Navigating the UCF SONA Systems: A Comprehensive Guide for Psychology Students

The University of Central Florida (UCF) offers psychology students various opportunities to engage in research, a cornerstone of their academic and professional development. A key tool in this process is the SONA system, alongside resources like Qualtrics, particularly for students undertaking the Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT). This guide provides a detailed overview of the SONA system, its role in research participation, and how it integrates with the HUT process.

Introduction to Research Participation

Many psychology courses offer students the chance to earn class credits through research participation. This is typically outlined in the course syllabus, specifying the number of research sessions and their corresponding grade value. Research sessions usually take place in the Behavioral Lab, with the location indicated online when signing up. The standard session length is 30 minutes, although some studies may be shorter or longer.

Credit System

Each lab credit corresponds to a 30-minute research session. The credit system is pro-rated, meaning a 15-minute study earns half a credit, while a 45-minute study earns 1.5 credits. If a course allows for 4 credits, this would require two hours of research participation. Credits earned cannot be applied to multiple courses; when signing up for a study, students must designate which course the credit should count towards.

Managing Participation

Students should carefully note all study appointments on their calendars and treat them as important course obligations. The research lab is a shared resource, and no-shows can negatively impact other students' opportunities to participate. If a student cannot attend a session, they should cancel their slot at least 24 hours in advance through the SONA system to avoid a "no show" record. Accruing too many no-shows may result in being disallowed from participating in future lab sessions.

Understanding the SONA System

Account Creation and Access

The SONA system requires students to create an account, as existing UCF credentials cannot be used. If the system has enabled the feature, students can request an account directly through the SONA system, providing basic information. Otherwise, the organization or department will create an account on their behalf. After the first login, students may be allowed to change the default password.

Study Notifications and Sign-Up

Students who have created an account on the system will receive study notifications, typically a week or so before studies are posted. These notifications include information about upcoming study dates. However, it is advisable to log into the system regularly to check for new postings. Due to factors like COVID-19, the posting and announcement policies of studies may vary, especially as more studies are conducted online. In such cases, studies may be announced and posted simultaneously.

Study Availability

Research opportunities are posted as researchers' needs arise, without a fixed schedule. The number of studies can vary. It is essential to sign up for studies early and often to secure desired credits. Waiting until the end of the semester may limit available opportunities. While there are typically ample opportunities throughout the semester, early participation is recommended.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Not Receiving Notifications: Ensure that the SONA system's domain name is "whitelisted" in your email settings to prevent notifications from being filtered as spam.
Forgotten Password: The system allows you to request a password reset if you forget your password. Avoid creating dual profiles, as this can cause issues with credit allocation.
System Issues: Consult the Quick Start Guide (PDF) and Complete Instructions (PDF) for assistance with using the system.

The Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT) and SONA

The HUT is a significant undertaking for psychology students, typically spanning at least three semesters. It involves close collaboration with a Thesis Chair on a research project. Students register for credit hours each semester while working on their HUT and are charged tuition for these credits.

Proposal Development

The HUT proposal is developed during the Directed Reading Semester(s) and must be a minimum of 5 content pages (excluding the title page and reference list). The proposal should include an introduction, literature review, proposed methodology section, proposed analysis plan, and reference list. HUT proposals must be data driven and have a clear analysis plan. Data analysis is required.

Data Collection and Analysis

Data for the HUT can be derived from new data collection, analysis of archived or publicly accessible data, a meta-analysis, and qualitative data and corresponding analysis. When new data collection is involved, it often utilizes the department's SONA system and the Qualtrics system. Participants from the SONA system for HUTs are capped based on research credit hours.

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Proposed analysis plans should include a plan to describe the data being analyzed in addition to analyses specific to the hypothesis. Data analysis should include statistical tests that are covered in Statistical Methods for Psychology (PSY 3204), which include t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, chi-squares, etc.

IRB Considerations

If the HUT involves new data collection, the HUT Chair serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on all IRB and research documents. The Thesis Chair assists the student in preparing the IRB proposal and submits it to the IRB. Information for the IRB can be found on the UCF Compliance website.

Proposal Approval and Changes

The HUT cover page verifies that the entire committee has read and approved the proposal. The HUT chair, committee members, and HUT Liaison sign the cover page. When submitting HUT proposal cover pages for signature, make sure to included the complete proposal along with the cover page for review. Once the proposal has been approved by the HUT committee, HUT Liaison and OHR, any changes to the study must be approved by the committee, HUT Liaison and OHR in advance of implementing such changes. It is advised that HUT students meet with their Thesis Chair weekly as they work on the proposal.

Thesis Completion

The final HUT thesis is completed during the Thesis Semester(s). The final HUT thesis must be data driven and have a data analysis description and results section. Data analysis is required. Data can be derived from new data collection, archived or publicly accessible data, a meta-analysis, and qualitative data. Data analysis should include a description of the data and any analyses specific to the hypothesis. Data analysis should include statistical tests that are covered in Statistical Methods for Psychology (PSY 3204), which include t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, chi-squares, etc.. The final HUT thesis should have completed the research study that was approved in the HUT proposal.

Thesis Approval and Submission

The HUT thesis approval form allows (1) the thesis chair and committee to verify that they have reviewed the results of the thesis submission to Turnitin.com/iThenticate and that the thesis is an original document, (2) the thesis chair and committee to indicate their approval of the students defense and thesis with no additional changes necessary, and (3) students to indicate how they would like the thesis to be made public once it is submitted to the UCF library. The HUT thesis approval form is signed by the thesis chair, all committee members, and the HUT Liaison. When submitting HUT thesis approval pages for signature ensure that the final, complete thesis is included for review. It is advised that HUT students meet with their Thesis Chair weekly as they work on their final thesis.

Thesis Defense

After the final thesis is approved by the Thesis Chair, it is submitted to committee members. A final HUT thesis for psychology majors is usually around 50 pages in length with a minimum of 20 cited sources. The student must reserve a room for the defense and inform the committee. The thesis defense typically involves a 30-minute presentation of the research to the committee, followed by a Q&A session.

Final Submission

The student must obtain the signature of the HUT Faculty Liaison on the thesis approval forms. A copy of the final thesis, along with the required forms, must be submitted to the psychology department and the Office of Honors Research.

Additional Research Opportunities

Besides the SONA system and the HUT program, UCF offers various other research opportunities for undergraduates. These include:

RA Match: A platform to connect with faculty research labs.
McNair Scholars Program: Prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies through research and scholarly activities.
Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP): Offers paid research experiences to junior and senior students with the potential to continue in graduate school.
Student-Faculty Mentored Academic Research Teams (SMART): Offers research experiences to all UCF undergraduate students.
Summer Research Academy (SRA): A program for transfer students and rising sophomores and juniors to learn about academic research.

Tips for Successful Research Participation

Attend to Studies Attentively: Students must complete studies attentively to receive credit. Studies often include attention checks, and students who do not pass 80 percent or more of these checks will not be awarded credit.
Address Credit Inaccuracies Promptly: Students have one week from the date they participated to contact the relevant authority regarding any inaccuracies regarding their credits.
Appeal Credit Decisions: Students have two weeks from the time credit decisions are posted on the SONA System to appeal any such decision. After two weeks, all credit decisions are final.

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