Current and future members

The American Population Panel (APP) was launched in June 2017 with the objective of connecting willing participants to social science and health-related studies. To achieve this, we recruit individuals aged 18 and older residing in the United States to join the panel.

Dr. Stephen M. Gavazzi, professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology and director, CHRR at The Ohio State University, is the principal investigator of the APP. He oversees panel operations and is responsible for managing how panel members' information is maintained and accessed for research purposes.

How we match you to surveys

The information you provide during registration allows us to match you with surveys that align with your demographics and interests. For example, if a researcher is studying diabetes in men aged 45 and older, only panel members who meet these criteria will receive an invitation to participate. Depending on future study opportunities, you may receive multiple survey invitations at once or go through periods without receiving any.

Data security and privacy

All panel member information is safeguarded under strict data security protocols. We DO NOT share or sell any of your information which differentiates us from many marketing panels. Access to panel data is strictly limited to a small number of authorized staff members for administration purposes, such as sending survey invitations and processing payments. Researchers never have access to your personal information—only the resulting data from completed surveys.

Your role and responsibilities

Your participation in the APP is vital for advancing social science and health research. By enrolling in the panel, you agree to complete only one survey per study and receive compensation for one survey per study. The exception is when a study specifically asks members to complete more than one survey. Attempting to create multiple accounts will result in disqualification from future studies.

Why join the American Population Panel?

As a panel member, you will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of surveys, contributing valuable insights that help further research across different fields. By sharing your experiences, views, and opinions, you play a key role in shaping important health and social science policies or contributing to a better understanding of the needs of your community and the society we live in.

Survey compensation

Surveys conducted through the panel are developed by researchers across various disciplines. Longer, paid surveys are typically led by principal investigators with grant funding for participant incentives. Compensation varies by study, and is based on each researcher's budget, but we encourage researchers to offer fair payment for your time. Currently, typical incentives include:

• $10 for a 15-minutes survey
• $40 for a one-hour survey

All payments are issued via e-gift card, and we strive to process them within fifteen business days after the survey closes. Unlike marketing panels, we do not use a point-based accrual method — you will receive the amount listed in the survey invitation upon completion. Participation is always voluntary, and you may decline any survey or opt out of the panel at any time.

Additional research opportunities

The APP also supports non-profit organizations conducting community-based research. In addition, we offer Mini Surveys—brief, five-minute surveys designed by graduate students and junior researchers as part of their research training. These surveys include prize drawings for multiple e-gift card rewards. For more details on incentives, please visit our FAQs page.

Periodically, we may send panel members non-APP study opportunities because we recognize that our members are interested in a variety of research topics. These study announcements are vetted by our staff and panel members are not obligated to take part.

Thank you for your participation

We appreciate the contributions of our panel members, both current and future, in helping us imagine, inquire, inspire and inform the advancement of science. Your time and insights are invaluable, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in pursuit of meaningful discoveries.