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Everything You Need to Know About Completing Online Surveys with Prolific.co
It’s got a great look and has interesting studies. But is it worth your time?
It’s no secret that I participate in plenty of online surveys and focus groups. Many of these sites have absolutely terrible interfaces complemented by that scam-y look. But hey, as long as their cash is green, right? After several months navigating these waters, I’ve finally found a site that stands out from the rest, and looks great too!
Introducing: Prolific.co
Prolific is best described as a survey site cross-bred with the rigor of academia. It is used primarily by universities worldwide to collect data sets and perform academic surveys.
When you sign up, the site will ask you to fill out questions about your demographic information. Unfortunately, this tedious step is very typical of survey sites but it is well worth it. Once your demographic data has been collected, Prolific will use your unique profile to qualify you for available studies and unlike other survey sites, once matched, you will never be disqualified from participating.
With your profile now complete, you can keep the site’s tab open on your browser. When you qualify for a survey, you’ll see it appear on the dashboard automatically. There is no need to constantly refresh the page. There’s plenty of competition to reserve a place for most studies, so you’ll have to pounce on them quickly to reserve a spot.
How Much Can You Make?
The main reason the studies fill up so quickly is because of their decent pay. The majority of the studies assume a pay rate of about 6 GBP per hour which comes in at roughly 7.50 USD at today’s exchange rates. Of course, if a survey is meant to take 10 minutes, you’ll only receive one-sixth of that rate. Nevertheless, I believe that the earnings are reasonable considering the effort required in exchange. Moreover, unlike other survey sites, the studies are actually engaging, unique, and interesting every time which makes it feel less like work and therefore considerably more enjoyable. Since starting 3 weeks ago, I’ve participated in 12 studies and have earned almost 24 USD.
How Do You Cash Out?
Once you’ve completed a survey or study, your responses will be put into review. The study’s researcher will have several days (it usually takes less) to look over your answers and make sure you didn’t merely click the same button repeatedly. They’re looking for quality data, and they want to ensure that you aren’t cheating the system. Please read the instructions carefully and do not rush through studies. My submissions have been rejected in the past due to suspiciously speedy responses and failing to answer quality control questions correctly. If you read the instructions and don’t rush, your surveys will be perfectly fine and they will pass the researcher’s quality control. Once your submissions have been reviewed, you’ll receive your earnings and collect them in your wallet. After your wallet accumulates 5 or more GBP, you’ll be able to transfer your funds to PayPal and convert them into whatever currency you like.
Interesting Observations
I live in Ontario, and I’ve noticed that I get matched to more studies in the morning. I suspect it’s because the site is based in the UK and many studies originate in Europe. By the time it’s midday Eastern Standard Time (EST), I find that it gets quiet and very few, if any studies pop up. I suspect that time zones make a difference. Since people complete studies so quickly, they do not have the time to stay up by the time I wake up. When I finally do get out of bed, I’m only able to capture the latter part of everyone’s day in the old world. As a result, I suspect that I’m only seeing a fraction of the surveys for which I’m a match.
I’ve also noticed that having a unique profile is a huge advantage. For example, I speak Lithuanian, a rare Baltic language. This skill came in handy recently when I was matched for a study that required me to complete a personality test in Lithuanian. Naturally, not many people in the Prolific community could complete the study and it seems that the researcher wasn’t able to fill their quota. As a result, this specific study didn’t disappear quickly like the other 99 per cent. When this happens, Prolific emails you to tell you about your unique opportunity to help out the researcher. Of course, I was glad to help out and practice my own rusty Lithuanian. It felt like I was being reminded to collect three quid which were specifically reserved for me.
Final Thoughts
Prolific will not make you fantastically rich, nor will any of the other survey sites. It will, however, put some pocket change in your virtual wallet in exchange for bits of time here and there that you waste on the internet anyway. The interface is nice and friendly, and everything works seamlessly. If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate the interesting surveys and keep your tab open to come back for more whenever they’re available. If online surveys are your thing, Prolific will surely become your new favorite.
