The short version
How The Collective works
The Collective is run by Participation Studio, a UK research company. We design and run every study ourselves for the organisations that hire us, and we invite members who fit. You choose which invitations to accept, and we pay you by voucher a few days after each session. It is free to join and you can leave whenever you like.
Who runs The Collective?
Participation Studio, a UK research company, runs The Collective. We are Dual Perspective Limited (company number 16863492), and the studies you are invited to are ones we design and run ourselves.
NHS teams, health researchers, medical device makers and digital product teams hire us to find out how real people experience what they are building. The Collective is the community we invite people from. When you take part, the person on the other side of the call is one of our researchers.
How is this different from Prolific or survey sites?
The Collective is not a marketplace. Sites like Prolific list studies from hundreds of different researchers, and survey sites pay small amounts for quick questionnaires. We only run our own studies, so there are fewer of them, they are longer, and they pay more.
That has a few practical effects. You will not spend evenings filling in screeners for studies you then miss out on, because we only invite people we already think fit. Invitations are less frequent, but each one is a real offer. And payment comes straight from us, rather than through a points balance you have to build up.
If you want a steady stream of short online tasks, Prolific is probably a better fit, and plenty of people use both. If you would rather take part in fewer, more involved conversations that feed into health services and products people rely on, that is what we do.
What happens after I sign up?
You confirm your email address, and then we match you against the studies we are recruiting for. There is nothing else you need to do.
The verification link in your inbox lasts 24 hours. Once you have clicked it, your profile is live. The more of it you fill in, the better we can match you, so it is worth spending a few extra minutes on the optional sections, particularly health and the ways you would like to take part. You can change any of it later from your dashboard.
How often will I be invited?
It depends on who you are and what we are working on, so we cannot promise a set number. Some people hear from us soon after joining, and others wait a while for a study that fits.
We would rather send you three invitations that suit you than thirty that do not. Each invitation tells you what the study is about, how long it takes, whether it is remote or in person, and exactly what it pays, before you decide anything. You can accept, decline or ignore it, and saying no has no effect on future invitations.
How and when do I get paid?
We pay by Amazon or Love2Shop gift voucher, your choice, sent by email within a few days of your session. The amount is confirmed before you agree to take part.
Sessions pay a minimum of £27.50 an hour. Online surveys pay £1 to £15, and diary studies that run over several days or weeks pay up to £125. Professionals taking part through the Professional Panel are paid £75 to £350 an hour, depending on their field and level. There is no minimum balance and nothing to cash out. You are never asked to pay us anything.
What happens in a session?
Most sessions are a relaxed conversation with one of our researchers, often while you try out a website, an app, a service or a device. There are no right answers. We want to know what you actually think and do.
Remote sessions run over video call from wherever you are. In-person sessions take place at venues around the UK, and we tell you the address and travel details in advance. We also run focus groups, telephone interviews and diary studies. If you have access needs, tell us when you sign up or when you accept an invitation and we will plan around them.
What do you do with my information?
We use your details only to match you to studies. We never sell your data, and we never share anything that identifies you with our clients.
When we report findings, members are described in general terms, such as “a carer in their fifties”, never by name. Your information is held securely by Participation Studio under UK GDPR. Our privacy policy has the full detail.
Can I leave?
Yes, whenever you like. You can close your account from your dashboard, or email us and we will do it for you.
If you just want a break, you can pause invitations instead and pick up again later.