Best Practices

Live studies work best when joining is simple and participants know exactly what to do next. Keep the setup boring, test it once as a participant, and have a backup plan for late arrivals.

Plan Timeslots and Recruiting

• Use multiple timeslots when you need different groups, time zones, or smaller sessions.
• The current live-study show-up rate is around 70%, so over-recruit a bit if you need a fixed number of participants in the room.
• You do not need to pay no-show participants.
• Any reserved funds that are not used are returned after the study is reviewed.
• For live studies with multiple timeslots, the quota is distributed proportionally across each timeslot.

With a Moderator

• If you need everyone in the room first, use a Zoom link as the external study link. Share the real experiment link in Zoom when you are ready to start.
• Open Zoom early. Check screen sharing, audio, and the participant list before the start time.

Without a Moderator

• Write instructions as if no one will be there to explain the next step.
• Only put the real study link directly in the external link if the study can start and end without someone controlling the room.
• Set multiple timeslots if participants need to show up at specific times but no moderator will be present.