I was one of 50 students in my honours cohort in psychological science. When it came to applying for a PhD, I was one of one.
That wasn’t the path I had always imagined for myself. It was midway through honours that I became inspired to pursue a PhD. I’m a late bloomer when it comes to appreciating knowledge, science, and what it means to contribute something to our understanding of the world.
That change in perspective is part of why SurveySynergy exists. I want more people to have the opportunity to discover that interest for themselves: to ask questions, engage with evidence, and feel that they have a place in the pursuit of science.
Alongside that inspiration, I became conscious of a practical gap. So many master’s and PhD students need participants for their studies, but the cost of online panels can be difficult to fit into a research budget. Many turn to other higher degree research students, asking the same small circles to help each other get their research off the ground.
There is generosity in that exchange. There is also a limit to how far those networks can reach. Researchers need opportunities to connect with people beyond their immediate academic circles, and people outside those circles need an accessible way to take part.
We learn to identify gaps throughout our academic journeys. This platform is our attempt to fill one.
SurveySynergy is built to make that connection easier. A place where researchers can find support, participants can discover studies they are eligible for, and contributing a little time can help someone else move knowledge forward.
It won’t remove every obstacle to research. But I hope it can lower one meaningful barrier and help rekindle the curiosity that brought me here in the first place.