Information for Participants

• Registering, do I have to?
• Things you think about before applying for a study
• Applying for a study
• What next?
• The Participant Information Sheet

Registering, do I have to?

You do not have to register to search for trials. However, you will not be able to apply to be a part of a study unless you are registered. Registration is free and provides several benefits:

• Search for studies that are more relevant for you
• Ask the researcher a question before applying for the study
• Save studies to your favorites list and decide to apply later
• Receive notification of newly listed studies that meet your interests

Things you should think about before applying for a study

If you meet the criteria for a group, there are things for you to consider before deciding to participate in a study. Whilst the decision making process varies depending on your individual needs, and the nature of each study, the variables below are suggested for your consideration.

Location
Is the study located at a place that you can get to? Depending on the type of trial, you may be required to attend several sessions at that location

Your job
You will need to read the participant information sheet (usually downloadable from the study listing as a pdf) to get an accurate idea of what is expected of you should you choose to participate. This is the most important thing when deciding to apply. It will likely include things that you must and must not do while being part of the study. If you do not understand it fully, please contact the researcher direct (by posting a question on the listing page) with any queries you might have. It your responsibility to ensure that you fully understand what will be expected of you during your period of participation.

Time requirements
How much time you will need to donate for the study. This will include time at their location as well as any other time that will be required (for example, filling out forms at home). You should know the number of times you will be expected to attend the clinic/research office, and the length of time each visit will take.

Cost and Compensation
Do you have to pay for any part of the study? How much compensation will you receive? If you are thinking that being a participant may be a new career path you may be disappointed. The purpose of any payments is generally as a form of compensation for lost time or your efforts. Often the treatment and or advice you receive will be worth far more than the compensation.

Risks and benefits
A list of some of the possible risks and benefits is located in the FAQ section. It is important to recognise that every study has different risks and benefits. It is your responsibility to be fully informed and aware of any potential risks before commencing the study. These should be detailed in the Participant Information Sheet. If you are unsure, please ask the researcher before applying for the study.

Understanding what’s involved
Aspects of the study may be explained to you with terms that you have not heard before. It is important that you are fully aware of, and understand, what is meant by these. If you are unsure of the meaning of any terminology please refer to the glossary, or contact the researcher directly to gain further explanation.

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Applying for a study

It is important that you read the criteria carefully and that you apply for the correct group.

Once you have identified a study that you are interest in, and ascertained that you meet the criteria required to participate, you may apply for a study by selecting the appropriate group (where applicable) and clicking apply. This action will automatically save the trial to your favorites and will notify the researcher that you have applied. You will receive notification from us confirming your application, and you should expect to hear from the researcher within a week.

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What Next?

Please refer to the information located in the participant information sheet provided for your study.

Once the researcher has contacted you, you may be required to attend their centre or clinic to sign some forms and commence with the baseline (first) measures. It is important to know that some studies will run extended criteria testing and that there is often a possibility that you will not get to participate in the study after all. Again, this will be described in the participant information sheet.

The number of appointments, your tasks, and all the details of the study will be confirmed by the researcher. All communication and arrangements will now take place directly between yourself and the researcher in charge of the study.

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The Participant Information Sheet

The participant information sheet is a single document that is designed to contain information to inform a potential participant about what is involved in the study, what is required of them, and what possible risks may be involved. The Participant Information Sheet is designed to be read by non-scientists, and for this reason, some of the more technical details are omitted, and the focus is instead placed on understanding the overall process and what to expect.

The Participant Information Sheet is part of the overall Informed Consent process. That is, researchers are obligated to provide participants with sufficient information so that they may made a decision on applying based on an accurate understanding of what is involved in the study.

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