Detecting and Mitigating Fraudulent Participation: Lessons Learned from a Mixed Methods Study

Michelle Lamont, Ligyana Korki de Candido, Delane Linkiewich, Sina Negarandeh, Bruce Dick, Jennifer N. Stinson, Abbie Jordan, Verena Kantere, Rachel Kelly, Paula Forgeron, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Department of Psychology and Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Claverton Down

Journal of Mixed Methods Research

Published online on January 20, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Ahead of Print.
A surge in social media research recruitment has led to increased fraudulent participation, impacting studies such as our sequential mixed methods research (MMR) study on peer loneliness among adolescents with chronic pain during COVID-19. The purpose of ...