How to Create Prolific Account without a Phone Number

Posted on 12/11/24 04:21 am

What is Prolific?

Established in 2014, Prolific is an online platform that connects researchers with participants for studies. Specifically, Prolific helps gather high-quality data for academic, market, and AI research. It is trusted by institutions like Stanford, Oxford, and organizations such as Google and Cancer Research UK for its ethical data collection standards and thorough participant screening processes.

Prolific engages users in a variety of research activities, including surveys, experiments, diary studies, and video interviews. These activities provide researchers with valuable insights and data, advancing research in multiple fields. But how does Prolific work exactly? This article provides an in-depth look at the platform’s features, its role in research, and explains why it requires phone number verification — and how you can avoid sharing your personal number using virtual alternatives.

How Does Prolific Work?

Prolific offers users a chance to participate in diverse, well-paid studies, with a minimum pay rate of $8 per hour. Participants can choose studies that match their interests and schedules, making it easy to contribute to research while earning money. This flexibility enhances engagement and satisfaction, as users are able to tailor their participation to their availability.

Prolific supports advanced study designs, such as longitudinal studies and A/B tests, and even includes multimedia elements like audio and video. This makes the platform ideal for complex research projects, allowing researchers to gather detailed data tailored to their needs. Prolific also offers robust filtering and participant management tools to ensure data quality and precision.

In comparison with ChatGPT, which excels in text generation and processing, Prolific is focused on gathering human data for research. Both platforms serve distinct purposes: Prolific focuses on participant-based data collection, while ChatGPT specializes in generating human-like responses and retrieving information from large datasets.

Prolific’s diverse opportunities make it a reliable and versatile platform for researchers and participants alike. Creating an account and completing the verification process is essential to gaining access to these research opportunities and contributing valuable data.

Prolific Verification Explained

Prolific requires phone number verification during the signup process to ensure participant authenticity. Verifying phone numbers helps prevent spam, ensuring that accounts are operated by real people, not bots. This process is critical for maintaining the integrity of the data collected, as researchers need reliable, trustworthy responses.

The phone number verification process is straightforward: users select their country code, enter their phone number, and receive an SMS containing a verification code. This confirms the validity of the phone number and its link to the user’s location. The phone number is used solely for verification purposes and is not used for marketing or other communication.

How to Avoid Linking Your Personal Phone Number to Prolific

If you’d prefer not to link your personal phone number to Prolific, you can use a one-time virtual number for verification. Services like SMSOTPVerify offer virtual phone numbers that can receive SMS messages, enabling users to complete the verification process without revealing their personal contact information.

These virtual numbers are temporary and expire after one use, making them an ideal choice for anyone prioritizing privacy. Since they don’t require a SIM card or personal documentation, you can use them to verify your Prolific account anonymously while avoiding the risks of spam or data breaches.

How to Use a Virtual Phone Number for Prolific Verification with SMSOTPVerify

A disposable phone number from SMSOTPVerifyworks as a one-time solution for verifying your account. These numbers are useful for online services that require SMS verification, such as Prolific. Once used, the number expires, which means there’s no risk of it being used for future communications.

Here’s how you can use a virtual number to register for Prolific without linking your personal phone number:

Sign up for an account on smsotpverify.com.
Top up your balance (a small amount like $1 is usually enough).
Select the “Buy SMS” option from the main menu.
Choose the country and select the Prolific service from the list.
Click “Buy SMS” next to the required service button.
Once you’ve made your selection, copy the virtual phone number provided in the “History” section.
Enter this virtual number in the Prolific app when prompted for a phone number.
Go back to SMSOTPVerify, click “Get SMS,” and wait for the verification code.
Retrieve the code and enter it into the Prolific registration form to complete the verification process.

By following these steps, you can easily complete your Prolific registration without sharing your personal phone number, ensuring both privacy and security.

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