What if I launch a study with no prescreening filters applied?
Prolific’s participant pool includes people from a wide range of countries and demographic backgrounds.
If you launch a study without applying any prescreening filters, it will be available to all participants on Prolific.
We use allocation algorithms to distribute study places fairly among eligible participants. Once a participant receives access to a study, places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Because no eligibility criteria have been applied, we can’t guarantee the demographic characteristics of the participants who complete your study.
This option is ideal if you want to collect responses as quickly as possible and don’t require participants with specific characteristics.
What if I want to target specific participants?
If you need participants with particular demographic characteristics, you can use our range of prescreening filters to define who is eligible for your study.
Applying prescreening filters ensures that only participants who match your target criteria can access your study.
If our built-in filters don’t meet your requirements, you can also recruit a custom sample.
What if I want a more balanced or representative sample?
If you want to ensure a balanced distribution across demographic groups, you can use the quota sample option when creating your study.
For step-by-step guidance, see How do I balance my sample within demographics?
If you need a sample that reflects the demographic makeup of a broader population, you can use our representative samples feature, which is currently available for UK and US populations.
To learn more, see our representative samples FAQ.
What if I want more/less naive participants?
Study distribution on Prolific is dynamic and depends on the number of participants who are eligible for your study.
When you apply multiple filters and reduce the eligible participant pool, our system may prioritise faster fill times to help your study complete efficiently.
If you want to control participants’ level of experience on Prolific, use the Number of Previous Submissions prescreener. This allows you to set minimum and maximum thresholds for the number of studies a participant has previously completed on the platform.