research study groups

Online Focus Groups: 27 Paid Research Companies that Pay Up to $250 an Hour for Your Opinion

I recently participated in a paid focus group in San Francisco. You know, the kind with the one-way mirror on the wall.

We talked about travel habits and preferences for an hour and half, and I got paid $150 for my time and opinions. Not bad!

The whole thing was pretty quick and painless—and actually kind of interesting—which got me thinking that this could be a great side hustle . Especially if I could do it from home!

So down the rabbit hole I went, trying to find other companies that conduct paid research studies online .

And I should note before we get started that these aren’t the typical companies that pop up when you search for “online surveys.” Those companies, like Swagbucks and  InboxDollars , are legit, but pay relatively little .

The companies I was after here were the ones that pay bigger sums to make it more worth your time. I earned $100 an hour for my little focus group adventure, and you can too.

Earn $50-150/hr, with thousands of new studies added each month.

Earn an average of $75 per project, and get notified of upcoming studies you may qualify for.

Patients and caregivers can earn $120/hour while helping advance medical research.

1. User Interviews

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User Interviews facilitates in-person and online consumer conversations about products, websites, and services. The pay rates vary, but the average seems to be around $50-100 an hour.

I’ve earned $105 through the site so far, in exchange for about an hour a half.

In one of my studies, I earned a $10 Amazon gift card for completing a short online survey for bald guys! It said it should take 15 minutes, but all the questions were straight yes/no, so it probably only took 5.

User Interviews is a legit facilitator of online (and in-person) consumer research studies. Participants can get paid (generally $50-150/hr) to share their opinion and shape future products and services. While this won’t replace your day job, it can be a nice supplemental income.

• One of the best-paying survey companies I've found.
• Easy to sign-up.
• Lots of new studies added every week.
• Can be difficult to get selected.

Click here to join User Interviews .

Or check out our full User Interviews review .

Respondent is a cool service that facilitates consumer research studies online—and often pays $100+ an hour !

Once you create your account, you’ll be able to browse all the open studies you might qualify for. The research brief shares the type of person the company is looking to connect with, the expected time commitment, and pay rate .

If it looks like a fit, answer the brief screener questionnaire to throw your hat in the ring. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get selected right away—I’ve been selected for 5 studies out of 50 screeners so far.

While there are some “general population” studies, the best-paying opportunities are for industry professionals— up to $750 an hour!

The company takes a 5% processing fee, but the rest of the funds you earn will hit your PayPal account within 8-10 days of your study. (I’ve earned $395 through Respondent so far! )

Click here to join Respondent .

Read our full Respondent.io review here .

(Since recording, I’ve done a couple more studies.)

A leading source for medical research, Rare Patient Voice pays patients and caregivers $120 an hour. You can browse a full list of available studies on their site—nearly all of which are phone or webcam interviews.

If you suffer from any sort of medical condition (even if it’s not super rare), this one is worth a look.

The site is open to residents of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

While most Survey Junkie earning opportunities don’t pay much, you’ll occasionally get emails for better-paying focus group and product testing studies.

These admittedly are pretty rare, but pay up to $75.

Still, power users of the regular Survey Junkie site/app report earning up to $40 a month. 

Super popular survey app that rewards you for sharing your opinion.

The site boasts more than 20 million members and pays out more than $1 million every month.

Click here to sign up for Survey Junkie .

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Another well-established market research company is Product Report Card . They offer paid surveys, product testing and review gigs, and online focus groups.

The best-paying work is for in-home product tests and remote interviews and focus groups — often in the $75-$150/hour range.

Product Report Card will also give you a $5 welcome bonus for completing a short survey after you join. There’s a $25 minimum to cash-out.

Lightster is a unique money making app , where you get matched with brands and researchers based on your profile.

To get started, you’ll add some demographic information about yourself and answer some questions about your experience and interests.

After that, you may see some questions pop up in the app. Answer those to qualify for paid research conversations that pay $1 per minute.

I got invited to my first half hour session within a couple weeks of downloading the app, and got paid (via Amazon gift card) right away.

I was excited to discover PingPong as a newcomer to the online market research field. The service specializes in user experience testing for apps and websites, with pay rates ranging between €10 and €100 an hour. (Roughly $11-110.)

You might be curious—with the rates in euros—if this one is open to non-Europeans. PingPong let me join as an American and says they welcome testers from all over the world.

Since joining, I’ve received invites to several studies but haven’t been able to book one just yet.

Fieldwork was the company that hosted the San Francisco focus group I participated in. They have locations throughout the US:

• Los Angeles (Orange County)
• Minneapolis
• San Francisco

Compensation starts at $75 for participating in focus groups, which usually last between 1-2 hours. The drawback was I got paid in Visa gift cards instead of cash, so I went to the grocery store and bought Amazon gift cards with them instead.

Maven is a unique on-demand consulting platform. You can set your own rates to participate in one-off expert interviews, paid market research studies, and online industry surveys.

(Experts can also get hired for longer-term consulting projects, as well.)

Maven has been around since 2008, and routinely has projects paying anywhere from $25-$500+. 

Experience Dynamics specializes in user experience and user interface testing (UX and UI). Corporate clients pay Experience Dynamics to help “make their users smile,” and they turn around and pay people like you for honest feedback on website designs and software applications.

According to the site, they recruit testers worldwide with all levels of technology experience. Most studies pay between $50-$150 dollars.

Experience Dynamics also facilitates:

• Field Studies, 1-2 hour interviews at your home or work
• Diary Studies, where you record your thoughts over 1-2 weeks
• Phone Interviews
• Online Focus Groups
• Online Surveys

American Consumer Opinion is another market research company where you can qualify for several surveys a year.

Annoyingly, they insist on using their own “virtual currency” point system. Still, you can earn up to $50 worth of points for longer market research surveys.

There’s a $10 minimum to cash out and you can deposit your earnings directly into PayPal. To give you an incentive to complete the low-paying screener surveys, American Consumer Opinion will add your name to a monthly $50 drawing .

On L&E Opinions , I found nationwide studies paying $125-250.  The company has been in business over 30 years and pays out millions of dollars in research incentives every year.

FocusGroups.org is an aggregator service that lists focus groups and paid research opportunities around the country. When I registered, I saw online focus group options that paid anywhere from $75 to $625!

Topics included pets, hygiene, cooking, luxury cars, and lots more. There are some handy filters you can use to select only online or “National” studies.

Another site that pulls in lots of different paid studies, FindFocusGroups.com was a great find. 

At press time, they had the best-looking interface of most of these sites, but hadn’t been updated in several months.

When I checked, the compensation for these ranged from $50 to $200.

Through “compensated interviews” and focus groups, SIS helps brands figure out direction for their products. You’ll have to register for their database to get notified about upcoming paid studies.

I found rates from $25-200, depending on the time required and complexity of the topic. SIS recruits participants from all around the world, not just the US.

Similar to FindFocusGroups above, SurveyFeeds isn’t a market research company itself, but instead a promising “feed” of paid survey opportunities.

I found their Facebook page updated more frequently than their website, so it might be worthwhile to check there and see what you might qualify for.

The online studies I saw ranged from $75 to $300 .

Recruit and Field is one of the longest-running national market research companies. Since 1977, they’ve built up a participant database of over 300,000 consumers, business leaders, and medical professionals.

The company works with lots of name-brand clients and typically pays $100-275 for in-person and online surveys.

I recently earned $250 for a 1-hour call about business banking!

FocusGroup.com offers nationwide paid research opportunities. (The site is powered by Sago, a leading market research company.)

Be on the lookout for the “National” studies that pay between $75 and $200 . These are scheduled over the phone or webcam so you can take the calls from anywhere at times that are convenient to you.

It took a while, but I eventually earned $115 for an online study related to a well-known Seattle-area company.

The next one I did was an hour-long online focus group on credit cards that paid $100.

Other studies I saw were  related to cars, technology, and banking.

I receive a few email notifications every month with studies. Those range from around $2 for 20-minute surveys, up to $150 for 90-minute in-person or online focus groups.

Check out my full FocusGroup.com review to learn more.

When I checked out Field Voices , I found a couple available studies to apply for. One was a neighborhood improvement interview that paid $150 for one hour, and the other was a group workshop on snacking habits that paid $300!

This firm works directly with companies as well, which means they’re not just pulling together lists of other research projects.

Consumers, medical professionals, and executives are in demand for Probe Market Research’s panels. Focus groups pay between $50 and $400, and you can often participate online or over the phone.

Major brands enlist Probe to conduct online surveys, mystery shopping gigs , mock juries, product trials, and more .

The popular and well-rated dscout app connects you with “engaging research missions.” Through those, you can get paid to share your feedback on a product or service.

Typical studies pay anywhere from $2 to $100 , paid out via PayPal. The biggest complaints from users are that the often in-depth screener surveys are unpaid.

Less of a market research firm and more of a consulting marketplace, GLG Insights aims to match you up with their clients looking for industry-specific expertise. Request to become a “Council Member” to get notified when relevant paid studies are available.

On GLG, you’ll be asked to connect your LinkedIn profile and upload a resume (or link to an online resume) to verify your career credentials. You can also name your own consulting rate — usually $100-150 and up .

After that, I answered a series of ethics questions based on GLG’s terms and conditions.

Since 2007, Zintro has been connecting researchers with industry experts. According to the site, the vast majority Zintro’s consulting and online focus groups pay between $150 and $300 per hour.

Popular industries include:

• Software and tech
• Banking and finance
• Healthcare and insurance
• E-commerce and retail
• Travel and hospitality
• and lots more

It’s free to set up your expert profile and start to get invited for calls.

WatchLab has an obnoxiously inadequate website, but they claim to facilitate all sorts of focus groups, usability tests, interviews, mock juries, and more.

The pay varies depending on the research, and may be in the form of gift cards or cash. I saw ranges from $100 to $175 for 1-2 hour focus groups. WatchLab has locations in San Francisco and Chicago, as well as online options.

For in-person focus groups, you get paid on the spot — online may take 4-6 weeks.

Mindswarms is a unique video consumer research platform. They’ll pay you $50 via PayPal to answer 10 questions about a product or service.

These studies normally take around 10 minutes and can be recorded via your webcam or smartphone, but competition to get selected can be fierce.

To create your account you’ll need to record a 60-second video about one of your passions. Or you can do this through the Mindswarms app on iOS or Android .

Earn $50-150 for online focus groups and studies. While the website doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence, 20|20 Panel has been around for over 30 years.

I found several online focus groups paying $50-200 on Focus Insite . The company popped up in my Instagram feed, a signal they’re actively recruiting new participants.

You can join their panel database as a medical, technical, or business professional, or just as a general consumer. Alternatively, you can apply directly to the available market research studies listed.

The companies listed above certainly aren’t the only research companies around, and for this side hustle, it makes sense to join as many firms as you’re comfortable with.

That way, you’re presented with all the opportunities available, not just the projects managed by one company.

Here are a few more to consider:

• Prolific  — When academic and research institutions need opinions from the general population, they turn to Prolific. The pay is a bit lower — often in the $8-15/hr range — but in my Prolific review , I found plenty of quick and easy surveys available, and you can cash out to PayPal.
• Ascendency Research — On average, studies pay $60-350. Many are local to the Twin Cities, MN, but they have some national studies, too.
• Elliott Benson — Conducting paid market research since 1995.
• PRC Market Research — You can browse upcoming projects (and their pay rate) before registering. Most studies pay $100-300/hour.
• NewtonX — Strictly for industry professionals to share their insight and get paid.
• UserTesting – Earn $10 for completing 20-minute online user tests of websites, apps, shopping portals, and more. This is pretty fun but you have to be fast because these tests get snatched up quickly.
• Pulse Labs – Earn up to $100 a week providing video feedback on products.
• Intellizoom – Get paid an average of $10 testing and reviewing websites.
• UserBrain – Receive new websites to test every week, and earn $5 for each 5-15 minute test.
• Google User Experience – Google pays gift cards for feedback on their products.
• Nelson Recruiting — Nationwide market research company established in 1980.
• Marketade – Specializes in remote usability testing, market validation, navigation research, and more.
• Engage Studies – Earn as much as $100 per focus group through this research company.
• Tell Us Your Opinion – Mainly operating in Tulsa but may have online/phone opportunities as well.
• Adler Weiner Research – In-person studies in Chicagoland and Southern California, plus remote studies nationwide.
• Advanced Focus – Hosts market research panels and focus groups in New York City.
• Nichols Research – Get paid to participate in in-person focus groups, primarily in Northern California.
• Herron Associates — In-person studies in Indianapolis, IN and Tampa, FL.
• PrizeRebel – Earn $10-12 an hour doing surveys or completing other tasks. (Just avoid the low-paying ones.)

As with any side hustle, there’s an opportunity cost. As in, what else could you be doing with your time?

I encourage you to check out our monster list of side hustle ideas , but here are a few that are similarly flexible.

Become a Bookkeeper

One of the first jobs that many companies hire out is “someone to keep the books.” If you have experience in this field, or just love numbers, becoming a remote bookkeeper could way to make extra money.

Most businesses don’t need a full-time bookkeeper so they’re open to hiring someone part-time. Most virtual bookkeepers charge $100-300 per client per month.

Network with business owners locally or online and let them know about your service. It might make sense to check out this  free training on how to start a remote bookkeeping business .

Alternative Investments

If you’re after passive income , you might consider adding some alternative investments .

For example,  Fundrise  allows you to invest in professionally-vetted commercial real estate. This spreads your risk around with properties in multiple geographical locations–and minimums as low as $10 .

Disclosure: I’ve been a Fundrise investor since 2015, and earn a commission when you join through my referral link. Opinions are my own.

Resell Furniture Returns

Reselling furniture returns is a unique low-risk side hustle .

How it works is you join Sharetown as a local “reverse logistics” rep. Sharetown partners with direct-to-consumer mattress and furniture brands to handle their return requests.

When customers decide they don’t want to keep the item, you’ll get dispatched to go pick it up. After that, you’ll:

• clean it up
• photograph it
• list it for resale on sites like Facebook Marketplace

The Sharetown reps I’ve connected with target $150-250 per flip — and, importantly — you don’t have to pay Sharetown for the inventory until the item sells.

Check out my full Sharetown review to learn more.

Sharetown reps make money by reselling gently-used furniture and bed-in-a-box mattresses. Top reps earn $4000+ per month.

• Low startup costs
• Great earning power
• No hunting for inventory
• Requires a truck or SUV
• Bulky items to store
• Not available in all areas

Mobile Notary Service

Becoming a mobile notary loan signing agent is one of the most popular gigs among the Side Hustle Nation community. The flexible, part-time side hustle involves walking new homeowners through their stack of mortgage documents.

Appointments typically take around an hour and pay $75-150.

One big drawback to focus groups or online surveys is you’re limited in how much you can earn. It’s a great side hustle, but it’ll never be a full-time income.

Focus groups or paid research studies won’t pay your mortgage, but one or two a month will definitely help build your side hustle snowball .

Have you had any success in landing paid focus group studies? What do you think of this little supplemental side hustle?

Let me know in the comments below!

• Start Your Free $500 Challenge . My free 5-day email course shows you how to add $500 to your bottom line.
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Is there such thing as an online focus group?

Yes! Several companies facilitate online consumer research focus groups, which is great because that means you can earn money from the comfort of your home or office. Check out our full list to learn more.

How much do focus groups pay?

The pay for focus groups depends on how long the session lasts. Most commonly, you’ll find rates average around $100 an hour.

Where can I find legit paid focus groups?

Companies like Respondent, Fieldwork, and FocusGroup.com are all legit facilitators of paid focus groups. Or, for the best results, you might try an aggregator service like FindFocusGroups.com, which pools together focus group opportunities from several sources. Be sure to check the list of providers on Side Hustle Nation as well.

How do online focus groups work?

Online focus groups work either via conference call or more commonly, through a group video chat to more closely mimic the in-person experience. A moderator will lead the group discussion and participants can chime in through their webcam and computer microphone or phone line.

********* Stock photo  by Akhenaton Images via Shutterstock

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About the Author

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons , The Side Hustle , and $1,000 100 Ways .

His work has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo Finance, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, Bankrate, Hubspot, Ahrefs, Shopify, Investopedia, VICE, Vox, Mashable, ChooseFI, Bigger Pockets, The Penny Hoarder, GoBankingRates, and more.

58 thoughts on “Online Focus Groups: 27 Paid Research Companies that Pay Up to $250 an Hour for Your Opinion”

Nice job, Nick! I have only ever been able to score low paying “mystery shopper” gigs. I get a free meal and $15 or $20 for my trouble. It usually takes about an hour, so am making $15 – $20 per hour. I have repeatedly mystery shopped a “Roy Rogers” restaurant that is on the NYS thruway. Almost every time I have had to travel to or from my daughter’s college campus I have been able to get a free meal, $10 or $15, and a portion of my tolls paid. I wouldn’t make the effort except that I am already driving by and there is a good chance that I would need a bathroom break anyway. Everybody wins. :>) I will be checking on a couple of the sites you provided to see if there is anything I qualify for.

Thanks Kevin. I’ve been half-heartedly attempting to find a mystery shopping expert to school me on how it really works :)

Hi Nick – If you are still reading these comments, I hope you will remove User Interviews from your list. After reading your article, I applied with them and was excited at first, but they have a serious flaw. They do not screen what the companies post for the surveys. First you have to take a questionnaire to see if you will be selected for the survey. Time after time you spend time answering the flawed questionnaire, and then not being selected, probably because of being forced to complete an answer that is not correct. Here’s an example that I just sent to Tabitha at User Interviews:

“I was applying for the Medical Injectibles survey, and the first several questions went well. Then there was the question “Do you care for a child with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis?” with the options of yes or no. I checked no, and I cannot imagine there are vast numbers of people who would have been able to check yes.

The next question was required, and it asked for the age of the person I care for, and had a box, also required, asking for the required medications.

Why was I prompted with that question when I had answered no?”

So that was yet another questionnaire that was flawed that completely wasted my time because I could not proceed. I have asked them to remove me from all further communication as I want nothing to do with them anymore, and I honestly don’t think you should be recommending them.

Hmm sorry for the trouble, Balinda. I agree, their conditional logic on the screener surveys could be better — or they could just advance to a “thanks but you’re not a fit” page. When those types of funky follow-up questions happen for me, I just back out and go back to the list since it’s clear I’m not going to qualify.

Nick, this list is AWESOME! I’ve been using User Interviews for about a month and a half and it seems like I hardly ever get selected for any of the surveys. In fact, I’ve only been selected for 1 so far (which literally took 10 minutes and I got a $30 Amazon gift card) and the second one I got approved for, by the time I got around to actually confirming my spot that evening, it was already fully booked up! I’m wondering with all the different options available if it would be feasible to make some decent side money – assuming the time commitment doesn’t get overwhelming. I’m gonna dig into this a little I think and see what I can come up with.

Hey Kyle, I hope you found some good “side jobs.” You mentioned that you used user interviews and only got 1 job. I’m so surprised by that. I have been using them for a few months and I have made a good bit of money. I had a 20 minute telephone survey and was paid $150! I had another that was in person. They came to my apt (they originally said to see my wardrobe in closet, but never did) they interviewed me on camera for about 10-15 minutes and then we went to a clothing store! They asked me if I liked the store, clothes, etc. In all I was with them about an hour. I got $350! I could have made another $100 for doing “homework,” but I was too busy. That’s just 2 of jobs I had from them. Anyway, I just wanted you to know, bcuz you should keep trying with them. I plan on hitting all these new ones, thanks to Nick! Good Luck!

It’s funny you bring this topic up. I LITERALLY started signing up for focus groups last Monday (going on two weeks) and I’ve already made $650. Most have came from respondent. I also signed up for the Reddit r/paidstudy group as well as the cool work ideas.com FB which posts multiple studies a day. I’m loving it so far!

Hi Nick, I’ve been using ACOP for a few years now it does take a long time to gather up money. I usually wait till I get up around $50 or so to cash in. The problem I find is it takes two to three months for it to show up in my Pay Pal account, very slow turn around.

Nick, I’ve been doing these for several years. I probably average about $1,000 per year doing these. This a great comprehensive list!

I tried Mindswarms. I had no trouble creating a profile video (though it really does not flatter me, nor had I trouble applying for studies. However, I have been on there for over a month, and I have been rejected for every. Single. Study. Besides that, they do not ever bother telling me, or giving me helpful suggestions. Their FAQ section is so useless as to be counterproductive. And I suspect that my mind and my interests are not average enough to make Mindswarms (or online studies/surveys in general) worth my while.

Here is a good rule of thumb: if you prefer the musical works of Vasily Kalinnikov (or just know who Vasily Kalinnikov was) over “Lady” Gaga, do not bother with surveys. Only the most average individuals with the most average minds can succeed with this rubbish. Or so my experiences would indicate.

Actually, the opposite is true. just regular surveys do kind of suck. However, the focus groups and interviews and so forth, all the ones that I’ve actually gotten into have been because I’m weird or different. That’s why so many people get declined. They look for people who don’t conform, mostly because they’re looking for new and innovative ideas. Why would you research the monotonous and mundane?

Thanks so much for the information. I signed up on Respondent today and have a 71% match on 1 survey. We’ll see how it goes.

I just tried to sign up with Respondent, and probably I’m the only one in the world with this problem of not having any social media sites. They want to verify your work on LinkedIn or your FB profile. I don’t have a FB account nor do I have a LinkedIn account. I know, I must be living in a cave, but the work I do does not allow me to use social media. What to do? I guess Respondent is out. Bummer.

This is pretty much the same for me too, Shari. Even if I had an account on social media I would only have my family and close friends on it. I wouldn’t want to give some site access. I also ran into one (can’t remember the name) where they wanted you to upload a video of yourself in order to get the surveys. I am also not comfortable with that. I’ve signed up with all that was listed above. We’ll see how it goes. Good luck to you!

