AAPOR Poster
The SCSRU is pleased to announce that we will be presenting a poster at the 81st annual American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) conference this May in Los Angeles. Our programmer and data analyst, Mathew Grey, will be presenting a poster called “Keepin’ it Real: Preventing Bots and Fraud in Online Research”, which explains how to best detect and deter automated robot (“bot”) attacks in web surveys.
The poster draws on the SCSRU’s experience with bot attacks on two projects: Grief and Grief Support Needs in Canada (which is supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) FRN: 489791) and Influence of Drug Scheduling in Community Pharmacists (permission to use the data was granted by the lead researcher, Dr. Nardine Nakhla). We also draw on information gathered at our bot roundtable discussion with leading experts last spring.
The SCSRU’s poster highlights that fraudulent respondents present an increasing threat to the integrity of online survey research, often contaminating datasets in ways that are subtle yet consequential. Our poster presents how to identify fraud early by monitoring responses for abrupt spikes in response counts, unusually uniform answer patterns, and open-ended responses that appeared overly polished or inconsistent with natural human language. These shared red flags emphasize how pervasive and sophisticated bot-generated data have become across survey contexts and can indicate when and how survey data can be affected.
Analysis of both surveys demonstrates that unchecked contamination can distort findings, reduce reliability, and, in some cases, necessitate discarding portions of the dataset to preserve analytic validity. Building on these lessons, this poster outlines a practical framework for identifying, preventing, and mitigating bot activity, supporting researchers in producing high-quality, trustworthy data in an increasingly complex digital environment. Effective strategies include algorithmic pattern detection, honeypot and verification items, careful instrument design that anticipates misuse, and ongoing monitoring throughout the field period. The findings also underscore the importance of transparent reporting practices that document suspected fraud and detail the remediation steps taken.
If you are also attending AAPOR this spring, be sure to drop by and visit us during the poster session. We will be presenting on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM in the Exhibit Hall.
Staff Conference Presentation
When: April 7th at 11:00 to 12:00
The SCSRU is pleased to announce an upcoming workshop, Creating Better Surveys at UWaterloo, designed to introduce university staff across all departments to the work that this unit does and what resources they can utilize to assist with their survey and data needs. The interactive session will take place at the annual University of Waterloo Staff Conference on April 7, 2026 at 11 am. The workshop will be facilitated by Lindsey Webster, Reem Tawfik, and Hannah Clyde. Some key topics that will be covered include:
- An introduction to SCSRU’s services
- Practical tips on questionnaire design
- Best practices for gathering and using survey data
- An overview of some current projects and workshop offerings
This conference is open to all University of Waterloo staff members and will be a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, network, and build skills that support staff members’ work at the university and beyond.
For more information or to register to attend the 2026 University of Waterloo Staff conference, please visit the staff conference website or contact ohd@uwaterloo.ca.
University of Waterloo Campus Community Survey (UWCom)
The SCSRU is once again partnering with Institutional Analysis & Planning (IAP) alongside Campus Support and Accessibility to conduct a campus community survey. The survey will be used to inform strategic planning, programs and workshops, services, and supports for these units. The topics covered in this survey are wide reaching and include:
- Student perceptions of accessibility across campus
- Student perceptions of wayfinding on campus
- Student perceptions of male allyship
- Sexual violence experiences on campus
The survey will launch May 11 and is open to all eligible UWaterloo students. Anyone who submits the survey will be entered into a prize draw. We are especially excited to offer twenty prizes of a $250 WatCard top up, as well as a grand prize of an iPad mini.
Featured Projects
Examining Intersections of Biographies & Biologies: Diversity & Outcomes of People with Multiple Sclerosis in Canada
Principal Investigator Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie from Dalhousie University, along with her team of researchers, is leading a multi-year study to better understand the experiences and health needs of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), with a particular focus on groups that are often underrepresented in research. These include individuals from racialized communities, men, people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+, those living with moderate to severe disability, and individuals in rural areas. The study will also include a comparison group of respondents without MS. Surveys will be conducted in four waves, one baseline survey followed by three annual follow-ups using a mixed-mode approach. The SCSRU will be combining telephone and web-based questionnaires depending on participant preference. Participants will first complete a short cognitive test by phone before continuing the remainder of the survey online if they wish. Baseline data collection began in February 2026 and will continue for approximately 18 months, with the full data collection period spanning 4.5 years. The findings will support the research program’s long-term goal of improving the health and wellbeing of underrepresented populations living with MS.
Health Researchers Survey
Dr. Karen Van Ooteghem, Dr. Marina Mourtzakis, Dr. Stan Woo and Dr. Andrea Edginton from the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo are leading a campus-wide study to better understand how health researchers conduct and manage their research activities. The project will survey researchers working across disciplines within the human health field using a web-based questionnaire administered by the SCSRU. The survey will explore topics such as the types of research being conducted, the formats of data collected, methods of data storage, and approaches to sharing and disseminating research findings. The online survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, will be complemented by face-to-face interviews to gather deeper qualitative insights that support the broader quantitative and qualitative data collected through the survey. Findings from the study will contribute to a central dataset that will support a new Health Research Hub initiative designed to enhance collaboration and accessibility for health researchers across campus.
Community Health Assessment for Recovery in Mental Health (CHARMH)
Principal Investigators Dr. John Hirdes and Dr. Chris Perlman from the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo are leading a pilot study to evaluate a self-reported mental health assessment as part of a multinational research initiative taking place in more than 30 countries. Using a web-based survey administered by SCSRU, the study will collect responses from SCSRU panel members in the Waterloo Region to help assess the feasibility, acceptability, and psychometric properties of the interRAI Self-Reported Mental Health Assessment. The assessment, which takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, has previously been tested in several clinical settings and will now be evaluated within a general population sample to better understand how responses are distributed outside clinical environments. Findings from the study will contribute to the international effort to validate the assessment tool for broader use in mental health research and evaluation.
Workshops
Sampling in Survey Research
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)
Don't miss out on our last workshop of the Winter 2026 term!
This workshop delves into the art of sampling in survey research, and reviews current best practices for a variety of sampling procedures available to researchers in Canada. Read more about it on the event page.