Participate

If you would like to participate in our experiments, you will first need to register. This requires that you read the rules for participation and privacy policy laid out below. More information can also be found on our frequently asked questions page.

By registering, you are notifying researchers at the Faculty of Business and Economics at The University of Melbourne (and other affiliated institutions) that you are willing to participate in experiments and will adhere to all rules and regulations.

Rules For Participants

When you register to participate in economics experiments, your name will be added to our E²MU database. When an experiment is scheduled, the system will randomly select a sub-pool of participants to invite to the experiment.
You will be notified via email if you are randomly selected to participate in an experiment. You will be permitted to participate in an experiment only if you receive an invitation.
If you receive an invitation, you will need to click on the registration link in the email to register for the session that you wish to participate in.
Once you register for a session, you must immediately notify researchers via email if you can no longer participate in the experiment. This will allow them to find a replacement for you. Participants who do not show up for the experiment on time or who cancel their registration within 1 hour prior to the start of the experiment will receive a “no-show” penalty.
It is possible, but unlikely, that you will not be required to participate in the experiment when you arrive on the day of the experiment. This can happen if we have more people than the required number to fill the session. If this happens (and you have arrived on time), you will be compensated with a one-off payment of $10.
Each person who participates in an experiment will receive a payment, typically at the end of the session. The amount you will receive may depend on the type of experiment, the decisions you make, and the decisions made by other participants. The average earnings of participants in a session may range between $15 and $30 per hour.

Information for Participants

No-Deception Rule

The laboratory prohibits the use of deception in all experimental protocols taking place in our facility.

Privacy Collection Notice

The collection of personal information by the University of Melbourne (University) is governed by the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (together, Privacy Laws). The University is also considered to be a data controller for the purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) in relation to the collection of personal information from individuals located in the EU, when conducting certain activities. The University is committed to protecting your privacy and processing your personal information fairly and lawfully in compliance with the Privacy Laws and the GDPR, as applicable.

When you agree to participate in economics experiments at the University of Melbourne, your personal data is collected and managed in the following ways. You may contact us at any time by emailing econ-experiments@unimelb.edu.au.

E²MU Database

When you register to participate in economics experiments, your personal information is collected by the Department of Economics at the University of Melbourne and will be stored in the E²MU server. The information you provide is used for the limited purposes of organising scientific experiments and managing your registration, specifically to:

inform you of new experiments and invite you to participate; and
confirm whether you have attended the sessions you have registered for.

You are not required by law to provide the requested information however, you may be unable to participate in the research you have expressed an interest in if you do not provide this information.
You can unsubscribe from our mailing list or request your data be deleted from the E²MU server without restrictions, by emailing econ-experiments@unimelb.edu.au.

Experimental Data

In addition, participants generate data by making decisions during experiments. This data is analysed scientifically by the researchers conducting the experiment. There is no connection between the data collected during the experiments and the data stored on the E²MU server.
In most experiments, decisions will be made anonymously. However, in the rare occasion that the design of the experiment is such that your identity may be revealed to other participants, you will be informed and explicit consent will be sought.
Regardless of the nature of the experiments, the data collected will be deidentified at the data analysis stage. Hence, the data will be made anonymous and will not be attributed to an individual in any presentation or publication of results.
The information you provide will be used by authorised staff for the purpose for which it was collected and may be shared with affiliated institutions for research purposes. It will not be transferred outside Australia unless to an entity operating under equivalent privacy obligations.

The University takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the information we hold is accurate and complete and that it is protected from misuse, loss, unauthorised access or disclosure. We will retain your personal information only for as long as required for the purpose it was collected and in accordance with our legislative obligations.

We will not disclose your personal information to anybody else unless you have given consent, or we are authorised or required to do so by law. You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information held by the University, or exercise data subject rights under the GDPR if applicable, by contacting Stop1 or by phoning 13 MELB (13 6352).

For further information about how the University manages personal information, to make an enquiry or complaint, or for contact details of the University’s Privacy and Data Protection Officer, please view the University’s Privacy Policy, visit our Privacy Webpage, or contact the University’s Privacy Office at Privacy webpage.