Since I haven’t seen it noted in the comments or main blog anywhere I just wanted to put it out there that technically if you make over $600 with any single company like this they are supposed to issue a 1099 for your payouts. Normally if you accumulate that much over a year they may not bother BUT I was lucky enough to get into a study that paid $875 which immediately put me over that threshold. So then they issued a 1099 for all my earnings from them in that year. That hurt at tax time. This year I’m going to spread it out over as many companies as I can to hopefull get a lot but no single one over $600. And if you are lucky enough to get into a single high paying study, keep the tax implication in mind.

Very nice blog post. Thanks for sharing. On respondent I made $30 today. Not bad!

Thanks Nick, this list is AWESOME! I’ve been doing surveys and focus groups for about a year. I’ve had some great paying, easy jobs. I’ve also spent, what felt like like forever, time trying to qualify for them to no avail. However, from my experience, I can definitely say not to give up! Surveys are time consuming with little pay, for the most part. Focus groups, interviews, etc., is where the money is! I have been looking for more sites and you just gave me a bunch! I am gonna try them all! Keep the info coming! Thanks again!

I’m wondering if the earning need to be claimed on our taxes? Is there a record that we are being paid? Do these companies ask for any personal information? Thanks

Try Jackson/Adept in Los Angeles. They have a Beverly Hills and Encino location.

Here are Metro Detroit Focus Groups and my reviews of them

Morpace Inc. 31700 Middlebelt Road Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Phone: (248) 737-5300 http://www.morpace.com Pays $80-$250 Focus Group Surveys (In Person). If they over fill the group which happened to me on one occassion then you get paid instantly without doing the survey. They pay by check or cash after the 1-2 hour in person survey. They offer surveys 1-2 times a year.

Shifrin Hayworth 26400 Lahser Rd #430, Southfield, MI 48033 Phone: (248) 223-0020 https://www.shifrin-hayworth.com/ Pays $50-$300 Focus Group Surveys (In Person). They pay by check or cash in person after the 1-2 hour survey. They offer surveys about 1-2 times a year.

I recently learned that you can only participate in 1 survey every 6 months which is why after being asked if you’ve done one recently you get disqualified.

I just did a study for them last week. They promised a $200 virtual gift card within 48 hours but it’s been a week and still nothing. They’ve stopped answering my emails and I can’t find a phone number for them, which seems pretty shady.

Did they ever get back to you/pay you?

So I have had really good luck with a lot of these companies you listed. I am a stay at home mom have been looking into all this and actively participating for about 6 weeks and made over 3000 dollars I have made 630 dollars on users interviews, 585 on respondents, 310 on user testing, 270 on validately usability studies , 250 on 20/20 panel, about 140 on intellizoom/ what users do Usability studies, 90 dollars on TrymyUI, and 50 on ping pong research. I have also made 375 dolars from focus point global. plus more companies that i got under 20 each from so there is money to be made here if you invest the time. I have done one on one studies with a web cam, phone interviews, product testing (shampoos, and even new cereal), online diary studies (usually about things you eat), and lots of usability studies. the key is knowing how to answer the screener questions. Thank you so much for your list I am going to check out the companies I have not uses yet

Whoa that’s awesome Casondra – thanks for sharing!

Hi Nick-I just found this post and thank you for “heads up”… I’m writing to share with you two top performers here in Seattle for in-person focus groups. In-Sight Space and Fieldwork / Seattle.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a few gigs with each of these company’s who conduct only focus groups. Most of the time the pay is cash on the spot and the groups range from 45 minutes to 2 hours. These two company’s have frequent remarkably high-paying gigs. It’s fairly common to attend a 90 minute focus group that pays anywhere from 150.00 – 350.00. On occasion I’ve landed one of their mock jury groups, sometimes held at one of Seattle’s finest hotels and lasts close to 8 hours. These mock jury groups have paid me between 300.00 to 550.00 for the gig and always provide a catered breakfast and lunch. Again, thanks for sharing your information and I hope you’re able to use my information and experience to help others.

Sincerely, Jason B.

Nice, Jason — thanks for sharing!

I’m registered with two companies for focus group and mock jury participation. I’ve done both and found them enjoyable and worthwhile. Usually payment was cash. One time it was a VISA gift card. The mock juries required more hours than the focus groups. One was Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Saturday evening. My experience has been food and beverages were provided when the event was more than 3 hours.

Participants were usually limited to one event in 6 months.

I’ve seen a large dropoff in opportunities since I reached a certain age. Sigh.

Very occasionally the local newspaper has a classified ad for focus group participants.

I need the mock jury site

Ok…I see several people are interested in Mystery Shopping so I thought I’d share a little info. I have done a lot of mystery shopping in the past and love it. Not amazing money but interesting and I enjoyed it. So…here are a few sites to start with…I hope this is OK…I see a few people said they would send information, but a lot of others requested info and I don’t know if they got what they needed. I hope this helps. So…first… this is the official website of the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association…it has a ton of good info and resources https://www.mspa-global.org/index.html Work available always depends on the type of job you are interested in and where you are located so the best companies to work with will vary for different people. Here are some other resources that may help… https://www.mysteryshopperjobfinder.com/members/resources/mspa-interview/ https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/ https://www.mysteryshoppermagazine.com/?source=forum-top-discussions and last but not least… https://www.shadowshopper.com Shadow Shopper…the first thing that pops up when you google Shadow Shopper will be scam alerts. I’m here to tell you it is not a scam. I have used them for years off and on. They do have a fee option, and to get anywhere, you probably will want to use it at least for a short time. But a lot of job boards charge a small fee. Basically it is where companies post work that they need to get done and shoppers go to find work. It’s a great way to see what is available in your area and skill set and interest and sign up with those companies offering that work. You can go out on your own and start just looking into shopping sites, but that sign up processing can be lengthy and if you pick one that doesn’t offer work in your area or jobs you want, you have wasted time and effort. Once you sign up with a few companies that you’ve found on Shadow Shopper, move on until you want to look for more. No need to keep your subscription if you have the work your want. Just my suggestion, but it has landed me several really good opportunities. One lasted years and was around made me around $2000/yr. Oh…and if you are wanting a list of companies…go here… it’s a tedious process to choose, but it’s an option… https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/companies/ Good luck and enjoy :)

Thank you Anna!

I’ve used Focus Pointe Global and Schlesinger in the Boston area for years. I’ve made really good money with them ($75-200 per session). People seem to over-estimate how difficult this all is. Sign up in the database, fill out a survey if you get an e-mail, if you pre-qualify for a study they call you to screen you again, you either qualify or you don’t on that phone call. If you’re picked, you go to their office and sit with the other people picked and just give your opinion for about 90 minutes. The hardest part for me is fighting traffic to get to the office in the city. These focus groups have been a lifesaver for me in periods of unemployment.

Will you get called every week about a survey? No, you definitely won’t, maybe not every month either. But if you sign up with 5-10 companies your chances of getting picked go up. And I agree that sites like Swagbucks are more or less a waste of time. It’s very small money.

Everyone is asking: How do I join? You have to go to the companies website and sign up for the panel (“Join the Panel”) and then wait. Also, the bigger companies post surveys on their Facebook pages so sign up for their notifications.

I do the best with Respondent, User Interviews and UTest.com. Also check out Affectiva’s job listings if you’re in the Boston area. I’ve made a lot helping to test out their automotive AI.

I have been doing focus groups online for prob 3 years or so. I have done a lot of them with watchlab and user interviews. Also accelerant research is a good one. Field work is another I’ve done them with. I’m sure there is more that I’ve used but i gotta tell u that these have been a life saver for me at times. I most recently did one that paid $400 which is the most I’ve made. I am signed up and in the databases of all that u listed plus a few others like accelerant research. Oh yeah another great place is Elliot Benson research.

Thanks for sharing Shelley!

you might try Mturk if you money to pay…

Great job on this article! I’ve been doing focus groups for many years. Probably made about $2,000 or so altogether.

I’d also recommend instapanel. I’ve been using them for several years to complete video surveys. They pay $20 for about 5-10 minutes of work. Here’s a link: https://instapanel.com/ .

I work for one of the market research companies that hire these focus group facilities/recruiters to get us the research we need. For in person focus groups (in facility) you can expect to get paid around $100 per hour, and more expensive if you’re in a specialty group (certain ailments, professionals such as tech). For online focus groups they run around $75 per hour.

If you want to know the panels to join around your area to join focus groups, I’d recommend going on Green Book (for research) and search on recruiters or facility around your neighborhood. This is where researchers go to find panels to do research with and you’ll get more opportunities with the facilities/recruiters there.

I don’t recommend online surveys bc you might terminate out of many surveys before you complete one and they won’t pay you more than $5 for one, and that’s on the rare end. Hope this helps!

Appreciate the insight — thanks Michelle!

I love love love all the great information I just obtained by reading your blog. OMG ! If anyone has any leads for Indiana specifically please let me know. I know of Herron Associates does a lot of research focus groups. Just go to their website and sign up. Ive done a few for them in the past and made anywhere from $50-150 for about an hour or so in person focus group. I think those are great and very interesting. If anyone wants to contact me to give me some tips on the mystery shopping I’d greatly appreciate it. TIA ( Thanks in Advance) Carrie

Thanks a bunch for the informative post! I signed up for several of the ones you have on this list and already got selected for a study. Just curious – most of the prescreen questions ask if you’ve recently participated in a study. If you have (I’ll fall into this bucket once I complete the study I just got picked for), does that greatly reduce your chances of being selected for another one?

Hi, are any of these open to people under 18?

All clinical trials are for ages 18-99.

Amalia, I apologize. I read your question to quickly & transposed the numbers. I thought you said 81.I’m rarely asked to prove my age, but they may have some way of checking. Product reviews are open to 16+, I believe. I’ve never had to show my ID online, only when I do things in person. Obviously medical care you’d show your ID.

Withpower.com is a great website to checkout medical trials. There are all sorts & bonus if you need medical care & don’t have the money to pay for it. Some just monitor or interview you…all the way up to getting medicated treatment for your condition. I even saw dental work on there.

Every clinical research compensated me for my time & travel. It’s always paid out very well for me & it’s definitely worth the time. I got $365 for downloading an app on my phone that I recorded how long I slept the night before.They sent a little survey with 4 questions every day to the app & I told them what time I went to bed, did I wake up during the night, how long did it take me to get back to sleep, and what time I woke up. I got paid in intervals at week 2, 6, 10, & 14. Super easy money.

I’m on #4 of this list now. User interviews has been fair to me. I’ve seen product reviews, online, and focus groups on there. If they let you know that you are qualified, act quickly!

Clinical research & focus groups are my favorite. I used to like doing product reviews & I still do. But once you really start getting into it, the rewards get better & better. Thank you so much, Nick. Yes, I referred you when signing up. You deserve it.

Hi Nick, this is a great job.

Many of these websites do not authorize participants from Nigeria and Africa. They have country-based restrictions. It sucks.

I have a master’s degree in business administration. I have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. I have a postgraduate diploma in economics, a postgraduate diploma in education and a professional diploma in early childhood education. I have a CEFR Level C1 in IELTS exam. I have done some surveys in my country, Nigeria and I performed well.

What survey sites do you recommend that do not have country-based restrictions? I am really curious Nick.

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We help you find paid focus groups near you. Since 2006 we have listed over 75,000 verified and legitimate focus groups in the United States.

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Our team gathers focus groups from around the web and works directly with some of the top market research firms.

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Use the navigation at the top of the page to Search by City or Search by State. If you don't live in an area that conducts a lot of focus group you can look at Nationwide focus groups. (They are conducted online)

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15 Legitimate Places to Participate in Paid Research Studies

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From testing products and services to sleep and diet studies, here's a list of vetted places you can participate in paid focus groups.

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A few years ago, I got an invitation to attend a research study hosted by a local skincare company. They were launching a new line of products and wanted feedback from 20 to 25 year-old-women with dry skin.

Since I was a new college grad who needed extra cash, I decided to go. They asked me various questions regarding my current skincare regimen, the products I used, and how I felt about them. It only took an hour, and I got a $75 Visa gift card and a few product samples. Not a bad way to kill an hour.

If you like the idea of getting paid to share your opinions, you’re in luck. There are plenty of places that host paid research studies. While the study I did was in-person, there are many online research studies you can do at home.

Websites That Offer Paid Research Studies

You can find online focus groups that’ll pay you for your time and feedback through a variety of websites. Each site has its own requirements and payment structure, so it’s a good idea to explore all the options available.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a survey site that’s been around since 2005. It will pay you to take surveys and express your opinions to big brands who want to improve their products and services. After you answer several questions about yourself and create a profile, the site will match you to surveys that are relevant to you.

Any time you complete a survey, you’ll earn virtual points, which you can redeem for PayPal cash or online gift cards. Most surveys take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, and you can expect to make between 100 to 200 points or $1 to $3 per survey. You won’t have to buy any products or sign up for other websites.

2. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a survey panel that partners with large companies who want customer opinions. To join, you’ll enter basic information such as your age and where you live. Then, you’ll take a general household survey where you’ll share details about your lifestyle.

You’ll likely receive survey invitations via email several times a year. The number of points you’ll rack up will depend on the length of the surveys.

While short surveys are typically worth anywhere between 5 and 50 points, you can earn up to 5,000 points with longer ones. One point equals $0.01, and you can cash your points in for PayPal cash or donate them to charity.

Related: 17 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys for Money

3. Respondent

Respondent is unique because it organizes one-on-one paid research studies online and in person. You can sign up with your email address or via your Facebook or LinkedIn profile through the site.

Once you do, you’ll fill out some basic personal information such as your name, birthday, and email address. They’ll also ask for demographic details like your gender, ethnicity, and educational background.

After you’ve signed up, you’ll browse all of the “projects” available and details like the pay and how long they take to complete. When you see a project that interests you, you can apply to it through a short questionnaire. You’ll be emailed if the company chooses you for their project.

Most of the projects focus on small business or technology and pay anywhere from $50 to $85 via PayPal for 45 minutes to an hour of your time.

4. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com began in 1988 and offers surveys as well as in-person and online focus groups via phone and webcam. After you create a profile, you’ll be emailed surveys and focus group invitations.

The majority of the site’s surveys and focus groups revolve around health and wellness, pet products, finances, and shopping habits.

You’ll earn between $75 and $150 if you participate in focus groups and points for surveys, which you can apply toward a prepaid Visa debit card. You can cash out 100 points for $1.00.

5. Plaza Research

Plaza Research pays parents, kids, teens, students, doctors, and business professionals to share their opinions on new products and services. It hosts surveys and a variety of in-person focus groups throughout the country.

If you attend a focus group, you’ll likely be asked to try a new product, watch a TV commercial, or discuss your thoughts about future products. To receive survey and focus group invitations, fill out an online form. The form will ask you questions about your education, electronic use, employment, household, pets, and more.

You’ll get an email if you’re a good fit for a survey or focus group. The amount you’ll earn depends on its length and scope. Most participants will earn between $50 and $200, paid via check, for two hours of their time.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

6. Mindswarms

You can create an account online or via the Mindswarms mobile app and get paid to answer questions via your smartphone or webcam.

After you apply to a survey that appeals to you, you’ll answer a few targeted questions to make sure you’re a good fit for it. If you are, you’ll answer seven questions and earn about $50. The money will be sent to your PayPal account within 24 hours. You can also redeem your earnings for an Amazon gift card.

7. Fieldwork

Fieldwork has facilitated marketing research studies since 1980. The company hosts in-person focus groups in 11 cities across the U.S. If you don’t live near any of these cities, you can still register for Fieldwork’s national database and participate in online or phone interviews.

To register, fill out an online questionnaire and wait for Fieldwork to call or email you when an opportunity is available. Most in-person focus groups last between one and two hours and can be on random topics such as cereal and video games. Compensation is usually a $75 Visa gift card.

8. User Interviews

User Interviews organizes focus groups in-person, via phone, or video streaming about products, services, and websites. For a chance to participate, create a profile with your birthday, gender, household income, marital status, and education level.

If you find a project that interests you, complete a short screener survey to see if you’re eligible. If you are, you can sign up for the focus group and earn an average of $50/hr. You’ll get paid via check.

9. Brand Institute

Brand Institute is a branding agency that supports healthcare and pharmaceutical companies with their marketing initiatives. You can become a Brand Institute panel member after you fill out a short online registration form. If you qualify for a paid research study, you’ll get an email notification and can participate right away.

Payment depends on the survey you take, and you’re more likely to receive invites for higher-paying surveys if you have a medical background. You can earn between $2 and $30 via check or PayPal. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others in healthcare report that they receive about four surveys a month.

Engage finds respondents for various market research and usability studies. It offers both in-person focus groups and online discussions for panel members. You can join the healthcare panel if you’re a medical professional or consumer panel if you’re an everyday consumer.

You’ll have to provide information about your income, marital status, education level, and job. Once you do, you’ll receive an email notification whenever you qualify for a study. Most studies cover topics like cars, electronics, food products, music, and medical conditions. They usually pay $50 to $250 via check or PayPal.

Universities that Facilitate Paid Focus Groups

  You can also find paid focus groups at colleges and universities. Many of them offer year-round opportunities and focus on psychology and human behavior. While most of these studies are performed online, a few require that you participate in person.

You don’t have to be a student to participate, and payment is typically in the form of PayPal cash, gift cards, or a check. If you’d like to earn money via college-run focus groups, take a look at the schools near your home. Their websites will likely include details about these types of opportunities.

• Purdue University ( See studies )
• Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School ( See studies )
• Northwestern University Department of Psychology ( See studies )
• Harvard University Psychology Study Pool ( See studies )
• MIT Behavioral Research Lab ( See studies )

DollarSprout co-founder Jeff Proctor participated in a six-week research study on high-fat diets at Virginia Tech. During the study, he was compensated with meals and $500.

“It was a great experience but very involved,” he said. “I had to check in every day to get weighed, choose my meals, and get several blood and urine samples taken.”

How to Tell if a Focus Group Opportunity is Legit

Even though many focus group opportunities are legitimate, there are plenty of work-from-home scams out there. If you have to pay to participate or reveal confidential information such as your Social Security number or credit card details, that’s a red flag. Stay away from any focus groups that force you to buy products or services or sign up for other websites.

If you find an opportunity that interests you, do some online research to make sure it’s valid. Check the Better Business Bureau to see its rating and read any complaints. This way you can avoid a situation where you get excited about a focus group and then find out it’s a scam.

A legitimate company will never charge you to attend a focus group or take a survey. In addition, they’ll have a privacy policy that’s prominently displayed on their website and will only email you from a business email account, rather than one from a free service like Gmail or Yahoo.

Related: How One Woman Earns $5,000 per Month as a Surrogate Mother 

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We are always looking for genuine participants who are interested in taking part in paid market research projects. If you want to join a focus group, online discussion, website usability study and more, please click one of the buttons below to join our panels.

It’s Pretty Simple!

Create a profile with us telling us about yourself, wait to be contacted for a survey that matches your lifestyle, participate in the survey and earn money, so, what exactly is market research.

Market research is one method companies use to listen to their customers. Focus groups, online bulletin boards, mobile studies and In-depth interviews are a few methods to make your opinions heard. They often provide the opportunity to try out new products and view new services before they are even released. Participants are compensated for their time, and many people often find the groups and studies a fun and rewarding experience.

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Our participants are critical to our client’s success. That’s why we seek people who are honest, reliable and passionate about helping businesses and industries grow. Our diverse panel include.

• Business Professionals - Healthcare Professionals

How Do I Participate?

Our participants conduct studies in a variety of different ways. Some methods may include:

• Online survey
• Via telephone
• In-person focus groups or interviews
• As a member of an online community
• By receiving and testing real products

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Let’s answer some questions.

