Preference for Flexibility of Workers in Online Platforms

Current Status (November 2023)

This study explores the preferences and perceptions of individuals using online platforms for work purposes.

Data collection is in progress, and invitations to participate are being sent via direct messages.

However, because of the high level of scams on the internet, some individuals perceive the invitation as suspicious. 

This page was created to provide additional information about the study and the legitimacy of the invitation.

Ethical Requirements

This study was approved by the Georgia State University Internal Review Board (IRB) on July 12, 2021.

IRB approval is required for any study that directly collects data from individuals.

IRB approval implies that the study meets the University’s requirements. Examples of requirements include ethical considerations, participant confidentiality, and principles such as respect and no harm upon participation.

NOTE: The data collection is temporarily paused. The Principal Investigator has moved to a new institution (Virginia Commonwealth University) and needs to obtain a new IRB approval in order to resume the study. 

What’s on the Study?

The study consists of rounds where participants choose between lotteries A or B (as in a game) and take a short survey. Participants take less than 20 minutes to answer all questions and receive a monetary reward at the end.

Invitations are always sent one week in advance, and participants must book a time to participate.

The study occurs on a website and is entirely online. There is no interaction between participants. Finally, no identifiable information is collected.

Why is there a Monetary Reward?

At the end of the study, participants receive a monetary reward ranging from 8 to 45 US dollars.

The exact value of the reward is defined by a random selection of one of the choices during the study. As such, it varies from person to person and cannot be determined beforehand.

The monetary reward is possible because the study is funded by an Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Dissertation Grant.

All the money must be used to reward participants and nothing else.

Who Gets the Invitation?

A long data collection process occurred before invitations were sent. This process generated a bank of active profiles in the platforms. From this data, profiles are randomly selected for invitation. All invitations are sent through direct messages on the platforms.

Other Questions?

Please reach out to me at nazarenoll@vcu.edu