Fraudulent and Imposter Participants in Qualitative Research: Experiences from Two Multi-Site Studies

Area of Science:

• Health Research Methods
• Qualitative Research
• Mixed Methods Research

Background:

• Web-based participant recruitment and data collection have surged, particularly post-COVID-19.
• Increased online research participation heightens the risk of fraudulent or imposter individuals.
• Fraudulent participation is well-documented in quantitative research but less so in qualitative and mixed-methods studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify recurring patterns of fraudulent study participation.
• Develop strategies for identifying, remediating, and reporting fraudulent activities.
• Enhance the integrity of qualitative and mixed-methods research.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of fraudulent encounters during recruitment, enrollment, and data collection in two multi-site qualitative and mixed-methods studies.
• Identification of common themes to develop prevention and remediation strategies.
• Review of investigator observations and implemented mitigation techniques.

Main Results:

• Indicators of fraud include high response volumes, repetitive contact information, and unusual communication patterns.
• Imposter participants disrupted online focus groups, distorting data.
• Remediation involved enhanced screening, cross-checking responses, and identity verification.

Conclusions:

• Fraudulent participants pose a significant and evolving threat to qualitative and mixed-methods research integrity.
• Real-time analysis and transparent reporting are crucial for addressing fraud.
• A comprehensive, collaborative approach involving stakeholders is necessary to combat fraudulent study participation.