• What is Market Research? Market research is one method companies use to listen to their customers. Focus groups, online bulletin boards, mobile studies and In-depth interviews are a few methods to make your opinions heard. They often provide the opportunity to try out new products and view new services before they are even released. Participants are compensated for their time, and many people often find the groups and studies a fun and rewarding experience.
• How Do I Know if a Market Research Recruiter Company is Legitimate? Problems rarely occur when dealing with an established marketing research company as these companies rely on the goodwill of their community to attract people like you to participate in their studies. Check the Insights Association’s Company Member Directory or with your local Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce. Any company that asks for money is not a legitimate company. Legitimate marketing research companies conducting focus groups pay you and never the other way around! 
• What are you trying to sell me? Paid market research isn’t and never will involve a sales pitch. The goal is to gain feedback on products and services used in our everyday lives. Companies want your feedback before bringing a new product or service to the general population. Rest assured, there will never be any sales attempt made by our company. Ever.
• How are my survey answers communicated to your clients? The aggregate data collected in surveys is transferred to our clients. This means that your survey answers are not connected to you personally. Our client will receive a summary of all survey answers of the participants as a group.
• Do I Receive an Honorarium for Participating? Yes – You will receive an honorarium, in the form of a virtual reward ecard, which will be sent to you via email after you participate in a study with Engage in Depth. These reward ecards can be used for prepaid Visa debit cards or major merchant gift cards. The amount of your honorarium will vary and depends on the type of study you participate in. You will be informed of the honorarium amount at the appropriate time during the study screening process. Receiving an honorarium is a courtesy to thank you for volunteering your time and sharing your opinions with us. Participation is not considered a part-time job, nor is it a source of income.
• When will I receive payment for completing a study? All marketing research projects compensate participants for their time and opinions. In-Person Studies : 
Payments are made, via virtual gift card 5 to 7 days after completion of a study or in-person once the study has concluded Telephone, Virtual, Online Boards : Payments are made, via virtual gift card, 5 to 7 days after completion of a study.
• How will I be notified about your studies? Research invitations to studies will arrive by email from the Engage recruiting specialist responsible for that study or you will receive a phone call to go through the preliminary screening questions. Each invitation will include a short description of the study, its timing, and the compensation being offered. It may will also include some questions or a survey link that will help us see if you pre-qualify. If interested, please reply to the email or click the link and take the survey. The research recruiter will call you if meet the initial criteria, ask you a few more questions by telephone, and include you in the project if you are a good fit.
• What is the Pre-Screening Process and Why Can’t You Tell Me Immediately if I Have Been Placed in a Study? In market research, the goal is to achieve a representative sample of the target population for each study. To do this, we ask a series of questions, usually ranging between 5-15 minutes, to determine if someone is an immediate fit for our study. If we have too many people who are too similar, thus unbalancing our study, or if we believe someone is very close to what we are looking for but may not be an exact fit, we will place them on what is called a HOLD. This simply means we are trying to communicate with the team running the study to ensure we can use that participant prior to committing them to a group time. During this process, at no time is any identifying or contact information released. Participant personal identifying information is only used by the Engage team to update research participants as we find we can use them.
• What If I Am Dismissed Early? We do occasionally dismiss participants from groups or in-depth interviews early, but in these cases, compensation is almost always offered, unless it is determined that someone has truly been inconsistent or dishonest in the screening process. To account for those who do not show up or cancel at the last minute, we often over recruit for a research session.  As such, there will be instances where all participants are not needed to participate. If it is determined that your participation is not needed and you have shown up on-time as requested, we will still pay you the promised incentive.  Our research participants are the lifeline of our business and all of your opinions are truly valued. We hope that you will continue to participate in our screening process so that you will have another opportunity to participate in research with us again soon.
• What kinds of studies do you offer? We recruit only qualitative research, in which researchers interact directly with the participants. We are not a survey company, although we often use surveys in our screening process. Our projects range from in-person and telephone interviews and focus groups to online, video, and mobile studies, in which you and the researchers connect and communicate with others nationwide. Still other studies include contextual site visits, ethnographies, and shop-alongs, with researchers meeting with you in your natural habitat.
• How do I update my profile information? We appreciate having your most current address, occupation, and other profile information. Please keep your profile information up to date at engageindepth.com/my-dashboard .

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22 Best Places to Find Paid Research Studies (High Paying)

Last updated August 8, 2024 By Dylan Houlihan 0

Note: We may earn a commission from affiliate links on this page. These do not affect our ratings or recommendations.

Looking to level up your survey earnings and step into the world of paid research studies?

If so, you came to the right place.

Surveys are great to start out with, but doing 1-on-1 interviews and focus groups can be much more fulfilling and a higher paying, so it's worth trying out.

Below, you'll find some of the best platforms (sites and apps) to find paid research studies online and near you.

Featured Paid Study Platforms

Featured platforms are are selected based on financial incentives like affiliate partnerships and sponsorships. They help keep Swift Salary free. Thanks for your support!

User Interviews

User Interviews is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with paid study participants. Founded in 2015, the platform supports a variety of study formats (in-person, online, etc.) and types (focus groups, 1-on-1, etc.), and has been used by companies like Adobe, Spotify, Amazon, and more.

TestingTime

TestingTime is a crowdtesting platform that connects businesses and researchers with individuals looking to participate in paid user tests, interviews, focus groups, diary studies, and more. Founded in Switzerland in 2015, TestingTime is now part of the Norstat Group, and claims to pay over €1M per year to its pool of over 940k testers.

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is a survey platform that rewards users for sharing their opinions. Founded in 2005, the platform is quite well-known in the survey space and is home to thousands of survey takers earning extra cash every month.

What Are Paid Research Studies?

The criteria a site or app has to meet to make it onto this roundup is that it must either have:

• Paid research interviews (1-on-1 interviews where you get paid to talk with a researcher face to face or over the phone)
• Paid focus groups (group interviews where you get paid to talk to researchers as part of a group)

These types of research participation opportunities typically pay a lot more than regular online surveys, questionnaires, and polls, so it makes sense to give them their own breakdown.

That said, they're not all perfect…

Pros and Cons of Participating in Research Studies

• They pay well. I've done research, participated in these, and talked to others who've participated in them, and the hourly rates you can earn from paid research studies is quite high. You're typically looking at $50-$200+ per hour for your participation.
• Fewer disqualifications. To qualify for a paid research study, you'll typically need to answer some screener questions, but these are usually short and won't take more than 5 or so minutes. From there, once you're qualified, you're in. Unless the study is cancelled (which can happen), you're almost guaranteed to make some money once you set up your interview date. No more annoying survey disqualifications 30 minutes into a questionnaire.
• Chance to make a real difference. When answering online surveys, it's hard to tell if your contributions are really making a difference. With research interviews and focus groups, you'll feel a lot more involved and your opinions feel more valued. You'll most likely meet some interesting people and learn new things along the way as well.
• The earnings aren't consistent. This is the big downside with paid research studies. While they pay really well, you most likely aren't going to be able to make a full-time income out of them. Researchers are looking for very specific people the majority of the time, so you'll have to be patient.
• You've got to be comfortable in-person, on camera, or on the phone. Some research studies take place via webcam, others take place in person, and some are done over the phone. If you're not comfortable with any of those, these types of studies aren't going to be for you.
• You'll need a proper schedule. Answering surveys from your phone can be done almost any time and anywhere. But, with research studies, you'll typically need to book in a specific time slot for your interview. Many studies are at least thirty minutes to an hour long.

Top Sites and Apps for Finding Paid Research Studies Online and Near You

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Prolific is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with paid study participants. Supported study formats include surveys, video interviews, diary studies, and more. Founded in 2014, the platform claims to be home to over 120k participants and 30k researchers.

Chicago Booth CDR

Chicago Booth CDR (Center for Decision Research) is a crowdsourcing platform for behavioral science studies and research. Here, participants from around the world can get paid to take part in studies that help researchers better understand human interaction, thinking, feelings, and more. The CDR has been conducting this type of research since 1977.

IntelliZoom

IntelliZoom is a user experience (UX) research platform where panelists can get paid to give feedback on various companies' websites, apps, and other digital products via paid studies. Founded in 2007, the platform claims to have over 1.2M panelists and over 400 customers.

Respondent is a crowdsourcing platform that connects researchers with high-quality study participants from around the globe. The participants -- who earn money for taking part in studies -- are fully vetted and include industry professionals and general consumers.

L&E Opinions

L&E Opinions is a rewards platform where regular people and working professionals can get paid for sharing their opinions and expertise. Owned by L&E Research (a market research company founded in 1984) the platform claims to have over 1.6M panel members and over $8.8M in yearly payouts.

FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com is a rewards platform where members can get paid to participate in online surveys, research interviews, focus groups, and more. Founded in 2002, the platform claims to have paid out over $65M in a single year.

dscout is both a crowdsourcing marketplace and a rewards platform. Researchers can use it to conduct studies while Scouts can join and make money sharing their insights and experiences. The types of research conducted on dscout can include diary studies, photo/video responses, usability tests, and much more.

Testable Minds

Testable Minds is a crowdsourcing platform that connects participants with researchers conducting psychological and behavioral experiments and scientific studies. Founded in 2015, the platform claims to have 12k+ researchers and 85k+ participants.

UserCrowd is a crowdtesting platform where testers can get paid to provide feedback on products, websites, and applications via surveys, usability tests, and more. Founded in 2008, the platform claims to have over 320k clients, including brands like L'Oréal, GoDaddy, Asana, Google, Airtable, and more.

Ubertesters

Ubertesters is a crowdtesting platform that facilitates the connection between those looking for testing services and those looking to make money testing things like websites and apps. Founded in 2013, the platform claims to have over 80k testers across the globe and to have worked with well-known clients like Zalando, Monday.com, NBC, and more.

Tryber is a crowdtesting platform where testers can earn money for finding bugs, usability issues, and other problems in websites, applications, physical products, and more. The platform is owned and operated by Unguess (formerly AppQuality), a crowdsourcing platform that was founded in 2015.

UserTesting

UsertTesting.com is a crowdtesting platform focused on usability testing. Companies can use the platform to get feedback on their websites, apps, prototypes, and more, while contributors (aka testers) can use it to make money by participating in usability tests. Founded in 2007, the platform has grown to become one of the largest and most well-known in the crowdtesting space.

Crowdtap is a rewards platform where members can earn points for answering surveys and sharing their opinions. Surveys can range from one question long to full-on interviews.

Userlytics is a crowdtesting platform that connects organizations with UX testers who get paid to provide feedback on websites and apps. Founded in 2009, the platform claims to have over 2M testers, around 50 new studies uploaded every day, and worked with companies like Riot Games, Microsoft, eBay, Verizon, Coca-Cola, and more.

PlaytestCloud

PlaytestCloud is a crowdtesting platform that connects mobile game developers with paid freelance playtesters from around the globe. Founded in 2014, the platform claims to have over 1M playtesters who get paid for providing feedback on a variety of mobile games from developers like Zynga, Ubisoft, Gameloft, and many more.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a rewards platform and market research community that pays members for completing surveys and contributing their opinions, insights, and data. Founded in 2013, the platform is owned and operated by DISQO, an award-winning insights platform based in the U.S.

iPoll is a rewards platform that pays members for sharing their opinions, testing products, completing real-world missions, and more. Founded in 2012, the platform was previously known as Surveyhead and is currently owned and operated by Dyanata.

Product Report Card

Product Report Card is a rewards platform that pays members to take surveys and participate in free product tests. Founded in 2012, they claim to offer more high-paying surveys and product test opportunities than any other platform.

American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) is an international rewards platform that pays people from all around the world to share their opinions on a variety of products and services. They offer paid surveys as well as occasional product testing and mystery shopping opportunities. Founded in 1986 as a small U.S. mail survey panel, the platform has since grown into an online community of over 7 million members worldwide.

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Methodology

• What Is a Focus Group? | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

What is a Focus Group | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on December 10, 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest.

Table of contents

What is a focus group, step 1: choose your topic of interest, step 2: define your research scope and hypotheses, step 3: determine your focus group questions, step 4: select a moderator or co-moderator, step 5: recruit your participants, step 6: set up your focus group, step 7: host your focus group, step 8: analyze your data and report your results, advantages and disadvantages of focus groups, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about focus groups.

Focus groups are a type of qualitative research . Observations of the group’s dynamic, their answers to focus group questions, and even their body language can guide future research on consumer decisions, products and services, or controversial topics.

Focus groups are often used in marketing, library science, social science, and user research disciplines. They can provide more nuanced and natural feedback than individual interviews and are easier to organize than experiments or large-scale surveys .

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Focus groups are primarily considered a confirmatory research technique . In other words, their discussion-heavy setting is most useful for confirming or refuting preexisting beliefs. For this reason, they are great for conducting explanatory research , where you explore why something occurs when limited information is available.

A focus group may be a good choice for you if:

• You’re interested in real-time, unfiltered responses on a given topic or in the dynamics of a discussion between participants
• Your questions are rooted in feelings or perceptions , and cannot easily be answered with “yes” or “no”
• You’re confident that a relatively small number of responses will answer your question
• You’re seeking directional information that will help you uncover new questions or future research ideas
• Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order.
• Semi-structured interviews : A few questions are predetermined, but other questions aren’t planned.
• Unstructured interviews : None of the questions are predetermined.

Differences between types of interviews

Make sure to choose the type of interview that suits your research best. This table shows the most important differences between the four types.

Topics favorable to focus groups

As a rule of thumb, research topics related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. If you are seeking direction, explanation, or in-depth dialogue, a focus group could be a good fit.

However, if your questions are dichotomous or if you need to reach a large audience quickly, a survey may be a better option. If your question hinges upon behavior but you are worried about influencing responses, consider an observational study .

• If you want to determine whether the student body would regularly consume vegan food, a survey would be a great way to gauge student preferences.

However, food is much more than just consumption and nourishment and can have emotional, cultural, and other implications on individuals.

• If you’re interested in something less concrete, such as students’ perceptions of vegan food or the interplay between their choices at the dining hall and their feelings of homesickness or loneliness, perhaps a focus group would be best.

Once you have determined that a focus group is the right choice for your topic, you can start thinking about what you expect the group discussion to yield.

Perhaps literature already exists on your subject or a sufficiently similar topic that you can use as a starting point. If the topic isn’t well studied, use your instincts to determine what you think is most worthy of study.

Setting your scope will help you formulate intriguing hypotheses , set clear questions, and recruit the right participants.

• Are you interested in a particular sector of the population, such as vegans or non-vegans?
• Are you interested in including vegetarians in your analysis?
• Perhaps not all students eat at the dining hall. Will your study exclude those who don’t?
• Are you only interested in students who have strong opinions on the subject?

A benefit of focus groups is that your hypotheses can be open-ended. You can be open to a wide variety of opinions, which can lead to unexpected conclusions.

The questions that you ask your focus group are crucially important to your analysis. Take your time formulating them, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions , which can affect your responses.

Overall, your focus group questions should be:

• Open-ended and flexible
• Impossible to answer with “yes” or “no” (questions that start with “why” or “how” are often best)
• Unambiguous, getting straight to the point while still stimulating discussion
• Unbiased and neutral

If you are discussing a controversial topic, be careful that your questions do not cause social desirability bias . Here, your respondents may lie about their true beliefs to mask any socially unacceptable or unpopular opinions. This and other demand characteristics can hurt your analysis and lead to several types of reseach bias in your results, particularly if your participants react in a different way once knowing they’re being observed. These include self-selection bias , the Hawthorne effect , the Pygmalion effect , and recall bias .

• Engagement questions make your participants feel comfortable and at ease: “What is your favorite food at the dining hall?”
• Exploration questions drill down to the focus of your analysis: “What pros and cons of offering vegan options do you see?”
• Exit questions pick up on anything you may have previously missed in your discussion: “Is there anything you’d like to mention about vegan options in the dining hall that we haven’t discussed?”

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It is important to have more than one moderator in the room. If you would like to take the lead asking questions, select a co-moderator who can coordinate the technology, take notes, and observe the behavior of the participants.

If your hypotheses have behavioral aspects, consider asking someone else to be lead moderator so that you are free to take a more observational role.

Depending on your topic, there are a few types of moderator roles that you can choose from.

• The most common is the dual-moderator , introduced above.
• Another common option is the dueling-moderator style . Here, you and your co-moderator take opposing sides on an issue to allow participants to see different perspectives and respond accordingly.

Depending on your research topic, there are a few sampling methods you can choose from to help you recruit and select participants.

• Voluntary response sampling , such as posting a flyer on campus and finding participants based on responses
• Convenience sampling of those who are most readily accessible to you, such as fellow students at your university
• Stratified sampling of a particular age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or other characteristic of interest to you
• Judgment sampling of a specific set of participants that you already know you want to include

Beware of sampling bias and selection bias , which can occur when some members of the population are more likely to be included than others.

Number of participants

In most cases, one focus group will not be sufficient to answer your research question. It is likely that you will need to schedule three to four groups. A good rule of thumb is to stop when you’ve reached a saturation point (i.e., when you aren’t receiving new responses to your questions).

Most focus groups have 6–10 participants. It’s a good idea to over-recruit just in case someone doesn’t show up. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have fewer than 6 or more than 12 participants, in order to get the most reliable results.

Lastly, it’s preferable for your participants not to know you or each other, as this can bias your results.

A focus group is not just a group of people coming together to discuss their opinions. While well-run focus groups have an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere, they are backed up by rigorous methods to provide robust observations.

Confirm a time and date

Be sure to confirm a time and date with your participants well in advance. Focus groups usually meet for 45–90 minutes, but some can last longer. However, beware of the possibility of wandering attention spans. If you really think your session needs to last longer than 90 minutes, schedule a few breaks.

Confirm whether it will take place in person or online

You will also need to decide whether the group will meet in person or online. If you are hosting it in person, be sure to pick an appropriate location.

• An uncomfortable or awkward location may affect the mood or level of participation of your group members.
• Online sessions are convenient, as participants can join from home, but they can also lessen the connection between participants.

As a general rule, make sure you are in a noise-free environment that minimizes distractions and interruptions to your participants.

Consent and ethical considerations

It’s important to take into account ethical considerations and informed consent when conducting your research. Informed consent means that participants possess all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate in the research before it starts. This includes information about benefits, risks, funding, and institutional approval.

Participants should also sign a release form that states that they are comfortable with being audio- or video-recorded. While verbal consent may be sufficient, it is best to ask participants to sign a form.

A disadvantage of focus groups is that they are too small to provide true anonymity to participants. Make sure that your participants know this prior to participating.

There are a few things you can do to commit to keeping information private. You can secure confidentiality by removing all identifying information from your report or offer to pseudonymize the data later. Data pseudonymization entails replacing any identifying information about participants with pseudonymous or false identifiers.

Preparation prior to participation

If there is something you would like participants to read, study, or prepare beforehand, be sure to let them know well in advance. It’s also a good idea to call them the day before to ensure they will still be participating.

Consider conducting a tech check prior to the arrival of your participants, and note any environmental or external factors that could affect the mood of the group that day. Be sure that you are organized and ready, as a stressful atmosphere can be distracting and counterproductive.

Starting the focus group

Welcome individuals to the focus group by introducing the topic, yourself, and your co-moderator, and go over any ground rules or suggestions for a successful discussion. It’s important to make your participants feel at ease and forthcoming with their responses.

Consider starting out with an icebreaker, which will allow participants to relax and settle into the space a bit. Your icebreaker can be related to your study topic or not; it’s just an exercise to get participants talking.

Leading the discussion

Once you start asking your questions, try to keep response times equal between participants. Take note of the most and least talkative members of the group, as well as any participants with particularly strong or dominant personalities.

You can ask less talkative members questions directly to encourage them to participate or ask participants questions by name to even the playing field. Feel free to ask participants to elaborate on their answers or to give an example.

As a moderator, strive to remain neutral . Refrain from reacting to responses, and be aware of your body language (e.g., nodding, raising eyebrows) and the possibility for observer bias . Active listening skills, such as parroting back answers or asking for clarification, are good methods to encourage participation and signal that you’re listening.

Many focus groups offer a monetary incentive for participants. Depending on your research budget, this is a nice way to show appreciation for their time and commitment. To keep everyone feeling fresh, consider offering snacks or drinks as well.

After concluding your focus group, you and your co-moderator should debrief, recording initial impressions of the discussion as well as any highlights, issues, or immediate conclusions you’ve drawn.

The next step is to transcribe and clean your data . Assign each participant a number or pseudonym for organizational purposes. Transcribe the recordings and conduct content analysis to look for themes or categories of responses. The categories you choose can then form the basis for reporting your results.

Just like other research methods, focus groups come with advantages and disadvantages.

• They are fairly straightforward to organize and results have strong face validity .
• They are usually inexpensive, even if you compensate participant.
• A focus group is much less time-consuming than a survey or experiment , and you get immediate results.
• Focus group results are often more comprehensible and intuitive than raw data.

Disadvantages

• It can be difficult to assemble a truly representative sample. Focus groups are generally not considered externally valid due to their small sample sizes.
• Due to the small sample size, you cannot ensure the anonymity of respondents, which may influence their desire to speak freely.
• Depth of analysis can be a concern, as it can be challenging to get honest opinions on controversial topics.
• There is a lot of room for error in the data analysis and high potential for observer dependency in drawing conclusions. You have to be careful not to cherry-pick responses to fit a prior conclusion.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

A focus group is a research method that brings together a small group of people to answer questions in a moderated setting. The group is chosen due to predefined demographic traits, and the questions are designed to shed light on a topic of interest. It is one of 4 types of interviews .

As a rule of thumb, questions related to thoughts, beliefs, and feelings work well in focus groups. Take your time formulating strong questions, paying special attention to phrasing. Be careful to avoid leading questions , which can bias your responses.

There are various approaches to qualitative data analysis , but they all share five steps in common:

• Prepare and organize your data.
• Review and explore your data.
• Develop a data coding system.
• Assign codes to the data.
• Identify recurring themes.

The specifics of each step depend on the focus of the analysis. Some common approaches include textual analysis , thematic analysis , and discourse analysis .

Every dataset requires different techniques to clean dirty data , but you need to address these issues in a systematic way. You focus on finding and resolving data points that don’t agree or fit with the rest of your dataset.

These data might be missing values, outliers, duplicate values, incorrectly formatted, or irrelevant. You’ll start with screening and diagnosing your data. Then, you’ll often standardize and accept or remove data to make your dataset consistent and valid.

The four most common types of interviews are:

• Structured interviews : The questions are predetermined in both topic and order. 
• Focus group interviews : The questions are presented to a group instead of one individual.

It’s impossible to completely avoid observer bias in studies where data collection is done or recorded manually, but you can take steps to reduce this type of bias in your research .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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Home » Focus Groups – Steps, Examples and Guide

Focus Groups – Steps, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

Focus Group

Definition:

A focus group is a qualitative research method used to gather in-depth insights and opinions from a group of individuals about a particular product, service, concept, or idea.

The focus group typically consists of 6-10 participants who are selected based on shared characteristics such as demographics, interests, or experiences. The discussion is moderated by a trained facilitator who asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes towards the topic.

Focus groups are an effective way to gather detailed information about consumer behavior, attitudes, and perceptions, and can provide valuable insights to inform decision-making in a range of fields including marketing, product development, and public policy.

Types of Focus Group

The following are some types or methods of Focus Groups:

Traditional Focus Group

This is the most common type of focus group, where a small group of people is brought together to discuss a particular topic. The discussion is typically led by a skilled facilitator who asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions.

