ARE WE PAYING PARTICIPANTS ENOUGH, AND WHEN AND HOW SHOULD WE PAY?

Research with human participants with a goal of providing socially valuable outcomes is critically dependent on the effective enrolment and retention of participants. From the participants' side, the burden of participating in research, including factors such as time needed, travel costs, etc., may be significant without involving substantial risks, with the likelihood of receiving reimbursement for costs associated with participating in research given as one of the major reasons influencing the decision to participate in research. From the researchers' side, the literature suggests that the main pragmatic reason for paying participants is to optimise recruitment and retention. Historically, some researchers have argued that the practice of making payment available for supporting enrolment and participation in research is ethically questionable, citing concern that participants may be induced to participate, thereby undermining their autonomy. This chapter underlines that greater consideration needs to be given to the question: are we paying participants enough to participate in research? Should participants be compensated for their time and engagement? When and in what form? How much is too little payment? How much is too much? Is there a ‘going rate’ for incentives? Which are the ethics principles that can guide your decisions when developing your research plan?.