#  LISTING A STUDY 

 



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**The Harvard Psychology Study Pool** was developed specifically for the psychology department faculty, post-doctoral students, graduate students, undergraduate thesis writers, and Board of Honors Tutors (specifically for student projects) **who have a direct connection to a professor or supervisor in the psychology department.**

## Before you begin

Submit your study for approval to the **Committee on the Use of Human Subjects** (CUHS).

- Include the [**Study Pool Application**](https://studypool.psychology.fas.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum9611/files/psych-study-pool/files/07_23_2020_application_for_sona_recruitment.docx)
- Include the [**Debriefing Form**](https://studypool.psychology.fas.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum9611/files/psych-study-pool/files/sample_debriefing_form.docx) (only if there is deception in the study)
- Include **Harvard Special Determinations:** Psychology Study Pool
- Include **Special Populations:** Children, Minors, or Summer School Students

## Post your study in SONA

**Important Policy Note:** We now **only support paid studies**. When creating a new study, you must select the **Payment** option. Studies set up for **Credit** will not be approved.

### Step 1: Log In and Select Study Type

- **Access the System:** Log in to the SONA site using your researcher credentials.
- **Initiate Study Creation:** Select **Add New Study** from the top toolbar.
- **Select Study Type:** Choose from **Standard (Lab)**, **Multi-part Standard**, **Online Internal Survey**, or **Online External Study**.
- **Set Compensation:** You will be prompted to choose between **Credit** or **Payment**. You **must select Payment**. Note that this selection is permanent and cannot be changed once the study is created.

### Step 2: Enter Basic Study Information

- **Identify the Study:** Enter a unique **Study Name** and a **Brief Abstract**. For paid studies, it is beneficial to include compensation details in the abstract (e.g., "Participants will receive a $10 gift card").
- **Detailed Description:** Provide a full explanation of the study tasks for participants to review before signing up.
- **Eligibility and Preparation:** List any physical or demographic requirements in the **Eligibility Requirements** field and any necessary pre-study actions in the **Preparation** field.
- **Logistics:** Define the **Duration** in minutes and the **Payment** value. The payment field is text-based, allowing you to enter specific amounts (e.g., "$15") or descriptions (e.g., "Amazon Gift Card").
- **Personnel:** Select the **Researcher(s)** and the **Principal Investigator (PI)**.

### Step 3: Regulatory and Access Details

- **IRB Compliance:** Enter your **IRB Approval Code** and **Expiration Date**. The system will automatically deactivate the study once this date passes.
- **Initial Status:** Set **Approved?** to **No** (pending administrator review). Set **Active Study?** to **Yes** so it becomes available to participants immediately upon approval.
- **External Links:** For online external studies, paste your survey link into the **Study URL** field.

### Step 4: Advanced Settings and Saving

- **Apply Restrictions:** Use **Pre-Requisites**, **Disqualifiers**, or **Course Restrictions** to control who can sign up based on their participation history or enrollment.
- **Save Configuration:** Click **Add This Study** to save your work and move to the Study Information page.

### Step 5: Submit for Approval

- **Request Approval:** On the Study Information page, locate the **Study Status** section and click **Send Request**.
- **Provide Documentation:** Use the form to send a message to the administrator. You must upload your IRB approval letter as an attachment (5MB maximum) or send a PDF of your IRB approval letter to <studypool@wjh.harvard.edu>
- **Await Notification:** You will receive an email once the administrator has reviewed and approved your study.

### Step 6: Add Timeslots (Required for Visibility)

- **Navigate to Timeslots:** Approved studies are only visible to participants once available slots are added.
- **Add Slots:** Select **View/Administer Timeslots** from the **Study Menu**, then click **Add A Timeslot**.
    - **Lab Studies:** Enter the date, time, location, and capacity for each session.
    - **Online Studies:** Create a single timeslot with the total participant capacity and set the date/time to the final participation deadline for the term.



 

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 Attachments- [  description  Study Pool Application rev. 07/2020 ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9611/files/psych-study-pool/files/07_23_2020_application_for_sona_recruitment.docx)
- [  description  Debriefing Form (include as needed, this is a sample) ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9611/files/psych-study-pool/files/sample_debriefing_form.docx)
- [  picture\_as\_pdf  Correspondence from the IRB (this is an example) ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9611/files/psych-study-pool/files/sample_correspondence_for_irb15-2388_form.pdf)
 
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