Remuneration For Participants

NHMRC has published advice for researchers and reviewers about when payment of participants in research is ethically acceptable. This advice is now available on the NHMRC website:

• NHMRC: Payment of participants in research: information for researchers, HRECs and other ethics review bodies

General advice

According to the National Statement (2018), “Decisions about payment or reimbursement in kind, whether to participants or their community, should take into account the customs and practices of the community in which the research is to be conducted” (2.2.11). For example, the researcher should consider:

• Is it appropriate to give a payment, gift or reimbursement to participants? If a gift is given, what kind of gift is appropriate?
• When making a payment or purchasing a gift, what amount is appropriate? The key here is that this payment or gift should be an expression of appreciation, but not an amount that is coercive.

Incentives. Sometimes, a small incentive (e.g., a gift card) can encourage people to consider participating in your research, and is also an appropriate gesture of thanks for the participants’ time and effort. However, the researcher must ensure that this incentive is small enough to be not coercive. “Small” is relative, as well – if you are recruiting medical professionals, you may need to pay hundred(s) of dollars as an incentive; if you are working in an overseas community with much lower incomes than in Australia, even $20 could be considered a coercive amount. Incentives must be paid to participants even if they choose to withdraw during the research study.

Reimbursement. Similarly, it is “generally appropriate to reimburse the costs to participants of taking part in research” (National Statement 2.2.10). For example, costs of travel, accommodation and parking may be reimbursed, and/or reimbursement for the time involved in the research. However, “payment that is disproportionate to the time involved, or any other inducement that is likely to encourage participants to take risks, is ethically unacceptable” (2.2.10). This, again, depends on the community within which the research is to be conducted.

Use of lotteries or raffles

The ANU HREC will not normally allow lotteries or raffles and does not encourage the use of them. However the HREC will allow them when:

• When there is clear potential that the research won't attract the required number of participants using other forms of recruitment.
• When there is no danger to participants, i.e., the research is not about addictive behaviour, gambling, etc.
• When a separate permit is not required. The rules for this vary from state to state and may change over time.
  Currently, in the ACT, a lottery or raffle used as an incentive in research is a Trade Promotion Lottery. For an ACT Trade Promotion Lottery, the total prize must not exceed $3000 and certain conditions must be met for it to be considered “exempt” (from requiring a permit).