Strategies to Prevent and Detect Fraudulent Responses in Online Research: A Cautionary Tale and Tutorial

Behavior analysts are increasingly using online surveys to address questions of interest, such as on clinical practices or experiences in the field. Fraudulent responding online, particularly in the form of bots, is becoming commonplace-which threatens the validity of survey data if not addressed. Researchers in other fields suggest various prevention and detection strategies, but these seem to not yet be frequently adopted in behavior analytic outlets. There is also little guidance on which strategies to use. This tutorial outlines steps to take throughout the research process, based on prior recommendations and experiences with a survey disseminated among behavioral providers. It is critical that behavior-analytic researchers utilize multiple data protection methods, from survey design to data analysis, to ensure study conclusions represent high quality and valid data. It is also critical that journal editors and reviewers evaluate online research for such protections.