Field research FAQs
How does the field research process work?
Once an examiner has completed the enrollment process, access is granted to the Study Dashboard. The Study Dashboard is our online hub, which we use to keep examiners up to date on projects. It is also a place to find important resources to support examiners during each project. Examiners will recruit participants and work with the Research Team to learn to use the portal and to manage project assignments.
Potential participants are to complete the Demographic Information Form. Examiners can share this form with potential participants by copying and pasting the link into an email or text to adult participants, or the parents/guardians of participants 17 and under. Each form will be reviewed by the Research Team to assess eligibility, who will confirm with the listed examiner if the participant is approved for testing, and if approved, provide you with and Examinee ID and a Test Event ID for each participant. The Examiner will be required to participate in some training before administering any test for a project.
Before testing any participants, a completed Consent Form is required for an adult participant, or a completed Parent/Guardian Consent Form and an Assent form for participants 17 years and younger. The Research Team will send the Consent form, and Assent Form if necessary, to participants. Examiners are responsible for ensuring the consent (and assent, if applicable) forms are signed before the administration begins.
Each Field Research project will have its own Project Reference Guide containing important information on the study.
Once an assessment is completed, examiners should review their work to ensure that they have completed all required fields and accurately recorded all required data. Once an assessment is completed, data is reviewed to ensure that all administration rules were followed and to ensure that the data are usable. Payment is issued by the Pearson Research Team to both the examiner and participant.
What is a Standardization study?
This is a data collection phase where the assessment is tested under standard conditions with the items and instructions. This sample usually includes multiple validity studies and candidates with clinical diagnoses. The sample collected during the standardization phase is usually fully stratified to reflect population characteristics captured by the census.
Will participants receive test results?
No. We are unable to provide scores or results because the tests are conducted solely for research purposes and are not used to provide individual feedback. Participants will not receive diagnosis, diagnostic information, or test result interpretation. We use the information that we obtain to select items for the final version of the test and to determine the range of possible scores.
Will examiners and participants receive compensation?
We do offer compensation per completed case for both examiners and participants, however, those amounts will vary by project and age/ grade level of the participant.
I work with a site. Can they be paid?
Yes. If an examiner has established a relationship with a clinic, centre, school, care facility, or a different type of organization, that organization may be eligible to apply as a Data Collection Partner. A Data Collection Partner provides examiners with access to their population to use as potential candidates for field testing, and these sites may be eligible for compensation (see our WAIS 5 CDN Data Collection Partner and WISC 6 CDN Data Collection Partner pages).
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
To reach the Canadian Research Team, please email us at research.canada@pearson.com. We are available Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET.
Contact us
To reach a Field Research Coordinator, please email us at research.canada@pearson.com. We are available Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET.