Explore Our Range of Expert Talks on Cutting-Edge Online Research Methods
Choose from any of the following talks, or feel free to request a custom talk designed to meet your particular needs/interests!
Error Detected: How Inaccurate Survey Responses Can Mislead Science, Policy, Business, and Society
The fact that survey data are not error-free is unsurprising, yet the extent to which errors have influenced results and mislead society and policymakers is alarming. In this talk, we will address the issue of online survey fraud, a significant challenge in social science research. This phenomenon, originating from various locations globally including India, Bangladesh, and other countries, has led to widespread misinformation on topics such as teen behavior, COVID-19, and political polarization. A highlight of the talk will involve video interviews with fraudulent respondents from organized survey farms, illustrating the nature of this problem. These insights will help us understand the challenges posed by online survey fraud and explore potential solutions. Attendees will come away with a much richer awareness of the sources and consequences of online survey fraud, and a deeper familiarity with the tools that are available to mitigate against it. … (show more)
Exploring the Frontier of Online Research: From Intensive Longitudinal Methods to Interactive and Dyadic Designs
What is the most effective way to collect data from participants playing competitive games together online? How can researchers assess a romantic couple’s attitudes towards division of labor without bringing the couple in to the lab? This talk delves into the evolving landscape of behavioral science research as it shifts from traditional in-person methods to innovative online platforms. The focus will be on developing robust online research methodologies that go beyond the confines of simple surveys and A/B testing. The presentation will cover a range of methodologies, including longitudinal designs, dyadic studies, interactive studies, video interviews, and more, illustrated with examples from past research.… (show more)
Unraveling Sampling Complexities: From Microtasks to Representativeness
In the diverse world of online research samples, how does a researcher decide whether to use a micro-task platform or a probability sample? What makes a sample “representative”, and when is that important? In this talk, we’ll explore the unique characteristics, strengths, and limitations of various sampling options, providing a comprehensive understanding essential for any researcher conducting online research. Throughout the talk, we’ll provide practical examples and case studies, highlighting the best practices for selecting and utilizing these different sampling options in online research. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or new to the field, this talk will equip you with the knowledge to choose the most appropriate sampling method for your research.… (show more)
Conducting Multinational Research Online: Best practices and Novel AI Tools for Sampling Respondents Beyond the United States
Recruiting participants outside of the United States is critical for cross-cultural research as well as for replicating results on non-Western samples. However, any specific panel, such as Connect or MTurk, will have limited global reach, especially in regions such as Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. In this talk we will discuss specific strategies for recruiting high quality respondents from almost any country. Specific topics discussed in this presentation include utilizing aggregator panels, which leverage multiple platform to increase global research, a review of specific panels that specialize in recruitment from specific countries, and problems and solutions with low data quality when sampling from aggregator panels outside of the United States. We additionally discuss how the novel CloudResearch AI platform, Engage, removes language barriers and increases cultural sensitivity by being able to interactively discuss any topic with respondents in any language. This tool democratizes global research by making costly translation unnecessary, and offers highly effective data quality tools in any language. Lastly, we’ll examine case studies of successful multinational research projects conducted with CloudResearch tools.… (show more)
Clinical Samples: Strategies and Challenges
This talk focuses on the advanced methods of recruiting online research participants for studies requiring specific psychological profiles or clinical attributes (e.g., people reporting depression anxiety, disordered eating, substance abuse, etc.) We’ll explore how Connect’s innovative system enables recruitment of clinical samples using validated clinical assessment scales. For example, researchers could target participants based on their levels of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. It’s also easy to target participants based on their self-reported diagnoses, e.g., participants who smoke or have ADHD. Our talk will also discuss Connect’s quota capabilities, allowing researchers to determine what percent of their sample falls under each category or scale range.… (show more)
Ethical Dilemmas in Online Participant Recruitment: Balancing Flexibility, Fairness, and Research Integrity
This talk will address the ethical concerns surrounding the use of online crowdsourcing platforms for participant recruitment in social science research. Despite their popularity for being flexible, affordable, and reliable these platforms have faced criticism for potentially exploiting financially insecure individuals and offering inhumane wages. We will delve into these ethical issues by discussing findings from two representative probability surveys of the U.S. MTurk population and a corroborative representative study with Connect participants. Our discussion will reveal insights into the financial status of typical participants on crowdsourcing platforms, their experiences regarding stress and treatment by researchers, and the value they place on the platform’s flexibility. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive understanding and foundation for how we think about what’s “fair” in online research.… (show more)
Finding Hard-to-Reach Participants Online: Strategies for Sampling Low Incidence Groups
Over the last two decades, the social and behavioral sciences have increasingly adopted online research methodologies. This shift has dramatically accelerated data collection speeds and facilitated access to diverse and traditionally hard-to-reach populations. However, accessing hard-to-reach participants online can be surprisingly difficult and fraught with challenges of data quality and respondent authenticity. This talk will examine best practices for reaching low incidence rate (IR) online populations. Based on our recent paper titled “Using market-research panels for behavioral science: An overview and tutorial,” published in Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, this talk will address critical issues such as when to use a single platform vs. an aggregator of multiple sample sources to increase reach, how to use in-survey qualifications to reach a targeted demographic, strategies for making sure that participants are who they say they are, as well as many other topics to ensure successful study design. Attendees will come away with a richer understanding of the most up-to-date methods, and the ability to conduct studies targeting many low IR groups, including people with rare health conditions, participants under 18 years old, samples within specific cities or zip codes, culturally and ethnically diverse participants, and international samples in almost any country. … (show more)
Navigating the Academia-to-Industry Transition
Join us for an engaging discussion specifically tailored for PhD students contemplating a career outside academia. This seminar will provide valuable guidance on how to leverage your research skills and academic experience for a successful transition into industry roles. Our expert speakers, who have successfully made this shift from PhD to industry themselves, will share their personal journeys, highlight the key differences between academic and corporate environments, and offer practical advice on job searching, networking, and adapting to industry culture. Our focus will be on research-focused careers such as research scientists and user-experience (UX) researchers, as well as research-related roles in marketing, public policy, and the government. This talk is an excellent opportunity for PhD students to gain a deeper understanding of the industry landscape, learn how to market their unique skill sets effectively, and prepare for a thriving career in the business world.… (show more)
Research in the Cloud: A Guide to Teaching Research Methods in the 21st Century
This presentation focuses on developing pedagogical tools for teaching students how to conduct behavioral science research online. Designed for instructors in psychology, political science, sociology, marketing, and related fields, the talk is based on CloudResearch’s comprehensive lab manual, ‘Research in the Cloud: A Guide to Online Behavioral Science’ (forthcoming). The authors, who are experienced educators and researchers in online data collection, will cover topics related to how to teach students about issues such as ethically recruiting participants, protecting against data quality challenges like fraud and bots, and building practical skills such as setting up and conducting online studies. Additionally, attendees will learn helpful tips for how to effectively guide students through research tasks such as programming surveys, screening data, and analyzing results.… (show more)
Past Presentations
We have a track record of providing insightful talks at many institutions. Here is a glimpse of the various institutions we’ve already presented to and an example of a past talk.
