Recruiting participants for injury and violence-related studies can be challenging. Online qualitative data collection can increase accessibility for some participants, expand a study’s reach to potential participants, offer convenience and extend a sense of safety. But the data can be marred by fraudulent responses.
As online data collection has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, widely available online platforms and sophisticated bots can potentially expose studies to would-be fraudulent participants, that can jeopardize the research. Fraudulent participants are artificial bots or human participants who don’t meet study criteria and who attempt to, or do, participate in data collection. A Rutgers Health–led study, published in BMJ Open Quality, examines potential challenges associated with online qualitative data collection and how to prevent possible fraudulent respondents.
Building on past studies examining the presence of fraudulent participants in online research studies, the researchers looked at the impact upon the field of injury and violence prevention. Distinguishing fraudulent participants from real participants may present a challenge, and highlighting certain red flags can make these anomalies easier to recognize and remove, the researchers said. They reviewed past research on strategies that are used and highlighted a recent research project as a case study to outline ways to prevent and detect potential fraudulent participants. To read the full story.