How to Participate in ANU Psychology Research Experiments for Course Credit via the SONA System

3 min read
中文版

The ANU Research School of Psychology requires all students enrolled in PSYC1003, PSYC1004, and selected advanced psychology courses to participate in research experiments through the SONA system (Sona Systems) to earn course credit. The system has been used across the ANU School of Psychology since 2015 and publishes an average of more than 120 experiments per semester, spanning cognitive, social, developmental, and clinical psychology. According to the SONA System User Manual published by the ANU School of Psychology in 2024, students earn 1 credit for each hour of participation, and each semester requires 6 to 10 credits depending on the course code. This mechanism not only satisfies course assessment requirements but also gives students direct exposure to cutting-edge psychological research — a standard practice across the psychology schools of the Group of Eight (Go8)【ANU School of Psychology, 2024, SONA System User Manual】.

Registering and Activating Your SONA Account

The SONA system is the ANU School of Psychology’s dedicated experiment management platform, at anu-psych.sona-systems.com. Students log in with their ANU unified identity (Uni ID); on first login you must set a personal password and complete your contact email and mobile number. Account activation is usually completed within the first week of semester — if you fail to activate in time, you cannot view the experiment list. The system supports Chrome, Safari, and Firefox; it is recommended to disable ad-blocking extensions so all page functions work properly.

Account Types and Permission Levels

Student accounts come in two types: course-linked accounts and standalone accounts. The former are automatically linked to your enrolled psychology courses; the latter are for students taking courses as electives or auditing. Course-linked accounts let you view the minimum credits and deadlines required by each course directly in the system. With a standalone account, you must contact the Course Convenor manually to request credit linking.

Account Security and Privacy Settings

The ANU School of Psychology complies with Australia’s Privacy Act 1988, and all experiment data is used for academic research only. Students can choose anonymous participation mode in the SONA system, so experimenters cannot directly link behavioural data to personal identity. The system hides student names by default, showing only the last four digits of the Uni ID.

Searching and Filtering Experiments

After logging in, the main screen shows the available experiment list, sorted by posting time in descending order. Each experiment entry includes a title, researcher, duration (to the minute), credit value, and location or online link. Students can use the filters to narrow results by credit value (0.5/1/2 credits), experiment type (online/in-person), and date range. The system refreshes automatically every 30 seconds, and popular experiments (such as those involving virtual reality or neuroimaging) often fill up within 2 hours of posting.

Experiment Types

ANU School of Psychology experiments fall into three types: laboratory experiments (held at the Tognetti Building or Building 39), online questionnaires (completed via Qualtrics or Gorilla), and longitudinal studies (requiring multiple sessions at least 24 hours apart). 2023 semester data shows that online questionnaires accounted for 62% of all experiments, with an average completion time of 27 minutes【ANU School of Psychology, 2023, Semester Experiment Statistics Report】.

Credit and Duration Rules

The system strictly follows the 1 credit = 60 minutes conversion. Experiment duration includes reading the instructions, performing the task, and the debriefing. If the actual duration exceeds the stated time by more than 10%, students can appeal to the system administrator for extra credit compensation. Some studies offer short experiments worth 0.5 credits, convenient for fitting into fragmented schedules.

Booking and Cancelling Experiments

After choosing an experiment, click the Sign Up button to select a specific time slot. The system shows the remaining slots for each session (e.g., “3/8” means 3 people have booked and 5 spots remain). Once booked, the system sends a confirmation email to your ANU address with the experiment code and location instructions. To cancel, you must do so at least 24 hours before the experiment starts; otherwise it counts as a no-show and the corresponding credits are deducted.

No-Shows and Lateness

Under the ANU School of Psychology’s 2024 policy, one unexcused no-show costs 2 credits, and arriving more than 10 minutes late is treated as a no-show. Students get 1 exemption per semester, which requires submitting a written explanation to sona@anu.edu.au within 48 hours of the missed session. Repeated no-shows can lead to account suspension; contact the School’s administration office (Room G35, Building 39) to have it reinstated.

Finding the Experiment Location

In-person experiments are mainly held on Levels 1 and 2 of the Tognetti Building (Building 39). The building is on the southeastern corner of the ANU Acton campus, near Fellows Oval. Use the ANU interactive map (maps.anu.edu.au) and enter “Building 39” for walking directions. Each lab has a waiting area; arrive 5 minutes early.

After an experiment, researchers must confirm your participation in the SONA system within 72 hours. Credits accumulate automatically in your account and appear on the credit summary page. Each course has its own credit threshold — for example, PSYC1003 requires 6 credits and PSYC1004 requires 8. Failing to meet the threshold results in an Incomplete grade for the course, which must be made up before the supplementary exam period.

Credit Conversion and Share of Course Grade

Experiment credits make up 10% to 15% of a course’s final grade, with the exact proportion stated in each Course Outline. For example, the 2024 PSYC1003 course outline shows experiments worth 12% of the final grade — i.e., 6 experiment credits correspond to 12 points out of 100. Credits beyond the threshold earn no extra marks, but can be used as extra credit to offset deductions from other assessments, capped at 2 credits per semester.

