Note: The information on these pages does NOT pertain to MAR3023. If you have questions about research participation in MAR3023, please contact your professor directly.
1. Am I eligible to earn Class Credit through research?
Some of the Marketing Department courses provide class credits through research participation. If your class is offering such credit, it will be noted in your syllabus. In those courses, you are invited to complete up to 4, half-hour sessions In the syllabus your professor will also indicate what research sessions will translate into in terms of your grade. If you are unsure or have questions, please check your syllabus. You are only eligible to participate and earn points in a given course if the professor or syllabus states so explicitly.
2. How do I earn class credit if I am eligible?
Most research takes place in the Behavioral Lab (BA1-136). This location is indicated in each study sign up (online). Research sessions are typically 30 minutes long, though occasionally longer (or shorter) sessions may be posted. In order to sign up for sessions and begin participating you need to create a profile on the Sona system: https://ucf-marketing.sona-systems.com. **Due to COVID-19 you will be advised if/when research credit sessions are conducted online rather than in person.
3. How do I sign up to complete research for class credit?
First, create a profile on the Sona online experiment system by clicking “Request Account” here: https://ucf-marketing.sona-systems.com Make sure you indicate all the marketing courses you are in that are offering credit through research participation. Check your syllabus if you are unsure.For instructions on using the system, please read the Quick Start Guide (PDF). If you need further help, consult the Complete Instructions (PDF). Once you request an account, your request will be processed and an email confirmation will be sent. The email will include will your ID and password. You can log in and change your password at any time. Be sure to keep your login information handy for use throughout the semester.
4. How much time does it take to earn class credit?
Each lab credit requires completing a 30-minute research session. Credits are pro-rated such that a 15 minute study will give you one half of a credit, a 45 minute study will give you 1.5 credits, and so on. Thus, if you were to earn all 4 credits for your class, this would take you 2 hours. The translation of credits into your grade can vary from course to course, and is specified in your syllabus.
5. Does one credit count for multiple classes?
No. Each credit counts towards only one class. You will indicate which class you want the credit to count towards when you sign up for each study. *This decision cannot be changed* so think carefully which class you allocate credits to.
6. Can I earn partial credit?
Usually in lab studies you need to complete the entire session to earn your credit. However, if you need to leave for an emergency, the researcher on site can help determine if you can receive partial credit. If you complete less than 4 sessions, your professor will give you partial credit toward your grade (based on the number of sessions you did complete), based on the criteria set forth in his/her syllabus. **Due to COVID-19, partial completions online will be considered for partial credit if they pass the attention requirements.
7. Is there a limit to how many studies I can participate in and how many credits I can earn?
The system technically sets no limit. However, professors are not obligated to provide you grade credit for more than 4 sessions per course. If you earn additional credits towards a given course, it is likely that they will not count towards your grade. This does mean that you need to pay attention to which class you are allocating your credits to. Allocations cannot be changed after the fact.
8. I have signed up on the system and have not recieved an email with my password.
First, be sure that you created your profile with your UCF email as the login (and email), and did not accidentally use your PID or NID. Second, be sure to check your junk or spam mail settings. Your account should be set to receive emails from and from “@sona-systems.com” and “mktgresearch@ucf.edu”. Make sure you “white list” these addresses/domain names. If you do not know how to do this on the specific email program you use, please consult a manual, search online, or call tech support.
9. How can I know when there are studies available?
Only students who have created an account on the system will receive study notifications. Notifications will go out a week or so before studies are posted. They will provide information about the dates of upcoming studies. It is recommended that you log into the system and schedule your times as soon after receipt of these emails as possible, as slots tend to fill up quickly. It is also advisable that you log into the system regularly, to see if new studies are posted. **Due to COVID-19, posting and announcement policies of studies may vary. In particular, as studies are run online, they are announced and posted at the same time. Email notifications will be used for such announcements.
10. I am not receiving study announcements and/or study reminders. Why?
Be sure to check your junk or SPAM mail settings. Your account should be set to receive emails from “@sona-systems.com” and from “mktgresearch@ucf.edu”. Make sure you “white list” this domain name. If you do not know how to do this on the specific email program you use, please consult a manual, search online, or call tech support.
