Non-genuine participants: Undermining the veterinary evidence base?

Non-genuine participation (NGP) is an emerging challenge in online research but has received little attention in veterinary qualitative studies.

This short communication reports suspected NGP encountered during a multi-institutional interview study involving early-career veterinary graduates following online recruitment with a modest participant incentive.

Indicators of NGP included inconsistent accounts of background, inability to answer basic veterinary training or practice-related questions, vague or generic responses, and discrepancies in contact details. Eleven potential interviewees were excluded where eligibility could not be established. Suspected NGP disrupted data collection and raised concerns regarding data integrity.

The findings are based on a single study and participant intent could not be definitively established.

There is currently no literature on NGP in a veterinary context. Given the increasing use and value of qualitative research to inform veterinary education, workforce policy and clinical practice, NGP needs to be recognised and addressed in veterinary research to ensure the reliability of evidence informing veterinary practice.