reason?

Peel and Perry (2006) did some research to understand why 40 people took part in a repeated-interview study exploring newly diagnosed patients’ perceptions of diabetes service provision in Scotland. They found four main reasons for taking part in research:

1) Being recruited by professionals (“the nurse said it would help”),

2) Helping others (“if it can help somebody”),

3) Research being seen as inherently innocuous (“nothing to lose”),

4) Therapeutic aspects of interviewing (“getting it off my chest”).

Non-monetary reasons for taking part in research appear to be the main driver for participating in the first place. These findings by Peel and Perry (2006) are also not unique. Have a look at the references below for a short list of other studies that have similar findings.

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Part in Research

Okay, so we know that it’s not always about the money. That’s great! But, what could be the other non-monetary reasons for taking part in research studies? Well, we’ve created a short list of 5 non-monetary reasons why you should take part in research.

  1. Contribute

There’s a large variety of research studies out there. You can go from taking part in a clinical trial involving the development of a new medical drug, to participating in a market research campaign where you’re involved in testing a new product for a company. In either case, all these research studies represent an opportunity for you to contribute to the fascinating process of making or understanding something better. Your ability to choose to take part in whatever research studies you want, means you can essentially contribute to the things you’re passionate about. For example, if healthcare is your thing, you can actively contribute to this field by participating in research studies involving the development of new healthcare products and services! We all have unique and valuable lived experiences. Sharing these experiences can impact countless lives, by helping to create something new and wonderful through research.

  1. Learn Something New

Research is all about discovery. Researchers are trying to find out something new. When you take part in research, you take part in some of the newest methods used to explore a topic or discipline. For example, say you’re interested in human memory and how it works. Taking part in research studies investigating human memory is your opportunity to explore first-hand, the methods, materials and procedures used to understand this field.

  1. Meet the Researchers

One truly unique benefit of taking part in research that is often overlooked, is being able to meet the actual people behind the research. Researchers are responsible for some of the world’s most beloved things, from life-changing technology to theories that influence policies that directly affect all our lives. Researchers are passionate about what they do and if you take part in a research study on something you’re passionate about too, then the chances are that you’ll both have a stimulating conversation on something meaningful to the both of you.

  1. Be One of the First

As previously mentioned, researchers are trying to discover something. However, sometimes, they’re also trying to create something new in the process. For example, a health and fitness tech company may be trying to understand what factors directly affect how long an individual can sustain a run for. In the process, they develop a new device to track various signals from the body, in order to understand how the body reacts while running. However, when the various versions of this device are produced, they tend to go through various rounds of product testing. This is where you can get involved. Think of some of your most beloved items, mobile phone, computer etc. These all go through multiple rounds of product testing, where people are incentivised to use these products for the first time and give much needed feedback. Not only will you be one of the first people to use potentially world-changing products, but you’ll also be one of the first people to give feedback that could change the future direction of the product.

  1. ThanteX

WeParticipated is home to ThanteX. ThanteX represents all the benefits and advantages of taking part in research only through WeParticipated. These benefits and advantages largely consist of non-monetary reasons. For example, they include:

Community access – engage with other people who share your passion for research,

Greater incentives – you get more than just money for taking part in research,

New experiences – each research study is your opportunity to go on a new adventure,

Beta-testing – be one of the few to test out new products that will change the world,

Knowledge-grabbing – engaging in research studies is another opportunity to learn,

Advancing society – the research you take part in has the potential to change the world,

Saving future lives – you can contribute to research studies focused on saving lives.

You can think of ThanteX as being the reason for taking part in research, because it represents all the beautiful reasons for taking part in research.

References

Peel, E., Parry, O., Douglas, M., & Lawton, J. (2006). “It’s no skin off my nose”: why people take part in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research16(10), 1335-1349.

Clark, T. (2010). On ‘being researched’: Why do people engage with qualitative research? Qualitative Research10(4), 399-419.

Sánchez, S., Salazar, G., Tijero, M., & Diaz, S. (2001). Informed consent procedures: responsibilities of researchers in developing countries. Bioethics15(5‐6), 398-412.

Warburton, J., & Dyer, M. (2004). Older volunteers participating in a university research registry: helping others my age. Educational Gerontology30(5), 367-381.

Lawton, J., Fox, A., Fox, C., & Kinmonth, A. L. (2003). Participating in the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS): a qualitative study of patients’ experiences. British Journal of General Practice53(490), 394-398.

Palmer B, Schlepper L, Hemmings N and Crellin N (2021) The right track: Participation and progression in psychology career paths. Research report, Nuffield Trust.