Credit Appeal Process

If you believe experiment credits were not recorded correctly, submit an appeal through the SONA system within 14 days of completing the experiment. The appeal must include a screenshot of the experiment confirmation email and the researcher’s name. The system administrator usually responds within 5 business days. 2023 semester data shows appeals were resolved in an average of 3.2 days, with a success rate of about 78%【ANU School of Psychology, 2023, Experiment Administration Annual Report】.

A Guide to Online Experiments

Online experiments run on Qualtrics or Gorilla; click the experiment link in the SONA system to be redirected. Use a wired connection or stable campus Wi-Fi (ANU-Secure) to avoid losing data to network interruptions. Online experiments typically include attention checks (e.g., “Please select ‘Strongly Agree’”); data that fails these checks is marked invalid and you must redo the experiment.

Browser Compatibility

Qualtrics experiments work best in Chrome and Edge; Safari users should disable “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking”. Gorilla experiments require JavaScript and cookies to be enabled. If a page takes more than 30 seconds to load, clear the browser cache or switch devices. The ANU IT Service Desk offers 24/7 technical support at 1800 268 268.

Proof of Completion

After an online experiment ends, the system automatically generates a completion code — an 8-character alphanumeric string. Copy this code back into the corresponding experiment page in SONA, or the credits will not be allocated automatically. The code is valid for 48 hours; if it expires, contact the researcher to have it reissued.

Experiment Ethics and Participant Rights

All ANU School of Psychology experiments are approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), and the approval number can be viewed on the experiment description page. Participants may withdraw from an experiment at any stage, without giving a reason, and this does not affect their credit record. After an experiment, researchers must provide a debriefing explaining the study’s purpose and hypotheses.

Data Privacy Protection

Under Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and ANU data management policy, experiment data is stored on encrypted servers and destroyed after a 5-year retention period. Students can request deletion of their personal data by contacting the lead researcher in writing. The ANU School of Psychology’s 2024 data security audit found no data breaches in the past three years【ANU Research Office, 2024, Data Security Annual Report】.

Participation by Special Groups

Minors (under 18) must have a guardian sign an informed consent form; templates can be downloaded from the SONA system. Students whose first language is not English can request a Chinese-language informed consent form — the School provides a Simplified Chinese translation. Students with visual or hearing impairments can arrange accessible participation with the researcher, such as extended time or assistive devices.

Common Issues and System Troubleshooting

The SONA system occasionally has login failures or page lag, usually related to campus network maintenance. First check the ANU system status page (status.anu.edu.au) to confirm whether SONA services are up. If the problem persists for more than 2 hours, screenshot the error message and send it to sona@anu.edu.au. The system administrator provides live support on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm during semester.

Common Error Codes

Error code E001 means your account is not activated — check your ANU inbox for the activation email. E203 means the experiment is full — try another time slot. E405 means the browser is incompatible — switch devices. The ANU IT Service Desk can help resolve most technical issues remotely.

Cross-Semester Credit Transfer

If you need to transfer credits to the next semester because of course changes, submit a credit transfer application form to the School of Psychology office. Approval conditions include: a grade of at least 50 in the original course, and no more than 4 credits transferred. In 2023, 47 students successfully transferred credits, with an average processing time of 10 business days【ANU School of Psychology, 2023, Credit Transfer Records】.

FAQ

Q1: Do SONA experiment credits affect my GPA?

Experiment credits themselves are not counted in GPA calculations, but incomplete credits cause the course grade to be marked “Incomplete”, which does affect your semester GPA. For example, if PSYC1003 is short 2 credits, the course grade is temporarily recorded as “IN” until the credits are made up, then updated to the actual grade. Under ANU academic policy, an IN status that lasts more than 28 days automatically converts to “N” (Fail).

Q2: Can I book multiple experiments at the same time?

The SONA system allows up to 3 simultaneous bookings, but you must ensure the times do not conflict. The system detects overlapping time slots and blocks a booking if the overlap exceeds 15 minutes. Prioritise experiments with higher credit values and nearer dates, and avoid last-minute cancellations that could affect other bookings.

Q3: Can online experiments be completed on a phone?

Most online experiments only support computers or tablets; mobile browsers may not display the experiment content properly. The 2024 experiment compatibility guide from the ANU School of Psychology notes that about 85% of online experiments require a device with a screen width greater than 768 pixels. If you only have a phone, contact the researcher to confirm compatibility — some experiments can be completed via a dedicated app.

References

  • ANU School of Psychology. 2024. SONA System User Manual (Version 3.2).
  • ANU School of Psychology. 2023. Semester Experiment Statistics Report.
  • ANU School of Psychology. 2023. Experiment Administration Annual Report.
  • ANU Research Office. 2024. Data Security Annual Report.
  • Australian Government. 1988. Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).