ArticleInternational journal of older people nursing2023
When snowball sampling leads to an avalanche of fraudulent participants in qualitative research.
Article in International journal of older people nursing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Caregivers' Internet-Delivered Insomnia Intervention Engagement and Benefit: SHUTi-CARE Trial Primary Quantitative Analysis.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2024Trial
- Detecting and Mitigating Fraudulent Participation: Lessons Learned from a Mixed Methods Study.Journal of mixed methods research · 2026Article
- Fraudulent Participation in Online Qualitative Studies: Practical Recommendations on an Emerging Phenomenon.Qualitative health research · 2026Article
- "We're on the journey now together": a qualitative examination of "close others'" perspectives on barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for eating disorders.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- 'Falling down the rabbit hole': a thematic analysis of young people's views on TikTok algorithms and eating disorder content.Journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Preventing and mitigating fraudulent research participants in online qualitative violence and injury prevention research.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Gerontologists combating fraudulent research participants: recommendations from design to dissemination.The Gerontologist · 2025Article
- Recruitment Strategies to Prevent Fraudulent Virtual Enrollment While Respecting Privacy in Vulnerable Populations.Qualitative health research · 2025Article
- Lessons Learned Identifying and Controlling Fraudulent Participation in Online Randomized Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Flagged for Fraud: Lessons From 3 Case Studies on Detecting Inauthentic Participants in Online Research.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Pragmatic and ethical challenges in navigating inauthentic participation in remote qualitative research.Research ethics · 2025Article
- I have been scammed in my qualitative research.Research integrity and peer review · 2025Article
- Imposters, Bots, and Other Threats to Data Integrity in Online Research: Scoping Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Best Practices.Online journal of public health informatics · 2025Review
- Striking a Balance: Mitigating Fraud While Ensuring Equity in Online Qualitative Research Recruitment.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Hank the Heart and Animation-Based Education for Pulmonary Hypertension.Pulmonary circulation · 2025Article
- Article
- Impact of Various Washing Protocols on the Mitigation ofMicroorganisms · 2024Article
- Addressing Fraudulent Responses in Quantitative and Qualitative Internet Research: Case Studies from Body Image and Appearance Research.Ethics & behavior · 2024Article
- Hit it hard: qualitative patient perspectives on the optimisation of immune checkpoint inhibition.British journal of cancer · 2024Article
- Navigating the challenges of imposter participants in online qualitative research: lessons learned from a paediatric health services study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFraudulent research participants create negative consequences for the rigour and soundness of research.
aimsA case study is presented from a qualitative study where the research team believed several fraudulent participants fabricated information during an interview about being a caregiver for a person living with dementia and chronic wounds. MATERIALS &
methodsParticipants were recruited through a free online research registry. Individual semi-structured interviews were held virtually.
resultsThe study was paused after the nurse scientist with qualitative methodology experience identified that participants were giving illogical and repetitive responses across interviews. The team developed a revised screening tool to help reduce fraudulent participants from enrolling in the study. None of the data collected were used for analysis. DISCUSSION: Information is provided on how the team dealt with the situation, lessons learned for future studies, and recommendations for gerontological nurse researchers.
conclusionResearchers should be aware that some participants are misrepresenting themselves for financial incentives and this can compromise the soundness of findings. Thorough screening tools are one way to identify and prevent fraud.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.