Mini Focus Group

A mini-focus group involves a smaller group of participants, typically 3 to 5 people. This type of focus group is useful when the topic being discussed is particularly sensitive or when the participants are difficult to recruit.

Dual Moderator Focus Group

In a dual-moderator focus group, two facilitators are used to manage the discussion. This can help to ensure that the discussion stays on track and that all participants have an opportunity to share their opinions.

Teleconference or Online Focus Group

Teleconferences or online focus groups are conducted using video conferencing technology or online discussion forums. This allows participants to join the discussion from anywhere in the world, making it easier to recruit participants and reducing the cost of conducting the focus group.

Client-led Focus Group

In a client-led focus group, the client who is commissioning the research takes an active role in the discussion. This type of focus group is useful when the client has specific questions they want to ask or when they want to gain a deeper understanding of their customers.

The following Table can explain Focus Group types more clearly

How To Conduct a Focus Group

To conduct a focus group, follow these general steps:

Define the Research Question

Identify the key research question or objective that you want to explore through the focus group. Develop a discussion guide that outlines the topics and questions you want to cover during the session.

Recruit Participants

Identify the target audience for the focus group and recruit participants who meet the eligibility criteria. You can use various recruitment methods such as social media, online panels, or referrals from existing customers.

Select a Venue

Choose a location that is convenient for the participants and has the necessary facilities such as audio-visual equipment, seating, and refreshments.

Conduct the Session

During the focus group session, introduce the topic, and review the objectives of the research. Encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions by asking open-ended questions and probing deeper into their responses. Ensure that the discussion remains on topic and that all participants have an opportunity to contribute.

Record the Session

Use audio or video recording equipment to capture the discussion. Note-taking is also essential to ensure that you capture all key points and insights.

Analyze the data

Once the focus group is complete, transcribe and analyze the data. Look for common themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from the discussion. Use this information to generate insights and recommendations that can be applied to the research question.

When to use Focus Group Method

The focus group method is typically used in the following situations:

Exploratory Research

When a researcher wants to explore a new or complex topic in-depth, focus groups can be used to generate ideas, opinions, and insights.

Product Development

Focus groups are often used to gather feedback from consumers about new products or product features to help identify potential areas for improvement.

Marketing Research

Focus groups can be used to test marketing concepts, messaging, or advertising campaigns to determine their effectiveness and appeal to different target audiences.

Customer Feedback

Focus groups can be used to gather feedback from customers about their experiences with a particular product or service, helping companies improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Public Policy Research

Focus groups can be used to gather public opinions and attitudes on social or political issues, helping policymakers make more informed decisions.

Examples of Focus Group

Here are some real-time examples of focus groups:

• A tech company wants to improve the user experience of their mobile app. They conduct a focus group with a diverse group of users to gather feedback on the app’s design, functionality, and features. The focus group consists of 8 participants who are selected based on their age, gender, ethnicity, and level of experience with the app. During the session, a trained facilitator asks open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their thoughts and opinions on the app. The facilitator also observes the participants’ behavior and reactions to the app’s features. After the focus group, the data is analyzed to identify common themes and issues raised by the participants. The insights gathered from the focus group are used to inform improvements to the app’s design and functionality, with the goal of creating a more user-friendly and engaging experience for all users.
• A car manufacturer wants to develop a new electric vehicle that appeals to a younger demographic. They conduct a focus group with millennials to gather their opinions on the design, features, and pricing of the vehicle.
• A political campaign team wants to develop effective messaging for their candidate’s campaign. They conduct a focus group with voters to gather their opinions on key issues and identify the most persuasive arguments and messages.
• A restaurant chain wants to develop a new menu that appeals to health-conscious customers. They conduct a focus group with fitness enthusiasts to gather their opinions on the types of food and drinks that they would like to see on the menu.
• A healthcare organization wants to develop a new wellness program for their employees. They conduct a focus group with employees to gather their opinions on the types of programs, incentives, and support that would be most effective in promoting healthy behaviors.
• A clothing retailer wants to develop a new line of sustainable and eco-friendly clothing. They conduct a focus group with environmentally conscious consumers to gather their opinions on the design, materials, and pricing of the clothing.

Purpose of Focus Group

The key objectives of a focus group include:

Generating New Ideas and insights

Focus groups are used to explore new or complex topics in-depth, generating new ideas and insights that may not have been previously considered.

Understanding Consumer Behavior

Focus groups can be used to gather information on consumer behavior, attitudes, and perceptions to inform marketing and product development strategies.

Testing Concepts and Ideas

Focus groups can be used to test marketing concepts, messaging, or product prototypes to determine their effectiveness and appeal to different target audiences.

Gathering Customer Feedback

Informing decision-making.

Focus groups can provide valuable insights to inform decision-making in a range of fields including marketing, product development, and public policy.

Advantages of Focus Group

The advantages of using focus groups are:

• In-depth insights: Focus groups provide in-depth insights into the attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of a target audience on a specific topic, allowing researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the issues being explored.
• Group dynamics: The group dynamics of focus groups can provide additional insights, as participants may build on each other’s ideas, share experiences, and debate different perspectives.
• Efficient data collection: Focus groups are an efficient way to collect data from multiple individuals at the same time, making them a cost-effective method of research.
• Flexibility : Focus groups can be adapted to suit a range of research objectives, from exploratory research to concept testing and customer feedback.
• Real-time feedback: Focus groups provide real-time feedback on new products or concepts, allowing researchers to make immediate adjustments and improvements based on participant feedback.
• Participant engagement: Focus groups can be a more engaging and interactive research method than surveys or other quantitative methods, as participants have the opportunity to express their opinions and interact with other participants.

Limitations of Focus Groups

While focus groups can provide valuable insights, there are also some limitations to using them.

• Small sample size: Focus groups typically involve a small number of participants, which may not be representative of the broader population being studied.
• Group dynamics : While group dynamics can be an advantage of focus groups, they can also be a limitation, as dominant personalities may sway the discussion or participants may not feel comfortable expressing their true opinions.
• Limited generalizability : Because focus groups involve a small sample size, the results may not be generalizable to the broader population.
• Limited depth of responses: Because focus groups are time-limited, participants may not have the opportunity to fully explore or elaborate on their opinions or experiences.
• Potential for bias: The facilitator of a focus group may inadvertently influence the discussion or the selection of participants may not be representative, leading to potential bias in the results.
• Difficulty in analysis : The qualitative data collected in focus groups can be difficult to analyze, as it is often subjective and requires a skilled researcher to interpret and identify themes.

Characteristics of Focus Group

• Small group size: Focus groups typically involve a small number of participants, ranging from 6 to 12 people. This allows for a more in-depth and focused discussion.
• Targeted participants: Participants in focus groups are selected based on specific criteria, such as age, gender, or experience with a particular product or service.
• Facilitated discussion: A skilled facilitator leads the discussion, asking open-ended questions and encouraging participants to share their thoughts and experiences.
• I nteractive and conversational: Focus groups are interactive and conversational, with participants building on each other’s ideas and responding to one another’s opinions.
• Qualitative data: The data collected in focus groups is qualitative, providing detailed insights into participants’ attitudes, opinions, and behaviors.
• Non-threatening environment: Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences in a non-threatening and supportive environment.
• Limited time frame: Focus groups are typically time-limited, lasting between 1 and 2 hours, to ensure that the discussion stays focused and productive.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Respondent is 100% legit and pays participants for completing research studies and is an attractive source of side income. Successful participants on Respondent create a strong, accurate profile and apply to relevant projects, and share their insights with researchers in different kinds of research tasks. Highly trusted platforms such as G2 and Side Hustle Nation rate Respondent as a reliable platform for supplemental income.

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33 Best Paid Focus Groups Online (Make $450+/Hour)

Finding paid focus groups online or near you can be a great way to make some extra cash. I mean, who doesn’t like talking about what they think!

This is why doing paid market research by participating in in-person or online focus groups is an easy way to make money doing just that.

While some do pay you more than others, there are plenty of paid focus groups that are legitimate, including in terms of just how much you can earn by doing this.

And when looking to do focus groups for money, you can choose to join a discussion on basically any topic you can think of. Whether you want to talk about what you bought at the supermarket last week or your opinion on the current state of politics in your area, there are definitely going to be options for you to make money discussing this.

Table of Contents

Best paid focus groups

There are a ton of sites setting out options for you to do paid focus groups online or near you, with all of them being free to sign up for. 

In most cases, actually signing up for the sites is the only way to see the available focus group opportunities. This is why it’s a good idea to sign up for as many as you can to give yourself the best chance possible to qualify for a focus group and to make some extra money.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is mainly focused on offering surveys for you to complete, which take just a couple of minutes each and will pay you a few dollars per survey.

However, they also offer focus groups online, as well as sometimes conducting them in-person or even by phone. In fact, Survey Junkie pays up to $150 for you to join one of their paid focus groups , which will usually require you to go through a few pre-qualification questions to allow you to be selected.

The best part here is that signing up for Survey Junkie is completely free , allowing you to keep an eye on what’s available at absolutely no cost to you.

QUICK TIP:  Given how popular Survey Junkie’s focus groups are, it’s a good idea to select the option to be notified of these by email – that way, you can grab one as soon as it’s available.

All you have to do is sign up for Survey Junkie , then go the notification part of your profile settings. Click to receive the notifications you want and you’re good to go!

2. Respondent

Respondent is well known for offering a massive range of paid focus groups online. But what’s even better is that when it comes to high paid market research online, Respondent is easily the best around.

In fact, you can earn up to $250 just for a one-hour focus group . You can also be based anywhere in the world to do this. 

To apply to join a Respondent focus group, you simply need to create an account and set up your profile.

One great part of using Respondent is that, after you sign up with them, you’ll immediately have access to all of the different focus groups that are currently available to you.

This is much better than some of the other companies , which only reach out to you by email if they think you’re a fit so it can be hard to know exactly how many are on offer.

Sign up for Respondent here to see which paid focus groups are available to you right now.

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

3. Ipsos i-Say

Ipsos i-Say is one of the largest market research companies in the world, having been in this business for decades now. Not only does this mean they work with companies in all sorts of industries, but they also accept focus group participants from all over the world.

Their paid focus groups will generally let you earn up to around $100 for a one-hour session, however you can also download the i-Say app to do surveys through your phone. These will only pay up to about $1.50 per survey, although they’re much faster than the focus group sessions.

Sign up for free with Ipsos i-Say here.

4. User Interviews

User Interviews is one of the most well-known companies offering paid focus groups and it helps that signing up is very simple.

Essentially, simply create your profile and the system will start automatically linking you up with any offers you qualify for.

And regarding how much you can earn, the starting range is around $75 for a half-hour session . From there, the amount you can earn can go way up depending on how much of your time is needed and how specialized the questions are. 

In cases where you really need some background experience to participate, you can even earn up to $450 just for a one-hour focus group session.  While this is the crème de la crème of high paid market research online, opportunities at this rate aren’t so common – but there’s no reason why you couldn’t strike the jackpot and qualify for one!

5. Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field mainly does online paid focus groups, although there are occasionally options to do these in person.

And given how highly rated this company is online, you know they’re legitimate.

You’ll generally earn anywhere between $100 to $300 per study , with payment usually being made by PayPal although you can choose to get this paid through gift cards instead.

Recruit and Field does a lot of market research in professional and technical areas, meaning they are particularly on the lookout for focus group participants with specialized backgrounds, such as in the medical or legal fields. This means that if you’ve worked in these areas, Recruit and Field could be a good fit for you.

Related: 29 Quick Tips on How to Make $300 Fast

6. PingPong

PingPong is one of the newer sites offering paid focus group opportunities, but this doesn’t make it any less legitimate. In fact, their clients include companies like Skyscanner, Nestle, Dropbox and McKinsey.

You can earn up to €100 per hour for their focus group sessions, which are also open to those in the US and other countries outside of Europe, despite their rates being in Euros.

There’s also the chance to get paid to test websites with PingPong, if you’d prefer that as a money making option.

Related: 25 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Type Online

7. Google Usability

Google Usability allows you to participate in focus groups online for money directly through Google. These surveys specifically focus on you sharing your thoughts on Google products, which are mostly done online but there is the chance to do in-person studies from time to time.

You’ll earn around $75 per hour which, while not the top paying focus group on this list, does have the perk of knowing you’re directly shaping the products of one of the biggest companies in the world.

8. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion has over six million users worldwide and is mainly focused on paying you to complete surveys. These don’t pay that much (up to around $0.50 per survey), but it does also have longer focus group surveys from time to time that pay up to about $50 each.

You’re not paid in straight up cash – instead, you earn points for each one you complete. These points can then be cashed out either through PayPal or by check.

9. 20|20 Panel

20|20 Panel pays between $50 to $150 for giving your ideas on its clients’ products and services. Having existed for more than 30 years, it’s considered as being one of the more established market research companies.

While they do have offices in several US cities, they mainly do online paid focus groups, meaning you can apply to participate from anywhere in the world.

10. Focus Pointe Global

Focus Pointe Global in the US (and its sister company in the UK, Inspired Opinions ) mainly offers online focus groups, although there are also sometimes in-person options in one of their 16 offices throughout the US.

You’ll be paid anywhere between $50 to $250 for participating and it seems that they have a particular preference for anyone interested in discussing their thoughts on various medical issues. 

This doesn’t only mean people with a professional medical background, as it can also include those who’ve suffered from an illness in the past and are willing to share their thoughts on various aspects relating to this.

It’s also worth mentioning that Focus Group by Schlesinger reviews, as this company is now more commonly known after it was bought out by Schlesinger, aren’t always amazing. That said, a lot of these seem to arise from some confusion by those who filled in their profiles and thought that this automatically qualified them to do paid market research. 

Just be aware that that’s not the case for any company that runs paid focus groups – and the reviews of this company for people who did actually do some of their surveys are generally positive in terms of how much and when you’re paid.

11. Mindswarms

Mindswarms takes full advantage of the fact that we all have phones with cameras by having participants answer market research questions by simply filming themselves then uploading their responses to the Mindswarms app.

This is much easier than having to attend an online focus group at a set time, as you can be as flexible as you want in terms of when you record and share your opinions.

It’s also very quick, as you’ll only ever have to answer up to seven questions in one go, allowing you to earn $50 for doing this.

12. Survey Feeds

Survey Feeds may not have the fanciest looking website on this list, but it has some incredible payouts for participating in a paid focus group.

These are offered both online and, in some cases, in-person, with the rates being among the highest you’ll see in this field. Standard rates are up to around $175 for a one-hour session but, as you can see below, they also have offers for you to earn $500 for a 60-minute in-person survey.

And you can even find the occasional one that will pay you $2,000 for a two-day market research workshop, as well as travel costs.

13. Find Focus Groups

Find Focus Groups has been around since 2006 and claims to have listed over 70,000 legitimate focus groups in the US.

They offer the chance to discuss your thoughts on all sorts of topics, including finance, travel, video games, food, sports and more.

You can search by city or state to find paid focus groups near you on their site. There are also options for those aged from 16 years old, for any teens looking to make money .

Related: 29 Legit Online Jobs for Teens to Make Serious Money

14. FocusGroups.org

FocusGroups.org has focus group opportunities in more than 47 cities around the US, allowing you to earn up to $250 per group. In fact, they say that they’ve paid out over $16.5 million to participants.

You don’t even need to create a profile to see the paid focus groups near you, as you can simply click on your city on their homepage to see what each group will discuss and the payout.

15. Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group is essentially a search engine for different paid focus groups being offered around the US. While some of these are online, many of them let you find focus groups near you given that they all list any location requirements.

Almost all of them pay well in excess of $100, with several paying between $300 and $400 for your participation in what are mostly consumer-related questions.

Find out more in our Apex Focus Group review .

16. Fieldwork

Fieldwork focuses on consumer-related questions, so if you’re interested in doing a paid focus group where you talk about the clothes you buy or the banks where you have accounts, this could be for you.

They have a list of cities in the US where they hold in-person focus groups. However, if you don’t live in one of these cities, you can also register to join their National Database for when they need focus group participants who aren’t located in a particular place.

17. Craigslist

From time to time, you can find paid focus groups on Craigslist. These are often with legitimate companies who aim to get a wider range of people by advertising on there.

Of course, as with all things Craigslist, make sure you check what’s involved before going somewhere in-person for this.

18. Facebook

Facebook can be great for finding out about opportunities to join paid focus groups. For example, the Find Focus Groups page lists all of their recently added opportunities for which they need participants.

By following these pages, you’ll increase your chances of seeing it and applying before anyone else.

More focus group panels to do high paid market research online

If the options above aren’t quite enough for you, then there are plenty of other sites offering opportunities to do focus group surveys that pay!

Check out the list below for some extra options to do focus groups online for money.

• Brand Institute
• Experience Dynamics
• Field Voices
• Focus Group
• GLG Insights
• Maru Springboard America
• Plaza Research
• Probe Market Research
• SIS International
• Survey Squad
• 2020 Research

How much do focus groups pay?

While rates will vary, most focus groups pay anywhere between $25 to $150 per session. The amount you’ll receive will depend on how long the session takes and the level of expertise required to participate, with some even offering up to $450 per hour for your time.

If you attend an in-person focus group, you could also get some money to cover your transport costs and, if the session takes more than a few hours, even some money for food.

Based on my experience, the sites with the most frequent availability of high-paying focus groups are Survey Junkie (up to $150) and Respondent (up to $250).

While some there are some high paid market research opportunities that do pay more from time to time, they don’t tend to have offers available as frequently as these two. That means that you tend to earn more over time with these sites.

The ones that pay more generally require you to have some specific expertise in a certain area. It’s worth noting though that these aren’t the norm and so don’t expect these to become available all the time.

Most companies that hold pay focus groups pay via check, bank transfer or as PayPal cash . In some cases, especially with online focus groups that pay, you may get paid with a gift card for companies like Amazon, Visa or even PayPal which is, in effect, getting paid in cash.

In the case of a few sites, you’ll earn points instead of straight up cash. Those points can also be exchanged for gift cards.

Related: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

Can you make a living doing focus groups?

Doing paid focus groups is great to earn some extra cash, but it’s going to be difficult to make a living doing this. This is because while some market research groups do pay well as an hourly rate, it’s generally not going to be enough to replace your main source of income.

This is why your goal in doing paid focus groups shouldn’t be to make a living. Instead, it’s a great way to make some extra cash in addition to your more consistent ways of making money.

Are $350 surveys real?

The possibility of doing $350 surveys is definitely real, although it’s good to keep in mind that this isn’t a standard rate. Instead, these tend to only be available to people with specific expertise in a certain area who thus need to be paid for their experience.

It’s much more likely that you’ll earn anywhere between $25 and $150 for doing paid focus groups. Only in some very specialized cases can you earn much more than this, although these definitely can go up to and even exceed $350.

It’s also worth highlighting the fact that these great earning rates apply to paid focus groups, not the kind of surveys you’ll find in apps. While those surveys can be a very good way to make a few extra dollars, especially at times when you’d probably just be wasting time on your phone anyway, you’re more likely to make $3.50 from these rather than $350.

What is a paid focus group?

A paid focus group is a small group of people who earn money in exchange for providing their opinions on a particular topic, such as for market research or political analysis. The aim is to use this information to determine the position of the general population on these same issues.

Focus groups can be conducted either online or in-person, but generally aim to have a diverse set of people participating. This is so that the company doing the research can have as wide a range of opinions represented in their findings as possible.

What is an example of a focus group?

An example of a focus group is one that’s held prior to the launch of a new product. In doing this, the company developing the product is able to gauge the general public’s opinion on issues relating to the product, including any marketing campaigns surrounding this.

The people participating in a high paid market research focus group like this won’t only be asked about the new product itself. They may also be asked about any competitors, such as their opinion on these competitors, whether they’ve used any competing products and what made them choose to use that specific competing product (or not, as the case may be).

Focus group participants may also be asked for their opinions on advertisements, either for the product in question or other similar ones.

By doing this, it helps a company to shape both the product and the marketing around it to suit their target audience before the actual launch.

How do focus groups work in-person?

Focus groups that are held in person are undertaken by having you and the other participants come to a venue to discuss a particular topic together. Usually, there will be a moderator in the room guiding the discussion and taking notes.

Their job isn’t to encourage you to have a certain opinion. Instead, they simply want to hear your thoughts on each of the different questions they want the discussion to cover.

You’ll often be sharing your thoughts as part of a group in the same room, meaning you’re able to discuss your opinions with the other participants to hear what they have to say and vice versa.

Not all in-person focus groups take place over just one session. However, if you’re asked to come a few times, you’ll also be paid for each session you attend.

How do online focus groups work?

Online focus groups work in a similar way to in-person focus groups, except that you join via an online platform. You’ll often be asked to do this with your webcam turned on, meaning that everyone can see you and discuss the various questions essentially the same way as they would in-person.

Expect to receive a link to access the discussion in the days before the focus group session. This may be using more generic software, like Skype, but some paid market research companies do have their own applications they ask you to use.

You’re also likely to be recorded if you join any online focus groups that pay, although this is also similar to what happens during in-person focus groups as well.

Online focus groups are becoming more popular these days for doing paid market research, as it’s much cheaper and logistically easier than trying to get everyone into one room. It also allows for a more diverse range of opinions, as people can join from literally anywhere in the world. This clearly compares to in-person focus groups, which have to generally be limited to those who are within driving distance of the venue.

Pros and cons of doing focus groups for money

When looking at the pros and cons of doing focus groups for money, the advantages include the following:

• It’s a quick way to make a good amount of money. It’s rare to find a side hustle that can make money in one hour (up to $150!), but doing paid focus groups definitely meets that criteria.
• It’s fun to talk about your opinions. Most people like to talk about what they think, so the fact that you can actually get paid well for this is just icing on the cake.
• Your opinions can have an actual impact. By doing paid focus groups, these companies use this information to shape consumer and political action going forward. It can definitely be nice to know you have that kind of influence.

