Awarding Credit for Research Participation

Researchers may award course credit or extra credit for participation in research if and only if another opportunity to earn the same amount of credit is available to students who decline to participate. The amount of work required to receive the credit must be similar to that required for participation in the study. For example, if the study consists of completion of an approximately 30-minute survey, then the extra credit for non-participants should require a task that takes about the same length of time.

The informed consent process must explicitly state how much extra credit is to be awarded and at what point. Informed consent must indicate how or whether extra credit will be awarded if the student withdraws from the study before completion. The University generally favors awarding extra credit if a student withdraws, unless the withdrawal is immediate (e.g., before the intervention or experiment begins) or unless there is ample evidence of bad faith on the part of the student. If the student disputes awarding of credit in an approved study, he or she may appeal to the department Chairperson, whose decision is final. If the department has a different policy regarding handling of disputes over the awarding of credit for research project participation, then the University’s policy takes precedence.