Participant Bill of Rights
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Participant Bill of Rights

Centering People in Research

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Designed to Protect Participants

Strengthening Research Integrity

Building Trust. Ensuring Quality.

The Participant Bill of Rights is designed to protect the participant experience in the ever-evolving world of market research in the United States. As an expansion of the duty of care section in Insights Association’s Code of Standards, the Participant Bill of Rights: 

  • Outlines critical rights and protections for participants.
  • Looks to push the industry’s perspective on participant well-being to the forefront of a new business model that centers the participant experience.
  • Aims to protect the industry’s participant pool, and subsequently its insights, from erosion due to poor participant experience and growing fraud.

Building Back Trust Starts with Respect

Just as fraud negatively impacts data quality, so too do negative participant experiences. The Participant Bill of Rights is for the people we rely on for research—so they know what they should expect when participating in our studies. It also serves as a blueprint for the industry to rebuild trust in exchange for better data, higher completion rates, and a more engaged and respected participant community.

The 16 Fundamental Rights of Research Participants

  • 1. I have a right to communication that is easy to read and understand.

  • 2. I have the right to communication that is easy to read and understand.

  • 3. I have the right to know how to contact the company that invited me to the research study

  • 4. I have the right to be free from harassment or intimidation to join or continue in a research study.

  • 5. I have the right to know how I can leave a study at any time.

  • 6. I have the right to request that my personal information be removed from the database of the company that invited me to the study and to not be contacted again.

  • 7. I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect before, during, and after the research study.

  • 8. I have the right to be in a study that is free from discrimination. This includes race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, national origin, religion, or status as a protected veteran.

  • 9. I have the right to know if reasonable accommodations are available for persons with disabilities.

  • 10. I have the right to know if I will receive an incentive for my time, in what form, its value, how, and when I will receive it.

  • 11. I have the right to not be sold anything or asked for money as part of a research study.

  • 12. I have the right to be told about any risks that might happen as a result of participating in research.

  • 13. I have the right to confidentially share my experience in the research study with the company that invited me to the research study.

  • 14. I have the right to request and receive the privacy policy of the company that invited me to the study.

  • 15. I have the right to know if a data breach exposed my personal information. This is governed by the state law where the company that invited me to the study is based.

  • 16. I have the right to ask for and receive a printed or electronic copy of these rights.

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