That said, there are some disadvantages in using focus groups as a way to make money that are worth considering. In particular:

• It’s not a steady way to make extra money. While the hourly rate of doing paid focus groups is amazing, it’s difficult to do this consistently. With paid market research companies often looking for a specific demographic, you’re not always going to qualify, meaning you can’t rely on this as an extra source of income.
• It can be hard to find paid focus groups that actually pay well. While there are plenty of options out there to earn good money doing this, there are also a lot of companies that try to undercharge. It can be tempting to accept any focus group opportunity in the hope of making some money, but make sure you know what your time is worth.
• The process of getting accepted into a focus group can be frustrating. Basically all of the sites advertising paid focus group opportunities require you to apply to participate – which you can only do if you meet some prerequisites. Even ticking off all the initial criteria doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be accepted, meaning it can get pretty frustrating when you want to make money in this way but don’t seem to be able to crack the code.

Are paid focus groups legitimate?

Paid focus groups are definitely a legitimate way to make money. There are dozens of major market research companies out there that rely on focus groups for shaping their customers’ activities, which means they pay very well for you to participate in these.

This doesn’t mean that all companies that run paid focus groups are legitimate, of course. Some do try to undercharge, which is why the list in this article focuses only on those that are known to be legitimate, including in how they treat participants.

Given that you can be paid upwards of $150 for only an hour of your time, this is clearly an hourly rate that you’re not going to get everywhere. In addition, by sticking to the market research companies on this list, you can be assured that they’re reliable and that you’ll actually get paid each time.

How do you find focus groups?

You can find focus groups by signing up with companies that make paid market research opportunities available and completing your profile. This is because, even if they have open focus groups currently, you will generally only be accepted if you are in their target demographic .

This is why it’s a good idea to sign up for as many of the best focus group websites and focus group companies as you can. By doing that, you’re making yourself available for as many focus groups as possible, in allowing these companies to check your personal characteristics and determine if you’re a fit.

Of course, you should also do your own research to make sure you’re comfortable sharing this information with each company. A simple Google search is usually a great start to see other people’s reviews on their own experiences doing paid focus groups with these companies. Checking these companies’ social media profiles can also really help.

How to join a focus group

To join a focus group, you must first complete your profile with the relevant company and then apply to join available focus group opportunities. The researcher will review your profile to see if you’re in the target demographic, so you may be contacted for more details about yourself.

Paid focus groups often need a wide variety of people to ensure they’re getting the broadest range of opinions possible. This is why they need this information about you – to make sure you’re the right fit and not waste your or their time.

How do you get picked for focus groups?

To get picked for a focus group, make sure your profile is as complete as possible. That way, researchers will easily be able to tell if you’re a good fit for their group. You should also apply for as many as possible to give yourself the best chance of success.

Researchers are just as busy as the rest of us, so they don’t have time to stare at your profile for a while and wonder if you tick all of their boxes. Instead, they’re much more likely to quickly check your details and, if anything is missing or not clear, just skip over you for someone else who’s been more detailed about who they are.

The other tip to get picked for focus groups is simple: you gotta be in it to win it. Simply applying for a paid focus group definitely doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted, so the more you voluneer for, the more likely it is you’ll be selected.

Are focus groups good for making money?

Doing paid focus groups is definitely a great way to make some extra money. The hourly rate is almost unmatched and there’s no question that it’s fun to talk about what you think with a captive audience. However, it isn’t a consistent way to increase your income.

That is, the biggest downside in treating paid focus groups as a side hustle is a lack of consistency in terms of your earnings. It’s almost impossible to guarantee that you’ll qualify for participating in one of these groups every week, for example as it’s so dependent on what paid market research is needed – and, in particular, from who.

No matter how great your experience has been in participating in paid focus groups previously, if you’re not in the demographic they’re looking for in a specific session, you’re not going to be able to participate in the next one. This can be pretty frustrating, especially if you’ve had success before doing paid focus groups and making serious money doing this.

This is why I recommend that while paid focus groups are great for making money, treat it just as one of your side hustles, not your main one. That way, you’ll be sure that you have as much money coming in as possible – and if you happen to qualify for a well-paying focus group at any point, then even better!

Anna is the founder of LogicalDollar and a personal finance expert, having been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, Bankrate, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, CreditCards.com and many more. With more than 10 years of experience in the financial and legal industries, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in these fields, as well as her own journey in turning $60,000 in debt into a thriving investment portfolio, she’s committed to helping others get on the path to financial freedom.

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Updated: February 13, 2024

Paid Research Studies

34 sites to find legit paid research studies and focus groups....

This is the definitive guide to finding online paid research studies that you can earn from.

Today you’ll learn:

• What online paid research is
• What types of research you could participate in
• Legit places to find well paying research studies you can do from home
• Tips on how to succeed making money from paid research

I’ve spent a week researching and learning about all the different places you can earn cash from taking part in studies.

🏆 Best Sites for Paid Research Studies

If you’re in a hurry, these are the top sites we recommend:

🌎 Worldwide

🇺🇸 Inside USA

• FindFocusGroups.com

Reddit r/PaidStudies

Keep scrolling for more info and resources.

Jump to…

• What is online paid research?
• How much can I earn?
• Best International Sites
• Best Sites for the USA
• 30+ More Legit Sites
• Are paid research studies legit?
• Are $350+ focus groups real?
• What skills do I need?
• General Tips

Pros and Cons

• Can I be a full-time participant?
• Share your experience

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Join 23,426 subscribers to our twice-weekly newsletter and we'll send you tips, insights and opportunities to help you earn a living from home.

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🤔 What Is Online Paid Research?

Online paid research is a broad term. It mainly includes activities like:

• Focus Groups Providing feedback with a bigger group of testers or participants.
• In-home Interviews Talking directly with people over the phone or internet.
• One-on-one Interviews Sharing your opinion via video conferencing software.
• Answering Questionnaires Giving feedback to short questions based on your opinions or experiences.
• Taste / Product Testing Receiving a “first-look” at products and testing them.
• Mock Trial / Mock Jury Participating in a simulated court trial to help legal workers train.

You’ll sometimes see paid research called “paid studies” or “paid focus groups” too. 

Generally you’ll be providing companies information about their products or services to help them improve. Or you might be helping scientists or researchers gather information about things like diseases or human behavior.

The subject of research can be varied.

Note that we differentiate between paid research studies and paid surveys, though there can be some overlap. Both are considered GetPaidTo (GPT), but you’ll usually earn more money with research studies.

• See our list of best survey sites

🤑 How Much Do Research Studies Pay?

Typically, research studies can pay anything between $8 – $450 per hour .

While generally not a consistent source of income, they can be a great way to earn some extra money.

An example of a paid online research study that many people could potentially qualify for:

Potential earnings rely on a few factors:

• Method of research Online studies tend to pay less than in-person ones. This is because the range of information a researcher can receive is limited to text or speech. Sometimes the higher paying studies need more information (i.e. health metrics in clinical research).
• Length of study The longer the study, the higher the chance of earning. Some studies can be less than an hour in length. Others might go on for several weeks or months.
• Type of payment Some online paid research positions don’t pay in cash at all but rather gift cards or vouchers. These could limit you to certain vendors you may not be interested in (Walmart when you live outside the U.S. for instance).
• Number of research studies available Don’t be fooled into thinking high paying online studies are everywhere, they’re not. As far as market research companies or clinical trials go, they are expensive to set up and manage.
• Demographics Certain studies want to target a specific age, income or gender etc. There’s no promise you’ll qualify for enough studies to make it worth your while.

The highest to lowest earning online paid research study types are:

• Focus groups
• Taste/product testing
• Questionnaires or surveys ( list of best survey sites )

The last group pays the least but usually has more regular opportunities.

🌎 Best Places to Find Paid Studies Online

There are several legit sites to find paid research studies.

The two best places, in my opinion, are PingPong and Respondent . They take participants from anywhere, not just the U.S.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Respondent.io is a website that helps companies like Allstate and eBay perform market research studies.

As a “respondent” (fancy word for research participant), you’ll be paid for taking part in focus groups, one-on-one interviews and other research work.

Examples of paid research studies available at Respondent:

The majority of the studies are performed online or via phone (i.e. remote).

🤑 Earning Range

• $20 – $500 per study
• High payout
• Good reputation among online workers
• Not easy to qualify for research studies
• Slow customer support
• Full Respondent review

PingPong is a recent player in the marketing research space, launched in 2017. Its platform is designed to bring developers and research participants together in one-on-one video calls to help test websites . 

As their past clients include companies like BT, Skyscanner, Zapier and Nestle, you know they’re legit.

One user reported earning €40 per hour participating in 3 studies on PingPong:

• €10 – €100 for every session
• €30+ per hour of a video call (special cases up to €200)
• You don’t need to match any special criteria
• The chance to work with top brands
• Requires providing feedback with a webcam
• Possibly boring if you’re not interested in web design and usability

🇺🇸 Best Sites For Paid Studies Online In The USA

If you’re a U.S. resident there are two more options worth checking out: FindFocusGroups.com and r/PaidStudies .

These are listing sites as opposed to market research companies. 

FindFocusGroups.com allows you to search for both in-person and online research studies taking place across America. 

At the time of writing, there are several online focus groups and clinical trials listed. These cover topics as broad as credit cards, Bay Area living and home ownership.

• $65 – $400 per study
• Frequently updated 
• Good number of focus-groups and research studies available
• All studies with decent pay
• Third-party site, can’t always promise legit studies
• The application process isn’t standard (dependent on whatever site you’re referred to)

r/PaidStudies is a growing subreddit that was first started in 2017.

It lists paid market research studies, including the ones that can be done online from anywhere in the USA.

An example of a paid study linked from r/PaidStudies:

• $25 – $500 per study
• New research studies posted daily
• Big range of study types; clinical trials, focus groups, product testing, etc.
• You don’t have to create an account to apply 
• Some overlap with platforms like Respondent re-posting studies

😎 30 Other Legit Places to Find Paid Focus Group

There are a bunch of other legit places with research studies available.

Sites below are listed in alphabetical order. So, there are some really good ones mentioned even towards the very end of the article. Keep scrolling down and you will see examples of online studies that pay up to $500 for a 75-minute call interview …

20|20 Research

Part of the Schlesinger marketing group, 20|20 Research has over 30 years experience in the industry.

They offer both online focus groups and one-on-one interviews mainly to U.S. residents. Examples:

• $50 – $350 per qualitative research
• $1 – $10 for each quick survey (quantitative research)
• High earning potential
• Many short survey opportunities available, paying out anything between $1 – $10 cash
• Lengthy pre-screening tests
• Higher earning rates for in-person studies (specifically for people in Charlotte, Nashville and Miami)

Adler Weiner Research

Adler Weiner Research has over 60 years experience in the industry. They specialize in consumer, medical and business-to-business marketing.

They offer focus-groups, in-depth interviews and shop alongs (a research team goes with you to shop).

An example of online study:

• $25 – $300 per study
• Diverse research study types
• Reputable company
• Mostly want people for in-person studies in Chicago, Los Angeles and Orange Country

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

Mechanical Turk is a “microjobs” site from Amazon where you can get paid to perform small tasks, including participation in research studies.

MTurk brings researchers and participants together allowing for pseudo-anonymity between both. Having a third party (Amazon) overseeing payments is a great way to protect both parties.

Examples of the higher paying tasks one user reported on the Hustle:

As you can see above, this user was earning between $10.54 – $14.24 per hour, while only taking the highest paying surveys.

However, most tasks pay at the lower end:

The Hustle reported average earnings:

A 2018 academic study analyzed 3.8m tasks completed by 2,676 workers on MTurk and found that average earnings through the platform amounted to $2 per hour . Only 4% of all workers earned more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.

• $1 – $14 per hour
• Many varied opportunities
• Open to internationals
• Lower paying
• Strong competition for places
• Check this subreddit which posts the highest paying tasks on MTurk

American Consumer Opinion

Boasting 6 million members, American Consumer Opinion runs paid research studies several times a year. They normally don’t pay much, but you might be selected for those rare market research studies that pay up to $50.

The platform runs on a points system rather than cash payouts. When you hit $10.00, you can request your money.

• About $2 – $5 for a few minute study
• $0.1 – $0.3 compensation if you disqualify
• Varied research subjectis (product opinions, website testing, etc.)
• Much more low-paying surveys than higher-paying focus groups

Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group is seeking individuals to participate in paid focus groups, survey panels, clinical trials, and phone interviews.

Most of their studies are 90 – 120 minutes in duration and on the topics like food, sports, entertainment, pets, electronics, automobiles and parenting.

• $35 – $75 (per 1 hour session)
• $250 – $500 (multi-session studies)
• High payouts
• Varied research topics
• High competition among participants
• U.S. residents only

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Brand Institute

As the parent of the Drug Safety Institute (DSI), Brand Institute specializes in medical research surveys.

They only work with licenced healthcare workers as participants. Most surveys seem to take 15 to 40 minutes and pay between $10 – $20 on average .

The list of open surveys is only available for signed-up users. But you can find their users reviews on Facebook . One user posted a screenshot of his survey history a few years ago…

• $2 – $30 per study
• Quick earning opportunity for healthcare workers
• Many reported that surveys were interesting and fun
• Requires a medical license number from participants
• Not that many surveys seem to be available lately

Carnegie Mellon University | Center for Behavioral and Decision Research

Carnegie Mellon runs a few online studies from their research lab. Subjects include things like personal attitudes, beliefs, human judgement and decision-making. 

• $8 per hour on average (for online studies)
• Short online studies (from 5 minutes to an hour)
• Enter a lottery for a chance to win a larger prize
• Participants are primarily needed for in-person studies in labs on campus
• Can not participate in more than one study at one time

Columbia Business School | Center for Decision Sciences

Columbia Business School is continually recruiting people to take part in online studies.

Recent topics of study have involved completing interactive decision-making tasks, short cognitive tests, solving brain teasers and answering general questions about politics.

• About $16 per hour
• Good number of research projects
• Steady pay rate
• Few studies for people outside US
• May be strict eligibility requirements

CenterWatch

CenterWatch is an aggregator of worldwide clinical research studies. They list studies from research labs and clinics all over the globe, including those doing important research on subjects like dementia and genetic screening.

Unfortunately, they often don’t disclose the earning ranges on their studies and many are strictly voluntary.

You’ll need to play around with the search filters to find paid and/or online studies. Try searching for the following keywords:

• Compensation
• Compensated

Here’s an example of a paid online study I found via search:

• Available studies on all continents (but mainly in North America, Europe and Asia)
• You can find well-paid studies
• Poor site navigation (hunting for paid online studies can take a while)
• Many studies are voluntary

Fieldwork is a marketing research company that has been operating since 1980.

They are mainly focused on consumer and medical panels and have several in-person paid research locations in the US.

• $75 minimum for focus groups
• Short sessions (1-2 hours)
• Variety of topics
• Few online paid research gigs (most are in-person)

FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com is another research company owned by the Schlesinger Group. They list many online focus groups and research studies on their Facebook page .

FocusGroup.com also operates under the brands Focus Pointe Global and Inspired Opinions.

Example of an online focus group:

• $75 – $200 per study
• Reputable brand
• Slow payout (cash usually received within 6-8 weeks of participation)
• There could be some delays in payment
• Check out Focus Group on Facebook for the latest studies

Google’s User Experience Research

Google runs different focus group studies to get user feedback on a range of their products and services.

Many of these studies offer redemptions in the form of gift cards or charity donations. Gift card options are relevant to your country.

• $25 – $200 per hour of screen-recording surveys
• About $0.5 or more for 30-40 minutes of surveys that don’t require screen recordings

Here’s the official word from Google :

Once your participation is complete, you’ll get a small thank-you gift like a gift card or a donation to your favorite charity . We’ll always tell you what the reward will be before you decide whether to participate.

• Wide eligibility (just have to use Google products)
• Open for people outside the US
• Donate to your favorite charity
• Lengthy sign-up process (1-2 hours survey regarding your usage of Google products)
• Pay varies greatly depending on a type of survey

Harvard University | Psychology Department Study Pool

Running since the 1800’s, Harvard’s reputation as one of the world’s finest educational institutions is global.

Harvard’s Psychology Department is also one the highest ranked in the world. It has openings for paid research on the regular.

Some of the studies require you to attend in person, but they also do online studies. Time and compensation will be listed in the description of each study.

• $10 – $25 per hour on average
• Available opportunities for foreign internationals
• Limited places (plus high competition)

MIT Behavioral Research Lab

There are many different types of paid research you can do with the MIT Behavioral Research Lab. Common activities include completing group assignments, filling out questionnaires, playing games and taking part in interviews or discussions.

MIT uses the platform Sona to bring participants and research leaders together. Online studies usually last between 15 and 45 minutes.

• $10 – $20 per hour for online studies

While most researchers pay participants a flat rate, some researchers prefer to use a performance-based payment system, where participants receive a fixed base rate for completing a study, plus a variable bonus that reflects how well they perform in certain tasks.

• Performance-based payment gives opportunity to earn more
• Strict eligibility criteria
• Open to US residents only

Mindswarms is a market research company that’s focused exclusively on video.

Completing one of their studies involves recording your insights on a business or product via a smartphone, tablet or webcam. Past clients include Nike, Verizon and Google. You can find out more about their clients here .

• $10 – $50 per study (from a few minutes to 20 min)
• Video format
• Few studies available

Northwestern University | Department of Psychology

Northwestern University’s Psychology Department is at the cutting edge of psychological research in America.

Recent study topics include Covid-19, the impact of the Trump presidency and the efficiency of female leaders.

An example of a recent online study:

• $15 – $421 per study
• Interesting topics
• Available studies for those under 18 years of age
• Most surveys for U.S. residents only

Purdue University

Purdue University, known as one of the most innovative schools in America, is another site that will pay you for taking part in studies.

A recent online telehealth study, looking at speech in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, shows the type of research they do…

• $10 – $70 per study
• Some studies provide extra bonuses for completing sessions
• Website is difficult to navigate (hard to figure out which opportunities are online vs in-person)
• Few online studies

Plaza Research

In business since 1982, Plaza Research runs a lot of studies targeted at consumers, parents, teens, students, business professionals and healthcare workers.

Most focus groups are up to 2-hours long and discuss things like new products from major manufacturers.

• $50 – $200 per study
• Growing number of opportunities (online survey taking, paid interviews and focus groups)
• Long sign-up process
• Poor website design

Probe Market Research

Probe Market Research conducts group interviews over the phone or online. You can get paid for your opinions on things like new TV commercials, beauty products and even soda bottle designs. Past clients include Dell, Lego and eBay.

An example of recent online research on credit cards:

• $50 – $400 per study
• Chance to work with top brands
• Mostly US-based opportunities
• Check out PMR’s on Facebook to view recent research opportunities

Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field has been in business since 1977. They specialize in connecting and inviting participants to take part in focus groups, phone interviews, online surveys and in-home product testing.

Some studies pay cash while others offer Amazon gift cards and PayPal payouts.

• $100 – $300 per study
• Varied research formats (phone, online, in-home, etc.)
• Competitive (the website claims a pool of 300,000 respondents)
• Check out Recruit & Field on Facebook for the latest studies

Reddit r/FocusGroups

r/FocusGroups is a community very similar to r/PaidStudies and has a lot of crossover. You can sign up to each of the opportunities they list directly.

At the time of writing there are studies paying as high as $250 per hour that require only a WebCam to share product opinions…

• New daily listings
• Overlaps with other sites on this list

Resolution Research

Resolution Research looks for “engaged and enthusiastic participants from all walks of life in the US and Canada”, according to their website.

They run focus groups, product and device tests, mock juries, taste tests and online surveys. They also run two other research panels; The Medical Panel and PaidStudies.com.

• $20 – $200 per survey (estimated)
• Reputable brand (several studies running across different panels)
• Confusing web interface (lots of redirection to other panels/websites)

SIS International

SIS International does research into topics like smoking and tobacco use, social media opinions and online entertainment use.

You’ll get paid to join focus groups, do online surveys and give product feedback in one-to-one interviews. Example:

• $25 – $400 per study
• Open to international participants (Germany, London, Milan, etc.)
• Available studies for teenagers
• Some users reported poor customer service
• Check out SIS International on Facebook for the latest studies in the USA

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford’s School of Business is another Ivy-league University running a research lab.

Most studies can be done online or in-person at choice. Studies typically include cash or gift card payments averaging $25 an hour .

Studies are usually run through Sona, MTurk or Opinion World.

• $25 per hour
• Most studies can be done online
• Specific eligibility requirements

SurveyFeeds

SurveyFeeds is another aggregator site that lists several online paid research gigs.

• Nationwide studies
• Not many studies available

Survey Squad

Survey Squad is most active on their Twitter account when it comes to listing new paid research spots. Recent studies include online live chats on the topic of finance, nutrition and dating.

• Earn additional rewards by completing multiple surveys through Survey Squad
• Many users reported never qualifying for surveys or being denied after initial confirmation
• Slow payout
• Check out SurveySquad’s Twitter account for the latest studies

University of California | Anderson Behavioral Lab

The UCLA Anderson School of Management has a couple of online paid research places looking at things like decision making, consumer and organizational behavior and human judgement. 

You’ll have to register via Sona ( here ) to apply for paid studies.

• $13 – $15 per hour
• Few research gigs

University of California | Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

The Semel Institute offers mainly in-person research studies but does have a few online studies occasionally.

Research focuses on neuroscience, with investigations into things like body dysmorphia, depression and sleep. Some studies focus on teens under 18 years too.

Click on the studies that interest you on this page and contact the email address provided.

