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The Citizen Lab

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I book the lab?
You can read more about booking here. The lab is mainly used for experiments, but can also be used for teaching.

How far in advance do I need to book the lab?
If you are using software we already have, you can be booked at a short notice given there is available time in the lab. If we need to install new programs, please be in touch as early as possible to allow time for installation by the IT-department.

Which software is installed in the lab today?
Inquisit, Qualtrics, Ztree and E-prime. More will be installed when needed.

I wish to have a room to give the participants some information before they start. Do you have that?
Yes. When you book the lab, you also get access to a smaller room right next to the lab that you can use to keep control of the experiment, and to a larger room where you can gather and inform your participants before the experiment starts.

Do you have participants I can use in my experiment?
Yes. We have a pool of participants, mostly students at the University of Bergen, that can be invited to participate in your experiment.

I have an experiment that will collect personal data. May I book the lab?
Yes. If you have notified the project to NSD or your data protection authorities, and the project is approved. Attach the notification letter, and fill out your application form.

I need to withhold information from my participants to be able to carry out my experiment. Is this ok?
The Citizen lab is a no deception-lab. This means that you cannot lie to the participants. You can read about this in our lab rules. It is important for us that the lab keeps its reputation as no-deception. Withholding of information however, will in most cases be ok, and necessary for the experiment.

If you are in doubt on whether your project uses deception or not, please contact us, and we can discuss your project further.If you wish to know more about deception, here are some interesting articles:

Wilson, Bart J. (2014), The Meaning of 'Deceive' in Experimental Economic Science. The Oxford Handbook of Professional Economic Ethics, George DeMartino and Deirdre McCloskey (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2015, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2605112

Colson, Gregory, Jay Corrigan, Carola Grebitus, Maria Loureiro and Matthew Rousu (2016), Which Deceptive Practices, If Any, Should Be Allowed in Experimental Economics Research? Results from Surveys of Applied Experimental Economists and Students. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 98 (2): 610-621. http://ajae.oxfordjournals.org/content/98/2/610.full

Which resources do you offer for carrying through the experiment?
We offer the facilities – one lab with 32 computers, one project room and one larger room, and help to install the software you wish to use.

I have specific software I wish to use, can I do this?
Yes in most cases. You need to be in touch with us as early as possible, to make sure that we get to install the needed software.If you have created your own software, we need to send the program to our IT-department so they have time to look at the program and see if they can get it installed.In other cases we also need to run the programs through the IT department, so we need time for installation. Please contact us as early as possible with your software wishes.

We wish to have installed the software that is mostly used, so we welcome all suggestions for software, together with arguments for why we should have this software.

Can I come test the programs in the lab before my experiment?
Yes. We wish that you come and run a pilot, even if it is without participants. We wish to know what everything is ok with the software and the facilities.

I am a master student/phd-student, can I use the lab for my experiments?
Yes, but you need a signature from your supervisor, who will be responsible for your project.

As a participant in the lab, will I be anonymous?
Unless otherwise stated, you are anonymous. We will know that you have been to the experiment, but your answers will not be connected to you as a person. If the research project demands data that are personally identifiable, you will know this before you register for the experiment. You will also be able to withdraw during the experiment.

Do I need to pay to use the lab?
In most cases, yes. If your institution has paid an institutional fee (as the University of Bergen has done) or there is a case of available slots, exceptions can be made. Please, contact digsscore@uib.no to inquire about this possibility.