11. Where an when do I sign up?
Sign up occurs online, on the Sona-System site: https://ucf-marketing.sona-systems.com Note that you need to create a login for the system by clicking “Request Account”. You cannot use your existing UCF credentials; you need to create an account first. Once you do so, you will receive email notifications about new studies. The most slots are available shortly after such emails are sent. Therefore, we suggest responding to them as promptly as you can by logging onto the system and signing up for available opportunities. You can sign up at any time, up to 24 hours before the study is running.
**When studies are run online, they may similarly have registration limits. Participation is on a first-come, first-serve basis, as in the lab. It is recommended that you log into the Sona system as quickly after the study notification in order to sign up and secure a slot. Once secured, you usually have the day (often 9 a.m.-6 p.m., though this can vary somewhat) to follow the study link and complete the study.
12. How often will studies be available?
You should anticipate that studies will be available a few times during the semester. Studies are posted as needs of researchers arise, therefore, there is no guarantee of when they will come up or exactly how many there will be. Research opportunities can be limited and students will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. This makes it important that you sign up for studies early and often, to ensure you get all the credits you want/need. Waiting until the end of the semester is likely to result in your inability to earn all the credits you want. There will be more than sufficient opportunities for earning credits (even for multiple courses) throughout the semester. However, if you do not take advantage of these opportunities early and often, there is no guarantee you will be able to earn all credits.
13. I need more credits, but there are no studies. What do I do?
If it is relatively early in the semester—wait. Studies will be posted several times throughout the semester. So long as you have created an account on Sona, you will receive email notifications the next time studies are posted. If it is late in the semester – you may have missed the boat. If you have waited to start earning credits until the end of the semester, you will have only whatever study sessions remain. This means you may not be able to earn all credits for all of your classes. Please note that our research team (or your professor) cannot help you with this. As noted above, putting off participation can result in insufficient remaining opportunities. Please be reminded that you can always complete the paper assignment for your research credit. Details are provided in your syllabus.
14. Where do I participate?
Studies are conducted in the Behavioral Lab (BA2-201). If another location is used, this will be indicated in the study sign up.
15. What if I sign up for a study and don’t show up?
Please be sure to note all study appointments on your calendar, so that you do not forget about them. Please treat these appointments like any other course obligation. Much effort and work goes into creating and running the studies in the lab, and we appreciate your participation in them. The lab is a shared resource. When you sign up and don’t show up, you take another student’s opportunity to participate away from them. Please respect your fellow students’ time. Please note that if you accrue too many no shows we can disallow you from participating in further lab sessions. If you cannot attend a session you are signed up for, please log into the Sona system and cancel your slot, at least 24 hours in advance. When you cancel the appointment, you will not get a “no show” on your record. If you sign up and do not show up without cancelling, you will receive an “unexcused no show.” Please do not email the researcher, professor or administrator with a reason for your absence. Having 1-2 no shows will not negatively impact your class credit or participation, so just be sure to show up next time! **For online studies, signing up but not following the study link to complete the study is considered a “no show”, as in the lab.
16. What if I am enrolled in multiple courses that are allowing class credit?
In this case, you are allowed to accrue the total sum of credits allowed in each course. For example, if you are enrolled in three courses that allow class credit, and each of them allows 4 points, you can complete up to 12 class credit sessions. *Each credit counts towards only one course*. We reiterate that if you are in need of a large number of credits, it is important to both take advantage of opportunities early (as they come) and also to think carefully which class you’d like to assign the credit to (this decision is made when you sign up for each study and cannot be changed).
17. I allotted my credit to one of my classes, but now I’d rather assign it to another. What do I do?
*Credits cannot be transferred after the fact*. When you sign up for each study, you will be asked to indicate in advance which class you’d like to assign credit to; this decision cannot be changed after the fact at any point in time. Be sure to indicate all the eligible courses you are participating in when creating your login, so that you can allocate credits to any participating course.
18. How do I determine and when do I have to decide which class my class credits go to?
You may be enrolled in more than one class that allows class credit. As noted above, each credit you earn counts for only one course. When you sign onto the system, make sure to highlight ALL the courses that you are enrolled in that are eligible. Then, when you sign up for a particular study you will be asked to indicate which course you’d like to assign credit from that study to. Once you make this decision, it cannot be modified.