• $10 – $15 per hour (estimated)
• Interesting and varied research topics
• Online studies are rare (and hard to filter them on the site)

User Interviews

User Interviews does what it says, it pays to hear your thoughts over Zoom calls and other conferencing software.

Recent studies have looked at things like streaming services, food delivery and mobile apps. You can view the list of available paid research studies here .

• $15 – $340 per study
• Many studies with decent pay
• The company has good reputation
• Long screeners to apply for studies
• May be hard to qualify

The WatchLab is an American-based marketing agency operating out of Portland and Chicago.

They sometimes have paid studies you can do over the phone or online. Most of these are 1-2 hour long focus groups.

• $90 – $200 per study
• Mainly focus groups
• Most studies are in-person
• Check out watchLab’s Facebook page for the latest studies

👮‍♂️ Are Paid Research Studies Legit?

I’d say paid research studies are definitely legit.

Like any online earning opportunity you have to be careful though. Many sites will just waste your time with screening questionnaires if you don’t fit certain demographics.

Make sure the paid research study you do apply for has their criteria clearly listed.

⚠️ How to Make Sure Research Companies Are Legit

Here’s what you can do to avoid wasting your time and only find legit chances to earn:

• Check for an official address Does the company have a listed public address with contact numbers and staff listings?
• Look for a professional website Does the website look well put together with a good about page that talks about how studies work?
• Read the company privacy policy Read all documentation available so you know your rights as a participant.
• Check email correspondence Does the email address include the company or institution’s name?
• Avoid any request for money If someone is asking for money up front it’s definitely a scam.
• Check online profiles : Verify who you’re dealing with by looking for a company profile at the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot.org.

🧐 Are $350 focus groups real?

Although there are chances to earn this amount of cash (or higher) don’t expect it to be standard. Earnings like this aren’t typical.

Your best chance to earn high are to go with the sites recommended at the beginning of this article:

• r/PaidStudies

🤓 What Skills Do You Need For Paid Studies?

You only need basic skills to take part in paid studies.

Besides being able to confidently use a computer or mobile device, you’ll also need to be good at the following:

• Communication Speaking when requested and giving precise feedback.
• Punctuality Attending studies at the time specified.
• Question comprehension Understand and matching what’s asked in each study.
• Upholding confidentiality Respecting the privacy requests of the research.

😎 General Tips For Doing Well With Paid Research

Here are some suggestions to do well in paid research and increase your chances of landing further gigs:

• Know your rights Carefully read the terms and conditions of every study you join.
• Give honest information Be truthful with your answers, don’t give research leaders the answers you think they might want to hear.
• Remain patient Don’t interrupt other participants.
• Follow instructions Do the things researchers ask of you to the best of your ability.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Paid Research?

The main pros and cons below:

• It’s a simple and fast way to make decent money
• Sharing your opinions can be interesting and fun
• Your opinions can have an important impact
• It’s not a reliable way to earn 
• It’s tough to find high paying online research gigs
• Meeting the criteria and getting accepted can take a long time

Can I Be A Full-Time Online Research Participant?

My opinion is that it’s next to impossible to do online research as a full-time job.

There just aren’t enough studies to qualify for and most of them won’t pay out enough to make it worth your while.

• See more reliable ways to make money online

💬 Share Your Experience

Have you participated in any online research studies? Are there any good sites you’re aware of that we didn’t mention?

Let us know in the comments below .

Other ways to make money online

There are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.

• Full list of ways to make money online
• More profiles of online money makers

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Study Groups

• Categories: Strategies for Learning

Study groups can be an excellent way to strengthen your understanding of course material and build accountability into your week. Study groups are safe spaces where you can ask questions, practice participation, and get to know your classmates in a smaller setting.  

What are the benefits of joining a study group?

• Being in a group with a common goal supports and encourages focus on the work at hand. 
• Knowing that you are accountable to others can help you get past procrastination. 
• Taking advantage of everyone’s unique strengths helps mitigate weaknesses. 
• Having the opportunity to explain concepts in your own words helps solidify your understanding of those concepts. 
• Listening to concepts explained multiple ways increases the odds of learning them deeply. 
• Monitoring how your explanations of concepts land with your listeners improves your communication skills.  
• Participating in a study group develops confidence in speaking and sharing ideas in other group settings.  
• You will become a stronger learner, teacher, and listener! 

Interested in creating your own study group? Here are some things to keep in mind:  

Some courses provide a structure for joining a study group, while others will expect you to coordinate your own. There are lots of ways you can find students to study with: 

• Ask your course instructor or TF to distribute an email to course participants. 
• Reach out to classmates when you are in small groups. 
• Use Canvas by making your own post to a discussion page or asking your course instructor or TF to consider using the “Student Groups” tool on Canvas. 
• Go to office hours or other support structures for your course and communicate directly with students you see there. 
• Many student organizations facilitate study group connections, so check in with organizations that you already engage with. 

Dedicate some portion of your first meeting to making sure everyone in the group is on the same page. Make sure you are clear on: 

• Where you will meet (in-person location, Zoom, Slack, etc.). 
• How often and how long you will meet. 
• Expectations around participation. 
• Course collaboration policies. 
• Processes around admitting new members. 
• Whether you will have “roles” during the sessions (leader, organizer, note-taker). 

Decide as a group what activities you will do to best meet your study goals for each session. Before setting these goals, make sure to read your course’s collaboration policy, which will indicate what kinds of work can and cannot be completed collaboratively. Here are some ideas for activities you can likely do: 

• Complete practice tests. 
• Go over practice tests. 
• Review course lectures and reading materials. 
• Tackle questions and problems group participants encountered while engaging with course lectures, reading materials, and problem sets. 
• Explain concepts to one another to ensure mastery of material. 
• Take turns teaching course materials to one another. 

Consider how to create a safe, collaborative environment for your study group. Studying involves vulnerability: if participants cannot admit when they do not understand something, the group cannot serve its primary goal of increasing understanding. Here are some things your group might consider establishing to ensure all participants benefit from your meetings: 

• No single person should dominate study sessions (try using a timer or taking turns in different roles to prevent this). 
• Take the time to learn everyone’s preferred names and pronouns. 
• Treat all questions with dignity and seriousness.  
• Respect all levels of understanding and familiarity with course materials. 
• Poll the group and see if there are common topics that people need assistance with. Try to prioritize areas of concern/problems based on how many are struggling with the same concepts. 
• Set a norm around how long you will spend reviewing any particular area of confusion. If a person in your group is still having trouble after that time has passed, this is a great moment to take advantage of the ARC’s Peer Tutoring program. Your study group doesn’t need to do everything! 

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Focus group: What It Is & How to Conduct It + Examples

In 1991, marketing and psychological expert Ernest Dichter coined the name “Focus Group.” The term described meetings held with a limited group of participants with the objective of discussion.

The group’s purpose is not to arrive at a consensus or agreement on the topic. Instead, it seeks to identify and understand customer perceptions of a brand, product, or service.

We’ll cover what a focus group is, how to conduct one, and example questions and best practices below.

What is a focus group?

A focus group is best defined as a small group of carefully selected participants who contribute to open discussions for research. The hosting organization carefully selects participants for the study to represent the larger population they’re attempting to target.

The group might look at new products, feature updates, or other topics of interest to generalize the entire population’s reaction. This research includes a moderator. Their job is to ensure legitimate results and reduce bias in the discussions.

• You use a focus group in qualitative research . A group of 6-10 people, usually 8, meet to explore and discuss a topic, such as a new product. The group shares their feedback, opinions, knowledge, and insights about the topic at hand.
• Participants openly share opinions and are free to convince other participants of their ideas.
• The mediator takes notes on the discussion and opinions of group members.
• The right group members affect the results of your research, so it’s vital to be picky when selecting members.

These groups possess a distinct advantage over other market research and market research methods. They capitalize on the moderator’s communication with participants and the flexibility to move the discussion. It allows you to extract meaningful insights and opinions.

Explore our latest article delving into real-world examples of qualitative data in education . Why not take a look and gather more insights from the valuable information we’ve shared?

LEARN ABOUT: Steps in Qualitative Research

Main pillars of a focus group

Participant, the role of a moderator, types of focus groups.

Your choice of focus group depends on the needs of your action research . Types include: 

• Dual moderator: There are two moderators for this event. One ensures smooth execution, and the other guarantees the discussion of each question.
• Two-way: A two-way group involves two separate groups having discussions on the topic at different times. As one group conducts its study, the other group observes the discussion. In the end, the group that observed the first session performed their conversation. The second group can use insights gained from watching the first discussion to dive deeper into the topic and offer more perspective.
• Mini: This type of small group restricts participants to 4-5 members instead of the usual 6-10.
• Client-involvement: Use this group when clients ask you to conduct a focus group and invite those who ask.
• Participant-moderated: One or more participants provisionally take up the role of moderator.
• Online: These groups employ online mediums to gather opinions and feedback. There are three categories of people in an online panel : observer, moderator, and respondent.

How to conduct a focus group

A focus group is a research method or technique that is used to collect opinions and ideas regarding a concept, service, or product. Follow the below steps to conduct it:

• Recruit the right participants

A researcher must be careful while recruiting participants. Members need adequate knowledge of the topic so that they can add to the conversation.

• Choose a moderator

Your moderator should understand the topic of discussion and possess the following qualities:

• Ensures participation from all members of the group.
• Regulates dominant group members so others may speak.
• Motivates inattentive members through supportive words and positive body language.
• Makes the executive decision to end or continue a discussion should it become too heated.

Verify your moderator doesn’t know any of the participants. Existing relationships between a member and moderator cause bias and can skew your data.

• Record the meeting for future purposes

While conducting a focus group, recording the sessions or meetings is essential. A researcher can record the discussion through audio or video. You must let participants know you’re planning to record the event and get their consent.

• Write clear discussion guidelines

Before the session starts, writing down clear session guidelines is crucial. Include key questions, expectations of focus group members, whether you’re recording the discussion, and methods of sharing results. Give out the instructions in advance and request participants to comply with them.

• Conduct the session and generate a report

Once participants understand their role, the moderator leads the survey. You can ask members to fill out a feedback form to collect quantitative data from the event. Use your data collection and generate reports on the overall findings of your study.

• Use the data to make a plan of action

Share your report with stakeholders and decision-makers in your organization. According to the focus group feedback, a good report helps you design actionable plans to improve products or services. Update the group members on the changes you make and the results of those changes.

Focus Group Examples

Focus groups are common in three situations:

• Initial stages of a research study
• While creating a plan of action during research
• After the completion of the study to establish the results

For example, a laptop company needs customer feedback about an upcoming product. Focus group provides direct information about the marketing research from actual consumers.

The company chooses eight individuals representing their target market for a constructive discussion. The moderator asks questions regarding customer preference for laptop size and features. Group members discuss why they do or do not like certain aspects of a laptop. The company uses the opinions of the participants to create a product that fits customer needs and wants

Best practices for focus group research

Follow these five steps to create a market research focus group:

Have a clear plan for focus group members

With a plan in place, begin writing your focus group survey questions, schedule the time, place, and duration of the discussion, you can host it in person or through an online community, create informational brochures or forum, focus group advantages and disadvantages.

Focus group is a well-liked research technique due to its simple setup and the insightful data it can yield. It has advantages and disadvantages much, like other research techniques.

• A great complement to other mediums like online surveys and online polls . Focus groups give you access to why a customer feels a certain way about a product, and surveys help you collect supporting feedback in large batches.
• Immediate access to customer opinions, making data collection and analysis quick and convenient.
• Highly flexible to adapt to the needs and opinions of the group members.
• Easy to conduct regular discussions to eliminate inaccurate results due to current market outlooks.
• Focus groups are perfect sources to understand the true feelings and perceptions of your selected target audience.

Disadvantages

• Creating a representative sample is tough. Small-size sample makes focus groups unreliable.
• Due to the limited sample size, you cannot guarantee respondent anonymity, which may affect their willingness to speak freely.
• Getting honest opinions on sensitive topics can make the depth of analysis difficult.
• Data analysis is vulnerable to inaccuracy and observer research bias .

Focus group question examples

When using a focus group in market research , you must ask the right questions for accurate results. Good group questions have the following characteristics:

• A friendly and conversational tone
• Language or phrases that resonate with focus group participants
• Straightforward and accurate
• Each item includes one aspect and doesn’t merge multiple topics
• Clarify complex questions for more precise answers

Avoid asking questions to specific individuals to ensure the inclusion of all participants. Restrict discussion time per question to 5-20 minutes to keep the conversation efficient.

There are four categories:

1. Pr imary question: This first open-ended question initiates the entire discussion.

• We are here to discuss ____. What are your thoughts about it?

2. Probe questions: These questions dig deeper into the discussion of the primary question.

For example:

• What do you know about ____?
• How familiar are you with this organizational program?
• What do you love about our organization?

3. Questions to follow up :  After establishing the overall knowledge and feelings of the group, the moderator identifies specific insights.

• What do you think are the pros and cons of this product?
• According to you, where can we improve to provide better customer service?
• Which factors prompted you to purchase our products/services?
• What is the likelihood of recommending our products to your friends and colleagues?

4. Questions for the conclusion: Review previous questions to avoid overlooking the main points. It is the time when a moderator can revisit specific topics to gather more data.

For example :

• Is there anything other than the already discussed questions you would like to talk about?
• Do you want to add to what is already spoken about?

Focus group questions to recruit participants

Here are some questions you may ask to recruit participants:

• Do you or any of your family members work in any of the following sectors?

• Select your age range:

• Kindly select your employment type:

• Please specify your level of education:

• Please state your family status:

Our focus group recruitment questionnaire template gives you a range of survey question types for maximum responses. These responses also help you make the best choice in recruiting the appropriate group members.

Best Online Focus Group Software: QuestionPro Communities

Online focus groups remove the need for a physical location. Like in-person groups, online groups involve 6-10 participants who share their opinions. Many researchers prefer online focus groups for convenience and cost-effectiveness.

QuestionPro Communities is an online focus group software . It’s a highly-effective market research tool that helps researchers find online focus groups for their research purposes, including market research.

QuestionPro Communities software includes:

• Discussions : Organizations invite participants to a moderated online discussion forum. Participants may answer questions at any time suitable to them.

• Idea Board : Idea Board allows respondents to share their ideas. Other group members can analyze, write feedback, and even vote on submissions.

• Topics :  Users can submit topics, cast their votes in existing posts, and leave comments or feedback instantly.

Organizations can ensure that they gather the most valuable insights from their focus groups by carefully planning, recruiting, and conducting the sessions. The examples provided highlight the versatility of focus groups, highlighting the wide range of applications for this research method.

Organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their customers and make more informed decisions that drive success by leveraging the power of focus groups.

QuestionPro Communities is the only online focus group software available on desktop and mobile. Go mobile and take Discussions, Idea Board, and Topics anywhere your respondents go.

Start conducting online focus group surveys with participants from across the globe with QuestionPro Communities today.

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Focus Groups 101

July 31, 2022 2022-07-31

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It is no secret that the field of user experience often favors objective, observational research methods over subjective, attitudinal methods. After all, when something is observed, with proof that it has actually happened, it can be hard to argue against it. However, it takes more than observational research to truly empathize and understand the full complexity of a person’s experience, which includes emotional experiences, mindsets, values, and belief systems. Since there is no other way to gather this data (at the writing of this article, mind reading with neural implants is not possible) researchers must use attitudinal methods to solicit the thoughts and opinions of target customers. A focus group is one of these methods.

In This Article:

What is a focus group, limitations and risks of focus groups, benefits of focus groups, you can run an effective focus group.

Definition: A focus group is a qualitative, attitudinal research method in which a facilitator conducts a meeting or workshop (typically about 1–2 hours long) with a group of 6–9 people to discuss issues and concerns about their experiences with a product or service. The term “focus” relates to the role of the facilitator, who maintains the group’s focus on certain topics during discussions.

Traditionally, focus groups have been a market-research method, used to get a sense of some aspect of a product, service, or concept. In these settings, the focus would typically be on certain words, graphics, videos, or other noninteractive media. All participants are presented with the media as a group and then prompted to provide their thoughts to the facilitator and the rest of the group.

Generally speaking, focus groups can provide useful information about your customers’ overall opinions and their impressions of a product or service.

Focus groups are notoriously problematic and often improperly used. Here are some of their limitations:

• They do not provide detailed insights on usability. People will comment on what is shown or remembered and offer opinions, so, by their nature, focus groups cannot provide any objective information on behavior when using a product or service. Thus, they cannot provide detailed usability insights, which would be best found with a usability test or field study . Even if there are some usability insights uncovered when presenting a design, products are almost never used by a whole committee; they’re used individually.
• People don’t always know what they will do or what will MOST benefit them in the future. In many focus groups, participants are asked whether they would use a particular product. But users do not always do what they say they will do. So, while it’s helpful to listen to customers’ concerns, preferences, or requests for features or product offerings — especially to uncover unmet user needs — the requests themselves are not always going to be the best solutions to address customers’ needs in a systematic and prioritized way.
• Negativity bias often results in people more readily recalling what was bad about an experience (particularly if it was not a great one), which can skew the discussion negatively for everyone else.
• The peak-end rule can cause people to overly focus on the most memorable and most recent moments, at the expense of other possibly more-meaningful ones.
• Priming can cause participants to overemphasize an aspect of their experience, because it so happened that someone else mentioned it and made them remember it.
• Group dynamics may impact how much (or how little) people share.  Strong personalities in the group may affect what and how much is shared. Depending on the focus group’s format, it may disproportionately represent the opinions of those who are more talkative or quick to answer. Groupthink is also more likely to occur in these settings if only verbal contributions are given attention. To paraphrase my colleague Sarah Gibbons : a poorly run focus group can be a great way to pay 9 people for the opinions of three.

Given these limitations, focus groups should NOT be utilized in the following contexts:

• Evaluating a design’s usability 
• Evaluating workflows
• Creating a list of design requirements
• Determining a UI’s impact on emotions
• Quantifying satisfaction or other sentiments 

Despite these shortcomings, there are some good reasons to consider a focus group:

• Participants with similar goals or perspectives can build on each other’s responses or recall experiences in greater detail. Sometimes during interviews, a participant might have trouble recalling all the details of an experience. However, hearing another participant mention something related may trigger the recollection of an important detail, which would otherwise get skimmed over in an interview.
• They can help teams clarify users’ mental models and language (vocabulary) around the problem space during discovery phases , before conducting further research. While you should generally run a pilot study for most research studies anyway, a focus group can help researchers rework a research plan or facilitator guide with language that could be more user-centered.
• They are a time-efficient method for the researcher. Rather than dedicate 9–12 hours interviewing 6–9 individual participants, a researcher can dedicate 1–2 hours to gather the perspectives of 6–9 people at the same time. It can be a quick way to learn from many people and perspectives (and certainly a 100% improvement to conducting no research at all). These can be especially time-efficient if the researcher is facilitating the focus group online rather than in person.
• When run properly, they can yield rich qualitative insights due to a format similar to semistructured interviews . Unlike questionnaires — which can sometimes limit the level of detail covered — focus groups give facilitators the flexibility to explore topics in which the participants are interested. This format is especially useful if the team is still in early stages of product development and trying to discover new information about the problem space.

Given these benefits, focus groups are BEST utilized in the following contexts:

• Early discovery research to gauge customer familiarity or interest in a concept and initial impressions
• Understanding users’ mental models and expectations
• Cocreation workshops with sponsored customers

It’s fair to say that focus groups are often unfairly maligned, considering the many benefits they can yield with relatively less time commitment compared to other methods. The key to reaping these benefits and mitigating limitations is to use a combination of other research methods (like other behavioral or attitudinal methods), and having a strong research plan.

Here are the key things to consider when planning your focus group:

1. Recruit participants that are representative of your target audience(s).

Who do you want to learn about? What specific segment of users are you interested in? Even if your user is “everybody,” use personas , archetypes , or jobs-to-be-done to identify key recruiting criteria . Recruiting is a tricky balance of finding similar user motivations and goals (not demographics) while inviting a mix of backgrounds to reduce bias from other sources — such as having an overly westernized sample when studying a global offering.

2. Note potential sources of bias from the focus group’s structure.

Note who is not included, and why, for consideration during analysis and when strategizing future research.  Is it a different segment that’s intentionally excluded? Lack of response? Lack of interest/trust? Bias is difficult to totally eliminate, but awareness of sources of bias can help during analysis and might inform future research. For example:

• With online focus groups, there may be potential participants who are excluded from participating (be it due to a poor internet connection, lack of a desktop device, or low literacy in certain digital tools). Thus, they may not be able join a video chat or, if they do join, they may be less likely to participate when using an unfamiliar online-meeting tool or whiteboard platform for the first time.
• With in-person focus groups, it’s fair to assume that the study will only involve participants from the immediate commutable vicinity (i.e., within the city or state), especially if travel is not funded by the study or if insufficient notice is provided for those commuting from further distances.
• Is your focus group accessible? This is relevant for both in-person and online focus groups. Can disabled participants get into the facility and participate readily? Can nonverbal participants contribute?

3. Treat your focus group like a workshop . Make participants comfortable with participating, verbally or nonverbally.

As you plan your agenda for the focus group, remember that most of your participants likely do not know each other and will be asked to speak honestly, potentially revealing information that may make them feel vulnerable or unlike others. Some people may do it, others may not. Consider having the following in your focus group:

• It gives a structured way for participants to build rapport with the facilitator and with each other.
• It builds participants’ confidence, in themselves and in the format (particularly if you’re using online-meeting tools or digital whiteboards). Note: Do not “break the ice” with highly personal or sensitive topics, which will likely cause participants to withdraw instead. (In fact, those types of answers are probably not going to come easily in a focus-group format, even with the most “warmed up” group. These types of questions are better suited to 1:1 interviews).
• Both written and verbal participation opportunities As with any other UX workshop , offer multiple methods of engagement (verbal and nonverbal) to encourage maximum participation and contribution. This ensures that less vocal or nonnative speakers feel comfortable contributing. You can also use the diverge–converge technique to maximize participation while decreasing bias potential. Note:  If covering sensitive topics, offer an anonymous way to contribute (or, again, consider a different, more-private method altogether).

