Handling Partial Completions and Screen-Outs

In some studies, you may have participants who should not complete the entire session. Common scenarios include:

• Failing an initial attention or understanding check
• Not meeting the criteria of an in-survey prescreening question (i.e., being "screened out")

For these cases, we recommend a "partial completion" workflow to fairly compensate participants for their time without compromising your data quality. We strongly advise against using the Reject function for this purpose, as it is reserved for bad-faith participation and can negatively impact the participant's standing.

Recommended Workflow for Partial Completions

Here is the best practice for handling participants who are screened out or fail a check:

Step 1: Provide a Different Completion Code

In your external survey tool (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey), set up logic that provides these participants with a unique, incorrect completion code. This code should be different from the one given to participants who successfully complete the study. Keep a record of this "partial completion" code for your reference.

Step 2: System Auto-Flags for Zero Payment

When a participant submits a study with a mismatched completion code, our system will automatically flag it and assign a base payment of $0.00. The submission will appear in your "Awaiting Review" queue.

Step 3: Award a Partial Bonus

For these zero-payment submissions, use the Update Bonus feature to add a small payment. We strongly suggest doing this to compensate the participant for the time they invested before being screened out.

Step 4: Approve the Submission

Once you have added the partial bonus, Approve the submission. The participant will receive the bonus amount you set.

Important Consideration: Sample Size

When you approve a submission (even one with a partial payment), that participant counts toward your total target sample size.

If you need to replace these partially completed spots to reach your target for fully completed data, you must:

1. Duplicate your original study
2. Click "Enlarge Sample Size" on the new, duplicated study to add the required number of new spots

For transparency, we recommend including a note in your survey's debriefing text that explains why a participant might receive a partial payment.

Alternative Method: Requesting a Return

Alternatively, after our system assigns a $0.00 payment for the mismatched code, you can message the participant and ask them to Return the submission. If you choose this path, you cannot provide partial payment.