Participant Terms and Conditions
1. Introduction
These Terms and Conditions explain the basis upon which you may take part in our market, opinion, social research, user experience, or insights projects (“Research Activities”). By agreeing to participate, you confirm that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and consent to participate on the terms described below. The principles set out in this document are intended to support transparency, participant protection, confidentiality, and compliance with applicable data protection and research standards.
2. Voluntary Participation
Participation in any Research Activity is entirely voluntary. You are under no obligation to take part and may decline participation or withdraw from a study at any stage without penalty. We respect your right to decide whether or not to participate and will ensure that sufficient information is provided to enable you to make an informed decision. Any incentive offered as part of a study is intended solely as recognition of your time and contribution and does not affect the voluntary nature of participation.
3. Purpose of Research
The purpose of our Research Activities will be set out in the invitation you receive, and may include gathering opinions, experiences, attitudes, behaviours, and other information for research, analysis, insight generation, product development, service improvement, public policy evaluation, or other legitimate research purposes. All research activities are conducted solely for research purposes and will not be used to sell products or services, raise funds, or promote particular political views under the guise of research.
4. Eligibility
Participants may be required to meet specific recruitment criteria relevant to a particular study. By taking part, you agree to provide information that is accurate, complete, and truthful to the best of your knowledge. We reserve the right to exclude participants or remove responses where eligibility requirements are not met, where information is found to be misleading or fraudulent, or where participation breaches the requirements of the study.
5. Information Provided Before Participation
Before participating, we will provide clear information about the organisation conducting the research, the general subject matter and purpose of the study, the estimated duration of participation, and any incentive arrangements that apply. We will also explain whether any recording or observation will take place, the nature of the information being collected, and how that information will be used. This information is provided to ensure that your participation is based on informed consent and a clear understanding of the research activity.
6. Confidentiality and Privacy
We are committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of the information you provide. Personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and our Privacy Notice. Research findings will normally be reported in anonymised or aggregated form so that individual participants cannot be identified. Identifiable participant information will not be disclosed to clients or other third parties without your prior consent unless we are required to do so by law. Any assurances given regarding confidentiality and anonymity will be honoured throughout the research process.
7. Recording and Observation
Some Research Activities may involve audio recording, video recording, screen recording, photography, or live observation by researchers, clients, or authorised representatives. Where recording or observation is planned, you will be informed before participation begins and given the opportunity to decide whether you wish to continue. Information about who may have access to recordings and how they will be used will be explained as part of the invitation or consent process.
8. Use of Research Data
The information collected during Research Activities may be analysed and used for research reporting, statistical analysis, insight generation, service improvement, customer experience enhancement, product development, or other legitimate research purposes. Unless specifically stated otherwise, your personal information will not be used for direct marketing, sales, or fundraising activities. Research results will normally be presented in a way that protects individual participants from identification.
9. Incentives
Where an incentive is offered, details of the incentive, its value, method of payment, and any applicable conditions will be communicated before participation. Incentives are provided as a token of appreciation for the time, effort, and contribution made by participants and do not alter the voluntary nature of participation.
To be eligible for an incentive, participants must meet the recruitment criteria for the study, provide information that is accurate and truthful, and complete the required research activity in accordance with the instructions provided. Eligibility may also be subject to any additional conditions communicated at the point of recruitment, such as attendance at a scheduled interview, completion of a survey, participation in a discussion group, or completion of specified research tasks.
Participants may not be eligible to receive an incentive where they provide false or misleading information during recruitment or participation, fail quality checks designed to ensure the integrity of the research, withdraw before completing the research activity, fail to attend a scheduled research session without reasonable notice, participate more than once in the same study without authorisation, or otherwise breach these Terms and Conditions.
Where a participant is screened out during the recruitment or questionnaire process because they do not meet the study requirements, they may not qualify for the full incentive. However, where applicable, any alternative incentive arrangements or partial payments will be communicated in advance as part of the study invitation.
Incentives will normally be issued only after participation has been verified and the research activity has been completed to a reasonable standard. The research organisation reserves the right to delay, withhold, reduce, or cancel an incentive where there is evidence of fraudulent participation, duplicate participation, automated responses, deliberate misrepresentation, or any activity that may compromise the quality or integrity of the research data.
The research organisation reserves the right to substitute an incentive with an alternative of equivalent value where circumstances reasonably require this. Participants are responsible for any personal tax liabilities that may arise from receipt of an incentive, where applicable under local laws and regulations.
Any decision regarding incentive eligibility shall be made fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the requirements of the specific research project and applicable legal and professional standards. Participants who believe an incentive has been withheld in error may contact the research organisation using the contact details provided in the study invitation to request a review of the decision.
To protect the quality and integrity of our research, the research organisation may use identity verification procedures, duplicate response detection, attendance records, data quality checks, and other reasonable measures to confirm eligibility for incentives. Where such checks identify suspicious or fraudulent activity, the participant may be excluded from the study and any associated incentive may be withdrawn.
10. Participant Responsibilities
As a participant, you agree to provide honest and accurate responses, follow reasonable instructions provided by the research team, and treat other participants with respect where group activities are involved. You also agree to maintain the confidentiality of any proprietary or sensitive information that may be shared during the course of the research, including concepts, products, services, discussion materials, or other information that is not publicly available.
11. Intellectual Property
All questionnaires, discussion guides, concepts, images, prototypes, documents, software, reports, and other research materials used in connection with a Research Activity remain the property of the research organisation or its clients. Participation in a study does not transfer any intellectual property rights to participants. Research materials must not be copied, reproduced, distributed, published, or disclosed to any third party without prior written permission.
12. Your Rights
Subject to applicable data protection legislation, you may have the right to request access to your personal information, correct inaccurate information, restrict or object to certain forms of processing, request deletion of personal information where appropriate, withdraw consent where consent is relied upon as the legal basis for processing, and lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority. Further details regarding these rights can be found in our Privacy Notice.
13. Withdrawal
You may withdraw from participation at any time before completing a research activity. Where practicable and legally permissible, you may also request that identifiable information previously provided be removed from our records. However, information that has already been anonymised, aggregated, or incorporated into research findings may not be capable of being identified and removed.
14. Limitation of Liability
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability where such liability cannot legally be excluded. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the research organisation shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss arising from participation in a Research Activity.
15. Changes to These Terms
We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time in order to reflect changes in legal, regulatory, operational, or business requirements. Any updated version will be made available through the relevant participation platform or upon request.
16. Contact Information
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, the research activity, or the way in which your information is handled, please contact us using the details provided in your invitation, participant information sheet, or privacy notice.