Consent

Introduction. The primary investigators in this study are Stefano DellaVigna, an academic staff member in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, Eva Vivalt, an academic staff member in the University of Toronto and Nicholas Otis, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley.

You are being invited to participate in this study because you have visited the Social Science Prediction Platform. This consent form reflects your consent to create an account on the social science prediction platform. Each survey will also contain its own consent.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to enrich our understanding of predictions of results of social science research.

Procedures. If you agree to participate, you will be able to complete surveys on the Social Science Prediction Platform. The availability of surveys will change over time. You will also be asked to enter your email, create a username, and provide some basic background information.

This research will collect data about you that can identify you, referred to as Study Data. The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) requires researchers to provide this Notice to you when we collect and use Study Data about people who are located in a State that belongs to the European Union or in the European Economic Area. We will obtain and create Study Data directly from you so we can properly conduct this research. As we conduct research procedures with your Study Data, new Study Data may be created.

The Research Team will collect and use the following types of Study Data for this research:

  • Contact Information
  • Information about your response to the research procedures, including responses to surveys posted on the platform

Study time: It takes about 2 minutes to create an account. Surveys generally take 5-20 minutes to complete.

Study location: All study procedures will take place online.

Benefits. There will be no direct benefit to you from participating in this study. However, it is hoped that the information gained through this research will improve our understanding of social science research.

Risks/Discomforts. Breach of confidentiality - As with all research, there is a chance that confidentiality could be compromised; however, we are taking precautions to minimize these risks.

Confidentiality. Your study data will be handled as confidentially as possible. If results of this study are published or presented, individual names and other personally identifiable information will not be used. To minimize the risks to confidentiality, we will store data in a password protected online database.

  • This research team will keep your Study Data indefinitely. The following categories of individuals may receive Study Data collected or created about you: Members of the research team so they properly conduct the research.
  • Identifiers might be removed from the identifiable private information. After such removal, the information could be used for future research studies or distributed to other investigators for future research studies without additional informed consent from the subject or the legally authorized representative.

Compensation.

We will be offering financial incentives to graduate students, faculty, and other researchers. Users must complete the basic background questions associated with their profile, verify an email address, and be logged in in order for their predictions to be eligible for financial incentives. We may audit some accounts to verify that the user is a graduate student, faculty, or other researcher. If we have reason to believe that a user is not engaging substantively with the platform, their survey responses will be ineligible for compensation. Each individual can have a maximum of one account on the platform, and we will regularly check for duplicate accounts. Compensation may vary depending on funds available; users can check the page linked in the banner on any page upon login for the latest details.

Verification.

The first time you are scheduled to receive an incentive payment we may verify that you are a researcher by checking if you have a .edu email address; hecking if you have a RePEc, ORCID, Google Scholar, or ResearchGate account; or checking if you are listed on a university website or have a peer-reviewed research paper. Individuals receiving large amounts may be asked to provide further details before payment is released (e.g. completing a W-9 or W8-BEN for tax purposes). If you have additional questions about eligibility, please contact us at support@socialscienceprediction.org

Data use.

The Research Team will use study data from surveys run on the Social Science Prediction Platform to conduct original research.

Rights.

Participation in research is completely voluntary . You have the right to decline to participate or to withdraw at any point in this study without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

This research team will keep your Study Data indefinitely. The following categories of individuals may receive Study Data collected or created about you:

  • Members of the research team so they properly conduct the research

The GDPR gives you rights relating to your Study Data, including the right to:

  • Access, correct or withdraw your Study Data; however, the research team may need to keep Study Data as long as it is necessary to achieve the purpose of this research
  • Restrict the types of activities the research team can do with your Study Data
  • Object to using your Study Data for specific types of activities
  • Withdraw your consent to use your Study Data for the purposes outlined in the consent form and in this document (Please understand that you may withdraw your consent to use new Study Data but Study Data already collected will continue to be used as outlined in the consent document and in this Notice)

The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UC Berkeley, is responsible for the use of your Study Data for this research. You can contact the UCB Privacy Officer by phone at 510.664.9185 or by email at privacyoffice@berkeley.edu if you have:

  • Questions about this Notice
  • Complaints about the use of your Study Data
  • If you want to make a request relating to the rights listed above.

Questions

Contact Details for More Information: For more information, participants can contact the Primary Investigators:

  • Stefano DellaVigna at sdellavi@econ.berkeley.edu or by phone in the U.S. at (510) 643-0715
  • Eva Vivalt, at eva.vivalt@utoronto.ca or by phone in the U.S. at (202) 630-6763
  • Nicholas Otis at nicholas_otis@berkeley.edu or by phone in the U.S. at (607) 261-2121

If you have any questions or concerns about your rights and treatment as a research subject, you may contact the office of UC Berkeley's Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, at 510-642-7461 or subjects@berkeley.edu.