CivicPanel is a university-based, nonprofit project that aims to tap the potential of the Internet as a tool for academic and applied research on what citizens think about important issues relating to government and public affairs.
The project conducts studies on a range of topics, including the quality of local public services, education, health care, policing, transportation, the environment, government performance, volunteering, and the work of nonprofit organizations. Nearly all of the surveys focus on how citizens experience, understand, and make decisions about such public services or institutions. Summary results of the surveys are published on this website, and the data often are used for academic articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
CivicPanel was created by Gregg Van Ryzin, PhD, a professor at the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ (USA). It was started in 2002 as eTownPanel.com, when Prof. Van Ryzin was on the faculty of the School of Public Affairs, Baruch College / CUNY, New York, NY (USA). In 2003, the project received its first grant funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
In 2008, the project moved to Rutgers-Newark and changed its name to CivicPanel.org. It is currently supported by Rutgers University, Newark as part of the Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration.
Is CivicPanel legit or scam?
CivicPanel looks suspicious to us. They do not pay you for completing surveys, rather they entper into sweepstakes where you may stand a chance to win $20 worth of Amazon gift. This is not a good way to earn money and therefore we advise you to seek for alternatives where you are paid cash for every survey you complete. You may visit the top 10 Highest Paying Survey sites Here
CivicPanel Complaints and feedback
While writing this CivicPanel review, we a thorough research to acknowledge what its members and former members are saying about the panel unfortunately, no complaints or feedback was found. This may be as a result of the website being new.
CivicPanel payment proofs
No CivicPanel payment proof was found at the time of writing this CivicPanel review. We will advise you to trade with caution.
Some information about CivicPanel:
Who are the people running CivicPanel?
CivicPanel is a project of the Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration (CEBPA) at the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA. The founder and director of the project is Gregg Van Ryzin, PhD, a professor at Rutgers SPAA and co-director of CEBPA. Graduate students and staff affiliated with CEBPA at Rutgers SPAA help run the project.
Who funds CivicPanel?
CivicPanel is a university-affiliated, nonprofit project initially funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The project is currently funded by Rutgers University, Newark through the Chancellor’s Seed Grant Program and by SPAA as part of the Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration (CEBPA).
Who can become a panelist?
Anyone 18 years of age or older can become a panelist.
What if you don’t live in the NY/NJ, or even the US?
They encourage you to become a panelist, even if you do not live in the New York/New Jersey area — or the United States. Although some of their surveys do focus mostly on NY/NJ, other surveys cover all of the US or even other cities or parts of the world.
How do you sign up to be a panelist?
Just go to the Sign Up page on their website, complete the breif form, and click the submit button. You will then receive an email message asking you to confirm your membership. When you respond to the confirmation email, you are then added to their list.
How often will you get a survey sent to you?
CivicPanel surveys get sent only once every month or two, depending on where you live and other considerations. As a panelist, you always have the right to choose whether or not to participate in any particular survey.
What kinds of surveys will they send you?
CivicPanel surveys focus on issues related to government, public affairs, and community quality of life. Topics may include public parks, public safety, the economy, e-government, civic engagement, the environment, transportation, government transparency, and so on. Their surveys are sponsored, according to them, only by legitimate nonprofit or academic organizations. And, their surveys are short, typically requiring only about 10 minutes to complete. They will not send you any political, religious, or marketing surveys. And you always have the right to choose which surveys you want or don’t want to complete.
Can you get friends or neighbors to join?
Of course — feel free to let others know about CivicPanel. (However, please do not send any unsolicited email or SPAM).
How do they award prizes?
CivicPanel awards prizes in the form of Amazon.com gift certificates. Several respondents to each survey are selected at random as winners, and the gift certificates are sent to them via email several weeks after the survey closes. The gift certificates are sent to the email address associated with the completed questionnaire.
How big are the prizes, and how many do they award?
With each survey they award multiple prizes of various sizes. Typically, they send about fifteen awards of $20 each, although they may award more or larger prizes for some special surveys. The specific awards for each survey are described in the survey invitations you will receive or the survey welcome page.
What will with they do with your personal information?
According the website, information you provide when you sign up, or when you participate in a survey, is for research purposes only. When you sign up, they collect only limited identifying information that they need to invite you to participate in their surveys — such as your name (so they can personalize their messages to you), email address, and postal code. This information is never sold or given to outside individuals or organizations. When you complete our surveys, they may collect additional demographic information from you such as age, gender, race, and income (in broad categories). This information is used only to classify and compare responses to survey questions and not to identify you individually. They maintain a strict privacy and confidentiality policy in accordance with established standards of ethical survey research.
Who has access to your information?
That claim that Only the researchers and staff of CivicPanel will have access to your sign up information, such as your name and email address. And that they will keep this information in a separate database from the one that contains your answers to survey questions. Outside groups that use CivicPanel to do a survey receive only the anonymous answers to survey questions. Your sign up information will always remain confidential.