Running Economics Experiments at SERL Sandro Ambuehl Department of Economics, Stanford University September 2013
Subject recruiting We’ve got many new subjects • 321 since September 12 Recruiting efforts to date • facebook ads • emails to all dorms, classes, departments (THANKS to everyone who helped!) • ad and coupon in the unofficial Stanford guide distributed to all students • this week: 525 flyers were posted on undergraduate bulletin boards Additional recruiting efforts? • some of new signups are graduate students • size of incoming freshmen class 2012: about 1700.
Handling of coupons Subjects can exchange coupons from unofficial Stanford guide for 5 $ upon participation • only paid after participation • each person can only exchange one coupon this year! • check google doc with names of people who have already exchanged a coupon • the $ 5.- is paid by whomever is running the experiment, so be sure to have enough cash • all other options are an administrative nightmare • if you’re running on your own student budget, get reimbursed by your advisor ex post • one payment form per subject – add the 5 dollars to it!
Administrative issues Taxes • each study is on average 15 % (maximum about 20 %) more expensive than what you pay in cash due to taxes IRB • we have applied for a blanket approval • IRB accreditation visit October 2013, so things might be a bit slower
Advances Getting an advance • allow 5 business days for deposit • send an email to Susan, copy faculty advisor • no response by the advisor means that the advisor approves • include • name of study, name of all professors and RAs involved • IRB protocol number • quarter for which the advance is paid • expected number of subjects, expected amount per subject • total advance requested Clear all accounts by end of quarter!
Inviting subjects Recruiting emails through SONA • the lab is currently operating at maximal capacity • I coordinate the emails to the subject pool. • will send email twice a week (we don’t want to spam the subject pool). • put your studies are up by Sunday at noon, and by Wednesday at noon each week (but not much earlier to avoid dispersion of subjects).
Maintaining order Complaints about people who leave the lab in a mess after running. Setup to restore AFTER you ran your study • wall not drawn • dividers up • computers in numbered order, and each computer has a mouse • each computer either plugged in or fully shut down (NOT asleep – if battery dies this hurts stability) • chairs and tables in neat row • no paper, calculators, headphones, etc. and no trash lying around Little room next to lab • put all your paperwork in a folder / box. Put your name on it • when a study is completely finished, take all materials out of this room, and put it in storage closets in the hallway
Borrowing computers from the lab to code ztree You can borrow a computer. BUT • signup sheet in interior of the computer cage. USE IT! • use the nameless computer first • at no time may more than three computers be out of the lab • you may have to bring back computers VERY quickly if they’re needed
Payment forms Use NEW payment forms!!! • download from SERL homepage https://sites.stanford.edu/SERL/ • there’s a lot of (irrelevant) legal information on the new forms • it means that nobody has to pay taxes on the cash they get from us, Stanford pays for all of it • but some people will get a letter from the IRS informing them that Stanford paid some taxes for them • at other Stanford labs, this is different
Payment forms Make sure no information is lacking on the payment forms!! • including signatures from both subject and you • have the correct study information on the payment forms (IRB number, study name) • make sure all text is legible! • administrators have to laboriously research all lacking information! • what would an auditor want to see ?
Administrative issues Cash • once you get an advance, it is formally your money. • you’ll have to pay back ever cent of which you cannot prove that you’ve disbursed to a subject • so keep your cash safe (don’t keep large amounts of cash in the department) • do not comingle funds Record retention • you MUST secure all records for study • records must be stored in locked SERL file cabinets (securely, confidentially, indefinitely – clearly labeled). NOT in cubes!
Thanks for your attention These slides are on https://sites.stanford.edu/SERL/
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