The Use of Financial Incentives in Qualitative Research across Disciplines in the United States: A Methodological Review from 1995 to 2021

Abstract

Offering financial incentives to participants for their participation in qualitative research is a common practice that improves recruitment in a study. However, the state of incentive use in qualitative research across fields is unknown. This methodological review aimed to examine the state of incentive use in qualitative research across fields in the context of the United States. Using descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression, we examined 698 cases of incentives for 627 unique full-text empirical qualitative research articles and determined the influencing factors for the amounts of incentives used in qualitative research studies. The results showed that publication year, field of research, and sample size function as influencing factors in the amount of incentives offered in qualitative studies. Of the 698 cases identified through the systematic search, incentive amounts (US Dollar) varied from minimum $5.00 to maximum $500.00 with mean of $31.7 (SD=32.1). The incentive amounts (US Dollar) with the inflation rate varied from $5.00 to maximum $565.00 with a mean of $36.6 (SD=37.4). Our study suggests that incentives in qualitative research are shaped by disciplinary and methodological contexts, and our review provides practical implications to guide researchers’ decisions. This study ignites a deeper dialogue about the use of incentives in qualitative research and reporting practices to assist researchers in enhancing the effectiveness of using incentives within their respective fields.

Julio Meneses

Full Professor

Professor de metodologia de la investigació, director d’Anàlisi de l’Aprenentatge i de la Docència de l’eLearning Innovation Center i investigador del grup de recerca MISS de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.