Researchers frequently contact ASCO with requests to survey Society members. To help facilitate this type of research for ASCO members, ASCO has changed its previous policy of declining such requests and is now assembling a cohort of members who are willing to participate in investigator-initiated surveys of ASCO members for noncommercial research purposes. ASCO will administer a limited number of surveys on behalf of ASCO members and maintain the confidentiality of survey respondents.
Members who are willing to participate in surveys can join the Research Survey Pool at any time by following these steps:
- Go to https://profile.asco.org.
- Sign in with your member username and password.
- In the “Personal Info & Privacy” box on your member profile, select “Consent.”
- Click the button next to “Yes” to opt in to participate.
By selecting “yes” and indicating that you want to be included in the survey pool, you agree to be contacted about participation in surveys for which you meet the requested characteristics.
If you do not want to be contacted about these external researcher surveys, no action is required; members are not included in the Research Survey Pool until they proactively choose to opt in. If you join the pool and then decide you would rather not be included, you may opt out of the pool at any time by revisiting your profile and unselecting your participation. Regardless of your membership in the Research Survey Pool, you will still be able to participate in and may be contacted about ASCO-initiated surveys such as the Oncology Practice Census.
Protecting your information—and your time—is of paramount importance to ASCO. The Society’s Research Services Committee will thoroughly review all survey proposals and will limit the number of surveys conducted per year. The surveys will also be capped in terms of time and effort required on the part of the respondents. ASCO will administer the surveys, keep your contact information secure and confidential, and de-identify all survey responses before sharing the data with the survey investigative team. ASCO will only accept survey proposals from ASCO members and will continue its policy to decline survey proposals for commercial purposes.
If you join the pool and are contacted for survey participation, you will receive information about the survey objectives and the time required to complete the survey. You may accept or decline any survey request you receive. This will not affect the chance of being selected to participate in future Research Survey Pool surveys.
Members who choose to respond to surveys will receive a special ribbon at the ASCO Annual Meeting that recognizes their service to the Society and their contribution to investigator-initiated research by ASCO members. Participants who complete a survey may be eligible for points toward the Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) designation.
In 2019, investigators will be able to begin submitting membership survey proposals for ASCO’s consideration. ■
Originally published in ASCO Connection. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. “A New Way to Contribute to Research: Join ASCO’s Research Survey Pool.” ASCO Connection, July 2018. All rights reserved.
