16 ways to participate in research studies offered online

If you like the basic idea of ​​doing surveys for cash but want to take it to another level and earn more, you can consider participating in paid research studies online and in online focus groups.

There are many different types of paid research studies available, but most fit more broadly into two main categories: medical and psychological. Some studies, especially medical ones, require you to travel to a specific location, but a significant amount of psychological research these days is conducted remotely!

Most studies don’t take a lot of time – perhaps a few hours a week for a short period, or even just one afternoon – but the pay can be quite good. It’s not at all uncommon to earn $50 to $100 an hour, and many universities transfer funds through PayPal for distance learning, so it’s usually pretty easy to get your money.

Before you read the list below, I recommend getting our weekly work at home newsletter list! I send you new ideas every week.

How to participate in research studies

This is quite simple. From the list below, click on the links to the panel or panels you are interested in joining

Usually you need to create an account and then confirm your details

After that, you can just log in and see what research studies or focus groups are available to try. Sometimes these places will email you with the opportunity, but I recommend logging in daily to check if they don’t.

Where to get paid to study research online

Below, we’ve put together a list of universities and other organizations that often seek paid research participants, most of which have easily accessible sign-up forms for online studies. But remember, just because you signed up, doesn’t mean you’ll be selected.

1 – Respondent

This company conducts online research for various industry professionals. You can study from anywhere in the world and many of them pay upwards of $100. Payment is made through PayPal. You won’t get selected for every study you try to qualify for, but get accepted once a month to earn some nice extra money here. So we do not recommend this site!

Go here to join Answerer, or read our Answerer review.

2 – User interviews

This company has a range of studies on an ongoing basis. They are hosted by top organizations and aim to help influence the products and services of tomorrow You can usually earn $50 to $100 (or more) for the time you spend. Most studies are conducted online and the amount you make depends on the complexity and length of the study. Another very similar to the answer (above) that we highly recommend!

Go here to join a user interview or read our user interview review.

3 – 20|20 panel

This panel has been around for years and years! They are definitely legit, and most of their studies pay you $50 to $150 for your participation. Although I have never been selected for anything from here, I know someone who has been and this person enjoyed the experience and was instantly rewarded. They are one of the market research focus groups, asking you primarily about the brand.

You can read our 20|20 Panel review, or Go here to sign up.

4 – Carnegie Mellon University

According to the participant sign-up page, “For online studies, participants will typically be compensated with an online gift card within one to two weeks of study completion. Payments for online studies are typically around $8 per hour, or participants may be entered into a lottery for a chance to win a large prize.”

Among the university paid research study panels, it has one of the most straightforward sign-up pages

go here To sign up with Carnegie Mellon University.

5 – Columbia Business School

According to the website, the average payment rate is $16/hour. Most studies last 15-45 minutes, so a typical payment can be between $5 – $12.

go here To sign up with Columbia Business School.

6 – ELAB at Yale School of Management

Elab at Yale School of Management – ​​In exchange for your participation in their study, you can enter a prize drawing and also receive an Amazon voucher.

Most of their studies are in person, but they may occasionally have some that are conducted online.

go here To sign up with eLab.

7 – Johnson Cornell University

All studies pay in cash, online cash transfer, or gift card or prize lottery.

go here Johnson to sign up with Cornell.

8 – Kellogg School of Management

Online studies can compensate up to $17/hour and virtual studies can compensate up to $20-25. Payment can be in the form of an Amazon gift card.

go here To sign up with the Kellogg School of Management.

9 – Kent State University Psychology Research

Kent State University Psychology Research – Anyone can get money to study research online with Kent State. Much of this will be paid to study psychology.

go here To sign up with Kent State.

10 – MIT Behavioral Research Lab

You can participate in online psychology research studies with MIT. Participants are typically compensated with cash or gift certificates. See individual study details for specific payment amounts. According to the site, you’ll typically earn $12 to $20 per hour studying online.

go here To sign up with the MIT Behavioral Research Lab.

11 – University of Colorado at Boulder

They have several research studies open that you can participate in at any time. Many can be completed online. However, it is not entirely clear whether you need to be a local resident to complete these. Payment methods vary, but Amazon and Visa gift cards seem to be common.

go here To sign up with the University of Colorado at Boulder.

12 – MIT Agelab

You must first create an account to become a research volunteer, and then they say they will contact you about the current study, including eligibility to participate and compensation offered.

go here To sign up with MIT Agelab.

13 – Field work

This company has focus groups you can attend in person at various locations across the US. Most major cities have one. You can earn around $75 for your time.

go here To sign up with Fieldwork.

14 – Focus groups

It’s a panel at Schlesinger that conducts focus groups about the products and services you’re using. Opportunities are available online, in person and through phone focus groups. Focus Group will pay you in rewards points that you can exchange for a Visa debit card.

go here To sign up with a focus group.

15 – Voice of the rare patient

This site contains a lot of research in the medical field. Most of them pay you $100 if you qualify. Most of these focus groups seem to be conducted by phone.

go here To sign up with Rare Patient Voice.

16 – FocusGroups.org

This company does not conduct focus groups themselves, rather they list those that are open and available through other companies. I’ve heard good things about becoming a member here if you’re looking for studies to actively participate in, so be sure to sign up with them if you want to do it regularly. FocusGroups.org is definitely legit and we recommend creating an account here.

go here To sign up with FocusGroups.org.

Tips for Success in Online Research Studies

If you want to participate in a research study and get paid, the first thing to remember is that it won’t make you rich or replace your day job.

That said, you can make really good extra money doing this. You can earn much more with survey panels, reward sites and other types of side earners.

If you want to be successful and make as much extra as possible (probably hundreds of extra per month), I recommend:

• Staying on top of what education is available. Check these sites daily to see what you can try to qualify for
• Please fill out your profile completely on this site. The more these panels know about you and your specific demographics and preferences, the more likely you are to find a study for which you are a good fit.
• Not to be a flake. If you’re accepted to be part of a study, follow up and do the phone call, online survey, or in-person interview as you said you would. You don’t pay if you don’t do what you say.
• Don’t let yourself be fooled! Although the opportunities I listed above are legitimate, you can find many online that are not If something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t register for it.

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Hope you find the above list helpful if you are interested in becoming a volunteer for a research study. Remember that you may have to sign up for several studies to be selected, but if you are interested enough to persist, your efforts will pay off in the end.

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Anna Thurman is a home blogger and mother of two. He has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 13 years. His results are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.