19. I participated in a study and even though I showed up and completed it, my profile says I was a “No Show.” What do I do?
The best path of action is to contact the researcher for that study directly. The email/contact info will be listed with the study info. If there are multiple researchers and you are not sure which is the lead one (usually a professor as opposed to a student), you can email them all. If you do not receive a response in a timely fashion, please email mktgresearch@ucf.edu.
20. I had created a profile and I forgot my password, so I logged in and created another profile with an alternate UCF Alias. Will I still get my credits?
Creating dual profiles is a problem and may prevent you from getting all your credits. You can ask the system to resend your password. If you cannot seem to get your old profile/have already created a second one, please contact the system administrator immediately at mktgresearch@ucf.edu.
21. Could I lose my eligibility and opportunity to participate?
Unless your professor has indicated otherwise, you are eligible to participate. The lab is technically open until the last day of classes, although the last studies may run a week or two before hand. If you repeatedly sign up for studies and do not show up, you may be contacted by the system administrator and/or your professor, and your continued eligibility may be discussed.
22. How do I know how many credits a study is worth and whether I’ve received them?
Each study posted on the system indicates how long it will take and how many credits you will receive for completing it. You can see this in the study info when it is posted. Once you complete the study the researcher will credit your account within 48 hours. You can view how many credits you have by logging into your account. If you have completed a study and have not received credit for your participation within 48 hours, please contact the researcher for that study immediately (using the study info) or contact the system administrator at mktgresearch@ucf.edu. You have one week from the date you participated to contact us regarding any inaccuracies regarding your credits. After that time, no adjustments will be made.
23. I’ve read the manual and have an ID/Logon, but I am having trouble using the system. What should I do?
If after reviewing the manual and completing the account information form you still have trouble logging in/signing up, please contact the system administrator at mktgresearch@ucf.edu.
24. What if I am uncomfortable completing lab research or unable to do so?
If you feel uncomfortable completing lab research or are unable to do so for whatever reason, you are always eligible to complete the research paper. This assignment will involve thoroughly reading an academic research article and providing a thoughtful write up about that article. Details on this assignment have been provided in your syllabus. If you are interested in this assignment, please contact the system administrator (mktgresearch@ucf.edu), indicating your name, email, class and professor. You will receive up to 4 credits towards the research requirement for completing this assignment for the class, depending on the quality of your submission. If you wish to earn credit for multiple classes, you will need to complete multiple, separate assignments, using different articles.
25. If I complete the survey and answer all the questions, do I get credit?
To receive credit, you must complete the study attentively. Our studies include an array of attention checks, and any number of checks may be included in a given session. At the end of the sessions, these checks are tallied. Students who do not pass 80 percent or more of the attention checks will not be awarded credit. Thus, it is not enough that you answer all the questions, you must answer them attentively to earn credit. You must complete the session in one sitting, and do so attentively, without multi-tasking or visiting other websites. Students who multi-task may not receive credit.
26. I completed a survey and did not receive credit; can I appeal this decision?
You have two weeks from the time credit decisions are posted on the Sona System to appeal any such decision. You may send a query to mktgresearch@ucf.edu. After two (2) weeks, all credit decisions are final. Please note that, in consideration of grading timelines, this timeline may be shortened for the final lab session. Relevant information will be provided via the Sona System, as needed.
27. I submitted a research paper and got a poor score. Can I receive information regarding my scoring/appeal this decision?
Most often, poor scores are the result of not following the assignment instructions, such as selecting a wrong article, journal or journal year.
You will receive notation/feedback on any deductions made in the “Comments” section on the assignment on Webcourses. Please check there first and compare it to the assignment instructions.
If you feel the notation/deduction is in error, please email mktgreserach@ucf.edu. Due to grading timelines, you have 48 hours from the time the score for this assignment is posted on Webcourses to appeal.
After 48 hours, all scores are final.
28. I have a different problem, not covered above. Who should I contact?
If you have another question or concern, please email the administrator at mktgresearch@ucf.edu. Please note that if your issue is regarding MAR3023, you should contact the professor directly. Research participation in MAR3023 is separate from this system.