Interested in participating in a study or being on our contact list?

Click on the button below to fill out a quick interest form.

Once you complete the interest form, we will keep a record of your interest and contact you when a study is available.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Research

How does online research work?

Usually, our research takes place in our lab at Boston College or in museums and parks in the Greater Boston Area. Now you can participate in our activities online, from anywhere in the country! When you click the button above, you will be asked to fill out a quick form with some information about you and your child. Shortly after, one of our researchers will contact you to schedule a time that works for you and your child.

We will be interacting with your child using video-chat (Zoom) in much the same way we do in in-person research.

How do we schedule a video-chat session?

First, click on the link above to indicate you are interested in participating in one of our video-chat activities. Once you fill out the interest form, we will keep a record of your interest, and when a study is available, a researcher will contact your family to set up an appointment.

I have more than one child. Can they all participate?

Absolutely! Just fill out the form above with information for all of your children, and we will reach out to tell you about the activities we have available for each of your children.

what can We expect when we sign up for a video-chat session?

A few days before your scheduled appointment, one of our researchers will send you a couple of short forms to fill out.

24 hours before your scheduled appointment, the researcher who will be working with your child will send you an email with details about your session, including a link to the Zoom meeting room where your child’s activity will take place.

At the time of your appointment, you will click on the link provided in the email and connect with the researcher. The researcher will spend the first few minutes of the session talking to you and your child about the activity and work with you to make sure your Zoom screen is set up properly for the activity. Then the researcher will take your child through the activity. During this time, you are welcome to watch the screen from nearby or leave your child at the computer to work with the researcher. At the end of the session, the researcher will tell you and your child more about the activity and the research.

What if We don’t have the zoom application? is it free?

Zoom is a free software and you can find instructions on how to download it here. Once you have it installed on your computer, all you will need to do for your activity with us is click the link we will provide in our email to you.

CAN WE use a smartphone or tablet?

Unfortunately, our activities are designed to be viewed on a computer screen and won’t work on smaller screens such as iPads, tablets, or smartphones.

HOW LONG DOES A STUDY TAKE?

The answer to this question varies from study to study. However, most studies are about 15-30 minutes. We schedule visits for 1 hour so that there is enough time for your child to get comfortable and for us to answer all your questions before and after the study. 

WILL MY CHILD BE COMPENSATED?

As a thank you to your child for helping us with our research, we will send your family an email with an Amazon gift card.