Wikimedia Research/Design Research/Research Participant Program

If you would like to participate in research with the Wikimedia Foundation, please sign up for our research participant list. We will occasionally send you emails with opportunities to take part in our research projects. For details on how we handle your information, please review our privacy notice. You can remove yourself from the participant list at any time by submitting this form.

About Our Research Participation Program

At the Wikimedia Foundation, we are committed to making Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects as useful and accessible as possible for people around the world. Thoughtful, thorough research on the needs and experiences of current and future users helps us design products that meet this goal. To achieve this, we rely on diverse perspectives in our research.

We also recognize that there can be barriers to participation. We value the time, effort, and insights participants share with us. In line with best research practices—and to help reduce barriers such as time and internet costs—we provide a gratuity (reward) to participants in eligible studies.

How We Recruit Participants

Research participants are recruited directly from our Wikimedia user base and communities. Depending on the study, we may seek out users with specific characteristics, such as editing activity, language, or the devices they use to read or edit.

We recruit participants through several channels: directly from our research participant list, by identifying users with relevant activity on-wiki, or by posting recruitment messages in community forums. Prospective participants may hear from us via email (if registered on our participant list), an EmailUser message (if enabled in account settings), or a talk page message.

Many studies begin with a screener survey to confirm eligibility. Each screener includes a privacy statement explaining how the Wikimedia Foundation will use and store personal information. Qualified participants will then receive details about the study, including the reward amount. For certain projects, we may also request that participants sign a release form that describes the research activities and grants the Wikimedia Foundation limited use of the data and insights shared. Rewards are distributed promptly through our partner service once the research session is completed.

We sometimes collaborate with external research partners (“third parties”) at different stages of the process. All partners sign non-disclosure agreements, which prohibit them from sharing user information or data beyond the contracted project. Research partners may contact participants, conduct research sessions, and issue rewards.

Qualifying for Research Rewards

Our recruitment materials will always state when a reward is offered. Rewards are distributed digitally through a partner service. In some cases, we may need to verify a participant’s country of residence to confirm that it is supported by the service. We will communicate reward details clearly before any research activity begins. Accepting the reward is optional; participants may also decline it and donate the amount back to the Wikimedia Foundation.

Reward amounts are determined by the research team on a project-by-project basis. Some projects use a flat global rate, while others use a localized rate. Localized rates are based on cost of living, then adjusted for the session’s duration, any required skills, and estimated internet data usage. Whenever possible, we consult with partners in relevant regions to ensure local standards are considered.

Activities That Do Not Qualify for Rewards Rewards are provided only when explicitly stated in recruitment materials. Eligible activities begin after any necessary screener survey and are limited to the invited research sessions. We do not provide rewards, gratuities, or compensation for other activities unless clearly specified. Examples of activities that are not eligible include (but are not limited to): email or talk page exchanges, surveys without an explicitly stated reward, commentary on features or programs outside of a research session, and screener surveys.

Receiving Rewards

At this time, rewards can only be issued through the partner service named in our recruitment materials. By accepting a reward, participants agree to the partner service’s terms of service, which can be found on their website. We cannot provide rewards outside of this service, and rewards are limited to the countries and options the service supports. We are actively working to expand coverage in regions not yet supported.

Contact

If you have any questions about our user research program, please contact desresadminwikimedia.org.