4. Have a (written) plan and guide.

Construct your prompts in advance to avoid leading or biasing participants.  As with semistructured interviews, focus-group questions should use the funnel technique : be open-ended and broad at the beginning and progressively build detail and specificity with concepts as the conversation progresses. On a related note: remember to frame followup questions both positively and negatively to avoid leading participants, particularly when the conversation may naturally skew in one of these directions.

Focus groups don’t accurately predict future behavior. However, they can help gauge attitudes and guide future exploration, thus avoiding wasted research time. Still, they should be considered a starting point to further research, rather than a validation step. The good news? If your focus-group participants are willing, not only will you have their input to guide your further research, you may also have a group of customers willing and able to test what you create to further guide your design.

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• Qualitative research methods

What is a focus group in research?

Why are focus groups effective in research, what are some research examples of focus groups, planning and conducting focus groups, challenges and limitations of focus groups.

• Observational research
• Case studies
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• Ethical considerations

Confidentiality and privacy

• Power dynamics
• Reflexivity

Focus groups

Focus groups are a widely used qualitative research method in which a small group of participants engage in guided discussions on a specific topic. You might think of a focus group as a group interview because it can gather information on people's experiences, opinions, and feelings in a natural and interactive setting. However, the group dynamic of a focus group discussion can also be especially useful for observing how people construct meaning together, practice body language, and interact with each other.

In this section, we'll discuss the focus group method, compare it to interview research, and explore what researchers can do with focus group data.

Focus groups are characterized by their collaborative, interactive nature, with discussions guided by a facilitator or moderator. These qualities raise some similarities with and differences from qualities found in interview research .

What is the purpose of a focus group?

Like interviews, focus groups are often used to elicit opinions and perspectives about a topic, product, or service. Market research often employs focus group discussions to test out something new before it is introduced to the larger public. However, a focus group can also illuminate social behavior by allowing researchers to observe how people interact with each other in a way that wouldn't be possible with interviews or observations .

How many people form a focus group?

One key characteristic is the number of focus group participants involved. In this type of research, a moderator will typically work with a small group of 6 to 10 focus group members. This range is considered optimal because it is small enough to allow everyone a chance to share their thoughts and large enough to ensure a diversity of perspectives. Too few participants can limit the richness of the discussion, while too many can make the discussion difficult to manage and may prevent some participants from expressing their views.

What does a focus group do?

In general, a focus group consists of posing questions to a group of people and inviting then to discuss the question or topic. Focus group discussions are typically guided by a set of open-ended questions prepared in advance by the researcher. Ideally, focus group questions serve as prompts to stimulate discussion and to ensure that all relevant topics are covered.

The nature of these questions varies depending on the research objectives. Still, they are generally broad and non-directive, allowing participants the freedom to express their views and experiences in their own words. The role of the moderator is to use these questions to guide the discussion, to probe deeper when necessary, and to ensure that all participants have the opportunity to contribute.

The interaction among group members is the defining characteristic that sets focus groups apart from other qualitative research methods like individual interviews. They allow researchers to observe how opinions are formed and influenced within a social context. Through these interactions, researchers can gain insights into not only individual attitudes and beliefs but also the group dynamics that shape these attitudes and beliefs.

The interaction among participants can stimulate new thoughts and ideas, reveal points of agreement or disagreement, and highlight the process of consensus-building or negotiation that occurs in a group setting. The moderator plays a crucial role in facilitating these interactions, encouraging participation, managing conflicts, and maintaining a constructive and respectful discussion environment.

Focus groups are used in a variety of research settings, from market research to social science studies, due to their versatility in collecting qualitative data . They provide a rich source of information as they capture not only what people think but also how they think and why they think the way they do. Let's look at some of the potential applications of focus groups in research.

Exploratory research

Focus groups are particularly valuable in exploratory research, which is often the first step in investigating a new or complex issue. Exploratory research aims to gain a general understanding of a problem, and focus groups are well-suited for this task due to their interactive and dynamic nature. They can help researchers identify key themes , generate propositions, and develop a deeper understanding of the research context. By encouraging open-ended discussion, these group interactions can reveal a breadth of perspectives and experiences and uncover issues and insights that researchers may not have anticipated.

Idea generation

The group dynamics of focus groups can stimulate creative thinking and the generation of new ideas. This can be particularly beneficial in fields such as product development, policy making, and program design. In these settings, focus groups can help researchers or practitioners gather a range of ideas about a new product, policy, or program, which can then be further refined and evaluated.

Language and terminology

Focus groups can also provide valuable insights into the language and terms that participants use to discuss a certain topic. This is particularly important in qualitative research, where the goal is often to understand the meanings and interpretations that people attach to their experiences. The language used in focus group discussions can reveal these meanings and interpretations and help researchers develop a more nuanced understanding of the topic under study. This understanding can also be particularly useful when developing survey instruments or interpreting other qualitative data.

Assessing concepts and prototypes

Focus groups can also be used to assess concepts and prototypes. For example, in marketing research, a focus group might be used to gather feedback on a new product design or to understand how potential users interact with a prototype. In social science research, focus groups might be used to refine and verify concepts or theories that are relevant to group behavior. This kind of feedback can help researchers and practitioners hone their ideas based on the social interactions of the focus group.

Observing social interaction online

The advent of digital technologies has expanded the possibilities for observing social interaction through the use of online focus groups. Online focus groups, conducted via video conferencing platforms, chat rooms, or discussion forums, offer similar benefits to their in-person counterparts but with added flexibility. They allow participants from diverse geographical locations to engage in discussion, and they can be more convenient and less intimidating for some participants.

Moreover, online focus groups can provide a written or recorded transcript of the discussion, which can be useful for analysis. However, they also present unique challenges, such as managing group dynamics in a virtual environment and ensuring access and comfort with the necessary technology among participants.

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Many different fields use focus groups both as a means to collect honest opinions about key research topics or to observe human behavior and interaction. Let's look at some of the many fields that employ a focus group format in research.

Consumer behavior: In market research, focus groups are often used to understand consumer preferences and attitudes toward products or services. For instance, a company might use a focus group to gauge consumer reactions to a new product concept or to understand the reasons behind purchasing decisions.

Healthcare: In healthcare research, focus groups have been used to explore patients' experiences and perceptions of healthcare services or to understand the attitudes and beliefs of healthcare providers. For example, a study might conduct focus groups with patients to gain insights into the barriers and facilitators to medication adherence.

Education: In educational research, focus groups can be used to understand student experiences, attitudes, and beliefs. For instance, a university might use focus groups to explore students' perceptions of campus safety, or a school district might conduct focus group discussions with teachers to understand the challenges they face in implementing a new curriculum.

Public policy: Focus groups can provide valuable insights into the formulation and evaluation of public policies. They can be used to understand public perceptions and attitudes toward policy proposals or to gather feedback on existing policies. For example, a local government might use focus groups to explore residents' views on a proposed transportation policy.

As with interviews, conducting a focus group isn't simply a matter of having people in the same place and talking to them. Focus group research methods call for intentional planning and organization. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when thinking about focus groups.

Selecting participants

The selection of participants is a crucial step in planning a focus group. Participants should be chosen based on their relevance to the research question. They might share a common characteristic (e.g., they are users of a particular service, or they belong to a specific age group), or they may represent a diversity of perspectives on the topic under discussion.

The group should be small enough to manage (typically 6-10 participants) but large enough to ensure a variety of views. In some cases, researchers might choose to conduct multiple focus groups to compare and contrast different groups’ views.

Developing a discussion guide

A discussion guide outlines the topics to be discussed during the focus group. It typically includes a list of open-ended questions and prompts that are designed to stimulate discussion on the research topic.

The questions should be thoughtfully constructed and sequenced, starting with broader questions to warm up the group and progressively focusing on more specific areas of interest. While the discussion guide serves as a roadmap for the session, the moderator should be flexible and responsive to the flow of the discussion, probing for deeper insights and following up on interesting or unexpected comments.

Role of the moderator

The role of the moderator is central to the success of a focus group. A skilled moderator facilitates the discussion, encourages participation, manages group dynamics, and ensures that all topics in the discussion guide are covered. The moderator needs to ensure each participant gets a chance to express their views, and it is also helpful to keep participants from speaking over one another so that everyone can be heard, both during the discussion and for subsequent transcription.

The moderator needs to create an environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their views while also ensuring that the discussion remains focused and productive. This requires a balance of active listening, gentle steering, and tactful intervention when necessary.

Managing group dynamics

Managing group dynamics is a key challenge in focus groups. The interaction among participants can stimulate rich and insightful discussions, but it can also lead to issues such as dominance by a few participants, groupthink, or conflicts. As a result, the moderator plays a crucial role in managing these dynamics, encouraging quieter participants to speak, respectfully managing more dominant participants, and facilitating a constructive and respectful discussion environment.

However, the extent to which the moderator controls the discussion may depend on the research inquiry driving the focus group, particularly if the study is concerned with observing a particular behavior or group dynamic. A fruitful focus group discussion often consists of participants speaking with each other, as opposed to each participant simply answering the moderator one by one.

Focus group question examples

Designing focus group questions is an art in itself, with a focus on sparking discussion and interaction among participants. Here are some example questions that are particularly suited for focus groups:

• "How do others here feel about what [participant's name] just said?" This question can encourage participants to respond to each other's views, fostering a more interactive discussion.
• "Can anyone provide a different perspective on this issue?" This prompt invites diversity of opinion and encourages quieter participants to contribute.
• "Why do you think people might have different opinions about this topic?" This question can stimulate discussion about the reasons behind varying perspectives.
• "Can you help me understand why this is important to you?" By asking for elaboration, this question can lead to deeper, more nuanced discussions.
• "Has anyone had a different experience?" This question can bring out a range of experiences and perspectives within the group.
• "How do you think others outside of this group might view this issue?" This question encourages participants to consider perspectives beyond their own, fostering empathy and understanding.

By crafting questions that prompt group interaction and discussion, researchers can harness the full potential of the focus group method.

At first glance, a focus group is a great way to quickly capture the perspectives of multiple participants. That said, meeting this goal has its challenges. Let's discuss some of them briefly.

Recruitment and participation

One of the key challenges in conducting focus groups is recruiting and retaining an appropriate group of participants. Given the group-based nature of this method, a single participant dropping out can significantly impact the dynamics and the effectiveness of the session. Ensuring a diversity of views while also creating a comfortable environment for open discussion can be a delicate balance to strike. Additionally, scheduling a time that is convenient for all participants can be logistically challenging, particularly when dealing with busy or hard-to-reach populations.

Interpreting group dynamics

While the interaction in focus groups can generate rich insights, it can also complicate the interpretation of the data. The dynamics of the group discussion can influence individual responses, with dominant personalities potentially skewing the discussion or quieter participants holding back their views. It can be challenging for researchers to discern whether the views expressed represent the individual's true beliefs, the influence of the group dynamic, or a combination of both.

Depth of individual perspectives

Unlike other research methods , focus groups can provide a broad overview of group opinions and norms. However, they may not allow for the depth of understanding of individual experiences and perspectives that can be achieved through other qualitative methods, like one-on-one interviews. Time constraints and the need to ensure all participants have a chance to speak can limit the depth of exploration into individual views and experiences.

Transcription and data analysis

Other methods, such as surveys and interviews , generate data that is relatively easier to organize. Survey data is often divided into records, each representing a particular individual, while each and every interview has its own separate raw audio and corresponding transcript. A focus group has multiple participants who may contribute spontaneously to a discussion and even talk over each other. Transcribing these interactions for the purposes of coding and data analysis can be time-consuming as the researcher needs to discern between different voices and adequately represent these voices for empirical analysis.

Ethical considerations for focus groups

As with all other qualitative research methods, ethical issues such as informed consent and vulnerable populations are relevant to focus group discussions. However, there are also ethical considerations that are unique to focus groups that are worth thinking about.

Potential for unintended disclosure

In a focus group, there's a distinct possibility that participants may disclose more personal or sensitive information than they intended due to the dynamics of the group conversation. This presents an ethical challenge for researchers, as they have a responsibility to protect participants from potential harm, including emotional distress that might result from such disclosures. Researchers should be prepared to manage these situations by providing immediate support if necessary, reminding participants about the voluntary nature of their participation and their right to pass on any question, and following up with participants after the session if appropriate.

Protecting the confidentiality and privacy of participants is another key ethical consideration. In focus groups, this can be more challenging than in one-on-one interviews because there are multiple participants. Researchers should ensure that participants understand the importance of confidentiality, which includes not disclosing any information revealed during the discussion with people outside the focus group. The researcher should also take steps to protect participants' privacy in the research report, such as by using pseudonyms or other de-identifying methods. Online focus groups present additional privacy considerations, such as data security and the potential for participants to be identified through their online profiles.

Managing sensitive topics

Focus group discussions can sometimes involve sensitive topics that may cause discomfort or distress for participants. Researchers need to be prepared to manage these situations with ethical awareness and sensitivity. This includes being aware of potential triggers, providing support or referrals to support services if necessary, and ensuring that the discussion remains respectful and safe for all participants.

Respect for diversity

Given the group nature of focus groups, respect for diversity is an important ethical consideration. This includes being sensitive to and respectful of differences in culture, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and other factors among participants. Researchers should foster an inclusive and respectful discussion environment and should be mindful of potential power dynamics or biases that could influence the discussion.

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• Course Design

The Benefits of Study Groups

• May 16, 2018
• Maryellen Weimer, PhD

Maybe we should be making a stronger pitch for student-led study groups. There’s all sorts of research documenting how students can learn from each other. But, as regularly noted here and elsewhere, that learning doesn’t happen automatically, and some of us worry that it’s not likely to occur in a study group where there’s no supervision and distractions abound. Recent findings should encourage us to give study groups a second look.

A large majority of this cohort (78%) reported that they participated in at least one group study session per semester with a median of four sessions. This percentage is a bit higher than has been reported in previous research. Students said they opted to study with others because the professor encouraged it and their peers invited them. Their groups handled all the meeting logistics and members decided collectively what they would do during the session.

And here’s what’s impressive: the top three study strategies students reported using in these groups were asking each other questions, discussing course materials, and quizzing each other. Those are evidence-based strategies. Asking questions and discussing the content are elaborative activities that deepen learning, and test-enhanced learning (testing with questions) enhances memory by providing retrieval practice. “Each of these has substantial empirical support with regard to benefits for long-term retention, falling into the category of ‘desirable difficulties.’ [a la Bjork].” (p. 18)

And there’s more good news. The data showed that a student’s GPA correlated positively with how frequently evidence-based study strategies were used—particularly, reflective elaboration of the content (mnemonics), generation (making outlines, flashcards, study guides), and spacing (shorter group meetings but more of them). Now, with correlational research, it’s not possible to say whether these learning skills are being developed in study groups or whether students who already use these approaches tend to gravitate toward studying with others.

Students said they chose to study with others in hopes it would improve their understanding of the material. And most of them reported that it did. More than 60% said their level of learning in study groups was somewhat more or a lot more than they learned when studying individually. Almost 70% said that being in a study group increased their motivation to study. Interesting, however, only about 20% said they preferred studying in a group compared with almost 50% who said they always or mostly preferred to study alone. Could this preference reflect the many bad group experiences students have had?

Findings like these give us reasons to encourage students to study together, and we can use these results to offer advice with the potential to improve what happens in those groups.

• Keep the group small. All that’s needed is a partner or three to five persons max. The bigger the group, the more difficult it is to keep everyone on the same page.
• Study with friends but add others. Often friends share the same major, gender, and race; ergo, they tend to think alike. Those with other perspectives see things from a different angle, offer alternative explanations, and suggest new examples. This deepens understanding.
• Meet more often and for shorter periods of time. Marathon study sessions are less effective than shorter sessions held regularly. Encourage those in the group to schedule some sessions between exams and then several to prepare for the exam.
• Prepare an agenda and expect group members to come prepared. Decide beforehand what will be studied the next session and what group members need to do to come prepared. Don’t allow freeloaders and be firm with group members who arrive unprepared.
• Use good study strategies. Explain things to each other. Ask each other questions. Do problems. Work to understand the content.
• Strategies to avoid. Don’t “go over” the notes or readings. “Get into” them. Don’t just re-read class notes or text material. Don’t recopy notes. Don’t memorize things that are not understood.

Reference: McCabe, J. A. and Lummis, S. N. (2018). Why and how do undergraduates study in groups? Scholarships of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4 (1), 27-42.

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Researchers in various studies looking for participants

Here is a list of research studies that currently are looking for participants.

In vivo tendon properties across the lifespan of women

The purpose of the study is to characterize tendon tissue health in women, laying a foundation for developing strategies to improve their musculoskeletal function. Researchers are seeking women ages 21-75 to participate in a study evaluating the impact of menopause and exogenous estrogen use on tendon morphology and biomechanics. To participate, participants must meet the following criteria:

• 21-75 years old.
• Women who are pregnant will be excluded.
• Individuals with claustrophobia or implanted objects (metal plates, screws, etc) who cannot complete an MRI assessment will be excluded.
• Individuals with any orthopedic condition that would prevent them from properly performing knee extensions will be excluded.
• Individuals with prior knee replacement or knee surgeries (e.g. ACL reconstruction).
• Those with diabetes (HbA1c>6.5) will be excluded.
• Chronic users of acetaminophen, ibuprofen or prescription cyclooxygenase inhibitors.
• Individuals with physician-diagnosed liver disease.
• No previous history of severe cardiovascular disease including stroke, heart attack and arrythmias.
• No previous history of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.

Participants will attend five to six sessions at Purdue. Each session will last 30-45 minutes. The first session is an initial interview and screening. The second session consists of a fasted blood draw, 1-repetition maximum test and body composition measurement. Visits three through five are patellar tendon assessments using ultrasound imaging (visits two and three may be combined). Visit six is an MRI scan of the patellar tendon.

Benefits for participants:

• Although there are no direct benefits, the knowledge gained from this study may have implications for individuals going through menopause and may aid in guiding the future development of treatment options for tendinosis
• Compensation. Participants will be compensated $75 for completing this study.

For more information or to participate, contact Gordon Smilanich at  [email protected]  or 317-721-3651 (leave a message). Learn more about the lab and research at  https://hhs.purdue.edu/carroll-lab/ .

The primary investigator is Chad Carroll, associate professor of health and kinesiology. IRB#: 2024-027.

Development and validation of a wearable sEMG monitoring system for swallowing function disorders

Researchers are recruiting older healthy adults for a swallowing and sensors study.

Individuals may be eligible to participate if they:

• Are 55-90 years old and generally healthy.
• Do not have problems swallowing.
• Are willing to come to the lab for a free swallowing evaluation once for approximately 2.5-3 hours.

Participants will receive up to $30 for the single visit.

If interested, email  [email protected]  or call 765-496-0207 for more information. The principal investigator is Georgia Malandraki, professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. IRB-2021-1247.

Development and validation of a wearable sEMG monitoring system for swallowing function disorders (study for veterans)

Researchers are recruiting veterans with a history of stroke or Parkinson’s disease with dysphagia for a swallowing and sensors study.

• Are 55-90 years old and have been diagnosed with swallowing difficulties.

Note:   Individuals with significant cognitive impairments, history of head and neck surgery, or radiation exposure to the head and neck area are not eligible to participate at this time.

If interested, email  [email protected]  or call 765-496-0207 for more information. The principal investigator is Georgia Malandraki, professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. IRB-2021-1247.

Study on receiver, vehicle, and roadway systems for a dynamic wireless power transfer roadway testbed

Researchers are looking for adult residents in Indiana, specifically the Greater Lafayette area, to participate in a research study focused on understanding public perceptions and expectations regarding electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging, and a dynamic wireless power testbed project.

Participants will be asked to complete  an online questionnaire survey  of about 5-10 minutes in Qualtrics, which consists of questions related to perceptions about electric vehicles, charging technologies, and a dynamic wireless power transfer testbed, as well as some basic demographic information. The principal investigator is Nadia Gkritza, professor of civil engineering and agricultural and biological engineering. For more information, email  [email protected] . IRB-2023-786.

Child-mother storytelling and play study, and child behavior in preschool

Researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are seeking families with children between the ages of 40 and 66 months (approx. 3.5-5.5 years) to participate in a study on child-mother interactions and storytelling.

Participation in the study includes two short visits (15 minutes and 10 minutes) in your home and one laboratory visit on Purdue’s campus (90-100 minutes). In addition, mothers will answer some questionnaires. Parents must be 18 years or older to be eligible to participate.

A payment of $30 will be given to participating mothers as appreciation for their time. Individuals who are interested want more information should contact Geurim at  [email protected] . Include your child’s name and date of birth, your name, a telephone number or e-mail address to reach you, and the best time to be contacted.

The principal investigator is German Posada, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. IRB#: 2021-1189.

Effects of dance training on balance testing  

Individuals ages 18-30 are needed to participate in a study on the effects of dance training on clinical balance testing. Participants should have normal hearing and normal or corrected to normal vision; should not be susceptible to motion sickness; and should have no history of migraines or difficulties with balance. Researchers are seeking individuals who have dance experience as well as those with no dance experience. Researchers intend to enroll up to 40 participants, with equal numbers of dancers and nondancers.

Participants will be paid $15 for one session, approximately 60 minutes long. This study is conducted on the Purdue University campus in Lyles-Porter Hall. Participants must be able to come to the research site.

