How much should I pay for diary studies?
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Diary studies can sometimes span several days or even weeks, depending on what you’re researching. However, we don’t recommend basing incentives on the length of the mission alone. Instead, it’s a good idea to pay on a per-activity and per-entry basis.
A note on niche recruits: The following guidance does not apply when recruiting from our Partner Panels. Partner Panels offer access to niche, B2B recruits whose expertise is hard to source. Their schedules are tight, and the compensation you offer should reflect that. Budget accordingly.
Most diary studies offer an incentive between $50 and $200. Use these specific guidelines to determine the right incentive for your mission:
Every activity
$10
Every additional entry (in a multi-entry activity)
$5
So, let’s say your mission has three activities, but the third activity requires two entries. The math for that would look like this:
Activity 1: $10
Activity 2: $10
Activity 3: $15 ($10 for the activity and an additional $5 for the second entry)
Base mission incentive: $35
Participants generally receive their incentive at the conclusion of the Diary mission. You are not expected to issue partial compensation if a participant doesn't complete the full mission, but you can of course accommodate unusual circumstances at your discretion.
If you build and launch a Dscout screener to find participants for your mission(s), Dscout staff will pay your scouts via PayPal as soon as you close your mission.
If you do NOT screen with Dscout, you are in charge of paying your participants in whatever way you'd like. Keep in mind that participants expect to be paid soon after you close your mission. You can find the Close Mission button at the bottom of a mission's Setup page.
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