Review the instructions provided below if you're interested in using The Media School subject pool for a research study. Please refer to the below information to first decide if your research study would be a good fit for the subject pool. If so, continue on to learn the necessary procedures for conducting a research study with The Media School subject pool.
Please contact the research and creative activity coordinator (Megan Connor, megconno@iu.edu) with any questions.
Participating in the subject pool is a requirement for students taking MSCH-C101 in the fall or spring semester. The research participation requirement is worth 3% of their overall grade. This is an update to the previous system where faculty could have their students from any class participate in the subject pool for extra credit. Because this is now a graded requirement, it is important that we are extra conscientious about how studies are scheduled and run to respect our students’ time and effort to participate.
A research study that is a good fit for the subject pool will answer yes to the following questions:
If your study is a good fit, please continue reading to learn more about the procedures for using the subject pool.
Contact the research coordinator (Megan Connor, megconno@iu.edu) to request the use of the subject pool. You should do so as far in advance as possible so your study can be fit into the schedule for the semester. Make sure to read through this page and have the necessary information prepared beforehand.
It is also useful to familiarize yourself with the policies for students participating in the subject pool.
You must have IRB approval before your study can be scheduled. Make sure you know your IRB study number.
The Media School uses Acuity, an online scheduling service, to run research participants. You will need to provide the following information so an appointment calendar can be set up for your research study. You will need to submit this information in a form at least one week prior to the start of your study.
You will also have access to the backend of Acuity, but please do not make any changes yourself without checking with the research coordinator.
| Info needed | Tips |
|---|---|
| Calendar name | Pick something short and distinctive! |
| Email/phone | You will need to provide the email addresses and cell numbers for the PI and any assistants running the study, or anyone else that should be notified about new appointments or cancellations. |
| Location | Usually we list Franklin Hall, Institute for Communication Research, but please note if your studies will be in a different place or needs more specific details. |
| Duration | What is the approximate length it will take the student to complete the research study? |
| Time between appointments | Should there be a buffer time between appointments? Should appointments overlap? How much time? |
| Participants per appointment slot | How many participants will you run at the same time? |
Students in C101 are required to participate in a research study for credit, so it is extremely important to keep track of students’ participation in studies. You will do this in Acuity. After an appointment has been created in Acuity, you are able to click into that appointment block and apply a label. At the end of each appointment time, you should either mark the appointment as “completed” or “NO SHOW.”
You will need to provide the names, email addresses, and cell phone numbers for yourself and anyone else that will be assisting in running your research study to the research coordinator. This is necessary for prompt communication should any issues arise with your study.
The research coordinator will reach out to schedule an orientation meeting with you around the time your study begins. This is especially important if you are new to using the ICR space or if you have any research assistants who are new to the space. We will go over basic ICR policies, make sure your Acuity calendar is set up correctly, and go over any additional needs or concerns you might have for your study.
The ICR is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m .on weekdays. It is locked, but keycard-accessible the rest of the time. If you plan to be there beyond that time frame, you will need to request access from the research coordinator. You can also be granted access to the kitchen off the ICR.
Each room inside the ICR is locked individually. You can access these keys through the “key zoo,” which is the top, leftmost locker. Please contact Megan Connor for the combination to access the keys. Please use the required room key to open your room, then immediately return it to the key zoo and relock.
As noted above, participating in a research study is now a graded requirement for Media School students. It is then important that we are extra conscientious about how studies are scheduled and run to respect our students’ time and effort to participate. This can look like:
Contact Megan Connor, research and creative activity coordinator.