The principal investigators involved in the study are Alexander Francis and Melissa Newell in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. For more information or to schedule a time to participate, contact Gillian Battung at  [email protected] . IRB #: IRB-2024-515.

Study on exercise, cognition, and emotion

Young adults ages 18-25 are needed to participate in research studies on how exercise may influence cognitive function and emotion.

Participants will be compensated up to $120 for completing the study.

Participation requires three visits to Lambert Fieldhouse. Each visit will last about two hours, involving health questionnaires, computer games, exercise and assessment of brain activation (i.e., electroencephalogram [EEG]). Participation in this study will also involve the wearing of a small device (i.e., accelerometer) that measures daily movement for seven days.

For more information, contact the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health Lab at  [email protected]  in the Department of Health. The principal investigator is Shih-Chun Kao, assistant professor of health and kinesiology. IRB-2024-355.

Study on serum advanced glycation end products and alterations of tendon properties

The purpose of this research is to determine if markers in blood serum are related to changes in tendon properties, especially in individuals with diabetes. Researchers are seeking men and women ages 40-75 to participate in a study evaluating impact of pre-diabetes and diabetes on tendon health. To participate, participants must meet the following criteria:

• 40-75 years old.
• Not physically active.
• Individuals with claustrophobia or implanted objects (metal plates, screws, etc.) who cannot complete an MRI assessment will be excluded.
• Chronic users of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or prescription cyclooxygenase inhibitors.

Participants will conduct five to six sessions at Purdue. Each session will last 30-45 minutes. The first session is an initial interview and screening. The second session consists of a fasted blood draw. Visits three through five are patellar tendon assessments using ultrasound imaging (visits two and three may be combined). Visit six is an MRI scan of the patellar tendon.

• Although there are no direct benefits, the knowledge gained from this study may benefit future diabetic patients with tendon problems by providing new information that could lead to the development of new treatment options.
• Participants will be compensated $75 for completing this study.

For more information or to participate, contact Eric Gutierrez at  [email protected]  or 765-205-2357 (please leave a message). Learn more about the lab and research at  https://hhs.purdue.edu/carroll-lab/ .

The primary investigator is Chad Carroll, associate professor of health and kinesiology. IRB#: 2023-1703.

Infant sense to learn word-learning study

Families with children ages 22-28 months are needed for a study about how children learn new words. Children learn language by interacting with the world around them using different senses, like sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Researchers are interested in how sensory experiences affect how children learn language.

Families will complete a single one-hour visit at the child-friendly research space at Purdue. Children will do things like learn new words, look at pictures and interact with toys, and caregivers will complete online surveys. Families will receive $30 for visiting the lab plus $10 for completing surveys online, and children will receive a book. 

To confirm eligibility to participate, complete an  online survey  or contact the Language Learning and Meaning Acquisition (LLaMA) Lab at 765-496-0427 or  [email protected] . The principal investigator is Arielle Borovsky, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. IRB-2022-1471.

Multi-fingerprint data collection 

The International Center for Biometric Research is looking for participants to test the performance of multiple fingerprint recognition systems. Outcomes of the study will help in furthering the understanding of the performance and how to improve the fingerprint recognition systems based on the collected data.    Participants should be age 18 and older and know and understand English. The study will consist of one 40-minute lab visit at Young Hall, Room B020. Participants will receive compensation of $20 at the completion of their visit.

Those interested in participating should follow the instructions below:  

• Sign up by  clicking here .
• Select “Multi-Fingerprint Test.”
• Pick a day and time that works for you.
• Fill in the required information.

The principal investigator is Stephen Elliott, associate dean for academic programs in the Polytechnic Institute. Any questions regarding the study can be addressed to  [email protected] . IRB-2022-1378.

Baby Exploration Project

Researchers are inviting families with babies up to 2-years-old in the West Lafayette-Lafayette and surrounding areas to participate in a study of how babies explore their home environment.

A researcher will visit participants at home for two to three hours while families and the baby go about daily activities. Participants will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

For more information visit  www.baby-exploration-project.org . To sign up, contact Paige Thompson at  [email protected] .

The principal investigator is Laura Claxton, associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Purdue IRB# 2021-1249/ NYU IRB# FY2021-5660.

Study on how the brain combines sight and sound for children with language difficulty

Children who have language difficulty are needed for a study on how the brain combines sight and sound.

To participate, children must meet the following criteria:

• 8-12 years old.
• Normal nonverbal intelligence.
• Small vocabulary.
• Slow to process written/oral language or have difficulty following instructions.
• Grammatical errors when speaking (such as sometimes omitting the past tense -ed or the plural -s) 
• Poor short-term memory for language. 
• Speak in sentences that are shorter or simpler than typical for their age.
• May have a diagnosis of learning disability, language delay, or sound processing disorder.
• No neurological disorders such as autism, seizures or cerebral palsy (we can include children with ADHD/ADD).
• Can be either monolingual or bilingual. However, if bilingual, English must be the primary language. 

Children will participate in up to eight research sessions. Each session will last 1.5-2 hours. During the first two sessions, standardized tests will be administered to evaluate children’s nonverbal intelligence and language skills. During the last six sessions, children’s brain activity will be recorded with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings) while they are doing different tasks. There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been safely used with infants, children and adults. Families can withdraw at any time.

Benefits for families:

• Parents receive a detailed report on hearing and vision screening, nonverbal intelligence and comprehensive language and literacy skills of their child.
• Children are paid $10/hour and receive a small toy for each visit.
• Parents are paid $10/session to help with gas expenses.

For more information or to participate, contact Jennifer Schumaker at  [email protected]  or 765-494-4445 (leave a message). Learn more about the  lab online .

The primary investigator is Natalya Kaganovich, associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences and psychological sciences. IRB#: 0909008484.

Study on how the brain combines sight and sound for school-aged children 

Eight- and 11-year-old boys and girls and 12-year-old boys are needed for a study on how the brain combines sight and sound.

• Eight- and 11-year-old boys and girls, and 12-year-old boys.
• Typical language skills.
• Right-handed.

Children will participate in up to eight research sessions. Each session will last 1.5-2 hours. During the first two sessions, standardized tests will be administered that will evaluate children’s nonverbal intelligence and language skills. During the last six sessions, children’s brain activity will be recorded with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings) while they are doing different tasks. There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been safely used with infants, children and adults. Families can withdraw at any time.

Determining associations between oral cysteine exposure and bacteria that produce genotoxic hydrogen sulfide via cysteine metabolism  

The Wolf Research Lab in the Department of Nutrition Science is conducting a study to learn more about bacteria and items people put in their mouths, like food and tobacco products.  

This study may be a good fit for individuals if they are:

• 18-80 years old.
• Not pregnant.
• Have not taken antibiotics in the past six months.

Individuals who decide to take part in the research study will: 

• Come to Purdue for one screening visit and two research visits.
• Have their weight, height, body composition and calorie needs measured. 
• Complete several surveys about health, diet and experiences.
• Provide a stool and saliva sample.

Participants will receive a $25 gift card to compensate for their time and reimbursement for travel. To learn more about this research, contact Patricia Wolf, principal researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Science, at 765-496-0143 or email  [email protected] . IRB #IRB-2023-916.

Study on infant and toddler vegetable acceptance 

The Child Temperament and Health Lab at Purdue is recruiting families to participate in a research study looking at infants’ responses to vegetables and caregivers’ decisions about offering them to their child. Participating in the study will require two study visits, which will take place virtually via Zoom. Each virtual visit will last approximately 60-90 minutes. Participants will receive up to $80 in gift cards for participating.   

Individuals may be qualified to participate if they meet the following criteria:  

• Child is between 6 months and 24 months of age.
• Child was born at term (>37 weeks) and has experienced at least one complementary food (e.g., rice cereal).
• Child has no food allergies or medical conditions.
• Parent or caregiver is between 18 and 50 years of age. 
• Participant home is located in the greater Lafayette area of Indiana.

The principal investigator is Kameron Moding, assistant professor in Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Those interested in participating in the study should contact Ellie Kielb at  [email protected]  and mention the “Infant Vegetable Study.” IRB-2019-451.

Recruiting participants for a survey on parent feeding strategies

The Child Temperament and Health Lab is looking to recruit parents of preschoolers (3-5 years of age) to participate in a Qualtrics survey conducted by researchers at Purdue. The survey will be conducted fully online and takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. Participants will be compensated $15 for their time.

The principal investigator is Kameron Moding, assistant professor in Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Individuals interested in participating in this study should contact Ellie Kielb at  [email protected]  with the header “Parent Feeding Strategies Survey.” IRB-2022-482.

Health effects of grain foods in adults

Participants are needed by the Department of Nutrition Science to study the health effects of grain foods.

Participants must:

• Be age 21 to 60.
• Have a hemoglobin A1c of 5.7-6.4%.
• Be a nonsmoker.
• Have no sensitivity or allergy to grain foods.

Participants have the potential to earn up to $1,000 in 14 weeks. Contact Giorgia at  [email protected]  to participate or for more information. The principal investigator is Richard Mattes, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Nutrition Science. IRB-2023-1071.

Research study for breast cancer survivors and their partners

Purdue researchers are looking for breast cancer survivors and their romantic partners to complete a study exploring how relationships and stress affect couples’ health during survivorship. The study is looking for couples who live together and who have completed breast cancer treatment. Researchers are interested in relationships that are going well and those that are experiencing difficulties.

Participants may be compensated up to $300 as a couple for their time. This study has multiple ways to participate, depending on interests and availability. Participation could involve an online survey followed by a seven-day diary study with short questionnaires on a mobile app; completing one study visit as a couple (three hours) at Purdue; and/or wearing a heart rate monitor and collecting blood samples from the convenience of home.

Click  this link  to fill out the screening questionnaire. For more information, email  [email protected] , call 812-518-9498, or visit the  study website . The principal investigator is Rosie Shrout, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. IRB No. IRB-2022-538.

Healthy adult research participants needed for language study

Principal investigator Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, is seeking participants for a language study for healthy adults.

The study will be up to 12 sessions, and each session lasts approximately two hours. Testing will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall. To be eligible, individuals should be 40-85 years old, be a native speaker of English and have general good health. If eligible, participation will be compensated and free parking is available.

For more information, contact  [email protected] , call 765-496-0216, or visit the  Aphasia Research Laboratory website . IRB-2021-659.

Individuals with aphasia needed for study

The Purdue Aphasia lab invites people with aphasia to participate in a new NIH-funded training study. Participation will help researchers to better understand language recovery in aphasia, in hopes to develop new language treatments.

To be eligible, individuals should have aphasia as a result of a stroke, have no history of other neurological conditions (dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) and be a native speaker of English. Eligibility for this training study will be determined after the initial language evaluation.

Studies will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall, at the Indianapolis lab site or virtually via Zoom. Participants, if eligible, will be compensated $20 per session, and free garage parking is provided.

The principal investigator is Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact  [email protected] , call 765-496-0216, or visit the  Aphasia Research Laboratory website . IRB-2021-659.

Study on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and mindfulness activity on cognition

Young adults ages 18-30 are needed to participate in a research study on how cognitive changes occur as a result of HIIT and mindfulness activity. 

Participants will be compensated $45 total for completing the study. Participation requires one visit to the Lambert Fieldhouse. The visit may last 2.5-3 hours, involving questionnaires, computer games, interval exercise and assessment of brain activation (i.e., electroencephalogram [EEG]).

For more information, contact the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health Lab at  [email protected]  in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Professor Shih-Chun Kao in the Department of Health and Kinesiology is the principal investigator. IRB-2022-1416.

Studies looking for Asian and multiracial individuals and families

Researcher in the Antiracism, Resistance, Identity, Socialization, and Equity (ARISE) Lab study how talking about race, ethnicity and culture impacts identity development and mental health.

Researchers are recruiting:

• Multiracial/biracial/mixed race youth and adults.
• Parents of multiracial youth.
• Asian American youth and adults.

By filling out this  short 1–3-minute survey , individuals can be added to the lab’s email list. They will have the option to sign up for newsletters that will share resources, an advice column and fun features like pop culture news and recipes from their community that are family-friendly. Individuals can also sign up for the lab’s participant pool to receive invitations to ongoing studies.

Participation in studies would involve tasks such as completing brief and potentially compensated anonymous surveys or interviews to share personal experiences and perspectives so researchers can learn more about multiracial and Asian American youth and families.

Questions can be directed to Annabelle Atkin, principal investigator and assistant professor of human development and family science, at  [email protected] . IRB-2023-249.

How children think and feel during and after exercise 

Children ages 8-10 are needed for a research study on how children think and feel during and after exercise.

Participation in this study requires two visits on separate days to the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) Laboratory in Lambert Fieldhouse. The first visit may last approximately three hours and involve computer games and a fitness test. The second visit may last about three hours and involve health-related and demographic questionnaires, two sessions of 20-minute aerobic exercise, and recoding of brain waves using techniques such as electroencephalogram (EEG). Participation in this study will be compensated by a maximum total of $100.

Shih-Chun Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, is the principal investigator. To participate or for more information, email  [email protected]  or call 765-496-7781. IRB-2021-955.

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Nevada Today

Nsf career award recipient mark lescroart studies mechanisms of attention, $700,000 research project funded to explore neurological disorders and everyday tasks; ‘perception depends on the goal’.

Assistant Professor Mark Lescroart is with the University of Nevada, Reno's Cognitive & Brain Sciences group.

Mark Lescroart, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, was recognized with a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Lescroart works in the Department of Psychology in the College of Science. He has been a part of the Cognitive & Brain Sciences group since 2018.  

The NSF publicizes a 17% success rate in proposals for this competitive program. However, University faculty have fared much better in recent years, with success rates, on average, around 25%.

Related Links

• Learn more about Mark Lescroart
• Read Professor Lescroart's CAREER Award Abstract

“The University’s acceptance rate in this last round of NSF CAREER Awards is amazing by any top-notch university standards,” Mridul Gautam, vice president for research and innovation, said. “When it comes to our faculty, the University of Nevada is in that top-notch league.”

Twenty-seven University faculty have received an NSF CAREER Award in the last five years; four awards in 2020, eight in 2021 – the most ever in a single year – seven awarded in 2022, three in the 2023 cycle, and five in 2024. Within the last 28 years, 57 University faculty have been awarded.

Lescroart’s CAREER Award is titled, “Studying the effects of task goals on brain representations of visual motion.” This new research project, funded by a $700,000 grant from the NSF, aims to uncover the complex brain mechanisms that underlie attention. Led by Lescroart, a team at the University will use advanced computational models and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how task goals influence brain activity. This research could lead to a deeper understanding of attention-related disorders such as ADHD and schizophrenia, as well as provide insights into everyday activities like driving and sports.

Read more from Lescroart as he goes more in depth about the CAREER research project.

People do not always notice the same things when they look at the same scene, because perception depends on the goal. At the neural level, many perceptual regions in the brain do not necessarily respond the same way to the same stimuli – activity depends on both the stimulus and on task goals.

The ability to focus on task-relevant features and thereby change activity in the brain is called top-down attention. Attention is affected in many neurological disorders, including ADHD and Schizophrenia, and varies across the healthy population. Despite its importance, brain mechanisms of attention are not well understood.

One hypothesis holds that a network spanning frontal and parietal cortex supports task-general functions including attention and accumulating or weighing evidence. However, parts of this network respond to visual features of stimuli including motion and shape, and the dual influence of task and stimulus are seldom studied in the same experiments.

The goal of this project is to integrate these findings into a coherent computational model. Instead of trying to attribute one function to each parcel of the brain, we aim to quantify the degree to which brain responses across the brain vary with the stimulus, with the cognitive components of the task, and with task difficulty. The project seeks answers to these questions in a cumulative series of behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. We hope the research will determine the degree to which different tasks change the pattern of activity within and across brain regions.

Participants in the study will view moving stimuli on which they perform different visual tasks while their brains are measured with fMRI. For example, they judge whether one object will collide with another object or whether the participant – proxied by the point of view of the camera – will collide with a static object.

These tasks serve as an experimental proxy for many natural tasks. For example, driving, walking and many sports involve estimating one’s own motion relative to static obstacles and moving objects. Importantly, among stimulus-based factors, self-motion is a particularly strong influence on responses in many areas also driven by task-related factors.

Related Program

• Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Programs

We will analyze the data using cutting-edge encoding models based on labels for task conditions and motion parameters derived from deep neural networks. Models are compared with variance partitioning, which assesses the relative effect of each factor on brain responses. The models developed in this project can provide a detailed quantitative baseline that enables sensitive measurement of individual differences in attention and task processing in future studies.

Finally, since the analytic approach of this project is computationally intensive, we also aim to improve data science education at the University of Nevada, Reno by developing and teaching an introductory applied research computing course. This course is also intended to teach the ‘hidden curriculum’ of research computing, including use of the command line, version control and dependency management. We plan to help build a community of practice in data science at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

Professor Lescroart’s Pieces of Mind visual perception lab is currently looking for motivated undergraduates and graduate students  to join their research. Contact Professor Lescroart to learn more about the positions available in the lab.

In preparing his proposal, Lescroart used proposal planning and review services provided by  Research & Proposal Development Services , part of Research & Innovation. For proposal submission assistance, submit a  request for research development services .

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Study Group on Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy-Subcommittee III [2 of 2]

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After private equity takes over hospitals, they are less able to care for patients, top medical researchers say

After private-equity firms acquire hospitals , the facilities’ assets and resources diminish significantly, leaving the facilities less equipped to care for patients, according to a new study by physician researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School and the City University of New York’s Hunter College.

Published Tuesday in the  Journal of the American Medical Association,  the research highlights a pattern of asset stripping at health care facilities purchased by private-equity firms, its researchers said, and is the first study to analyze the activity nationwide. 

“It’s a very striking finding and should change the way people think about private equity in hospitals,” said Dr. Stephanie  Woolhandler , a distinguished professor of public health at Hunter, part of CUNY, and one of seven authors of the study. “The PE firms say, ‘We bring new capital into hospitals.’ It turns out that’s not quite true.”

Assets studied in the research consist of land, buildings, major hospital equipment and information technology. The study found that during the two years after a private-equity acquisition, total capital assets at private equity-acquired hospitals declined by 15% on average while assets rose by an average of 9% at other hospitals. That makes for a net difference of 24%, the researchers found, equivalent to a loss of $28 million in total assets per hospital.The research studied 156 hospitals acquired by private-equity firms from 2010 to 2019 comparing them with 1,560 hospitals of similar size in similar communities that were not bought by private equity. The pattern of diminished assets persisted and widened five years after acquisition, the study reported.

Depleted assets translate to a reduced level of care, Woolhandler told NBC News, noting that equipment, buildings and technology are resources needed for patient care. “There are real dangers to the health care that people get if you deplete all the capital from a hospital,” she added.

Private-equity firms borrow money to buy companies that they hope to sell in a few years at a profit. Independent academic research shows that such leveraged buyouts result in far more bankruptcies than acquisitions that do not use so much debt and the deals can result in significant job losses for rank-and-file workers.Health care has been a primary focus of private-equity purchases in recent years, with over $500 billion invested in the industry by firms such as Apollo Global Management, The Blackstone Group, The Carlyle Group and KKR. The  American Investment Council , the industry lobbying group, says private equity improves health care. 

But increased patient falls and infections follow private-equity takeovers of hospitals, recent research shows, and residents of nursing homes owned by private-equity firms experience 10% greater mortality rates than those owned by other types of entities.

“Previous studies have found that patients are endangered and costs increase in the wake of private-equity acquisitions,” said Dr. Elizabeth Schrier, a resident physician at the University of California, San Francisco, and a lead author of the new research.

The report on asset-stripping in private equity-owned hospitals comes amid the collapse of Steward Health Care, a hospital chain recently owned by private equity that filed for bankruptcy in May, leaving patients and workers at 31 facilities adrift. Last  week , the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee announced an investigation into the Steward crisis. 

Until 2020, Steward was owned by Cerberus Capital, a private-equity firm led by Steve Feinberg. In 2010, Cerberus bought a nonprofit chain known as Caritas Christi Health Care for around $250 million. The firm and its investor partners reaped an $800 million profit when it divested a decade later.

Along the way, Steward sold the land under its hospitals, generating a gain for investors but increasing the company’s costs significantly.

A Cerberus spokesman said in a  statement that it’s unfair and incorrect to characterize the Steward land sale as “looting” the company, as Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both Massachusetts Democrats, have done. “During our nearly 11-year ownership of Steward, we supported the revitalization of failing community hospitals into a leading healthcare system,” the statement continued. “Cerberus’ long-term investment made it possible for Steward to continue to serve its communities, employ tens of thousands of professionals, and positively impact millions of patients’ lives.”

Amid rising numbers of health care takeovers by private equity, at least 10 states are ramping up  scrutiny  on the transactions to prevent patient harm, such as rising health care costs or the effects of monopolization. On July 1, Indiana began requiring that private-equity partnerships proposing transactions with health care companies valued at $10 million or more to notify the state’s attorney general 90 days before the proposed deal. While approval of the transaction is not mandatory, the attorney general can analyze antitrust concerns or issue a civil investigative demand for more information.

California, Connecticut, Illinois and Nevada are among the other states enacting new laws bringing scrutiny to private equity’s health care acquisitions.

Health care is not the only industry in which some private-equity owners have stripped companies’ assets. The Red Lobster restaurant chain  failed  in part because its private-equity owner sold off the company’s prime real estate, generating gains for itself. Meanwhile, Red Lobster had to pay rent on the properties, raising its costs and ultimately hobbling its operations.

Gretchen Morgenson is the senior financial reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. A former stockbroker, she won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for her "trenchant and incisive" reporting on Wall Street.