Thank you for your interest in our research study. You probably found this page after seeing one of our ads on TikTok — or maybe you've already signed up and want to know more about who we are.
What is this study about?
We are a team of university researchers studying how people experience TikTok. TikTok's “For You” page is powered by a recommendation system that learns from what you watch and serves you more of what it thinks you'll like. We want to understand how the videos people watch — including videos about current issues and events — relate to what TikTok shows them next, and how all of this shapes what people think.
Millions of Americans now spend time on TikTok every day, yet researchers know surprisingly little about what its recommendations actually look like for real users. Answering that question requires something only you can provide: the experience of a real person using their own TikTok account.
What would I do as a participant?
Participation takes place over a few weeks, mostly in small tasks:
- Getting started. You'll fill out a survey about yourself and your TikTok use, and donate a copy of your TikTok data. We'll walk you through requesting the data from TikTok and uploading it to us — it takes just a few minutes.
- Watching videos. During the study, we'll periodically send you short tasks: watch a handful of TikTok videos about current issues and answer a few quick questions about what you saw.
- Wrapping up. At the end of the study, you'll take a final survey and donate your TikTok data one more time.
What do I get for participating?
You can earn up to $50 in gift cards:
• $10 after the first survey and data donation
• $20 for completing the viewing tasks
• $20 for completing the final survey and data donation
Rewards are delivered electronically through Tango Card.
What about my data and privacy?
Your TikTok data is stored on secure university servers and used only for this research. We never sell it or share it outside the research team, and findings are reported in aggregate — never in a way that identifies you. Participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any time.
Who is running this study?
This study is run by researchers at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP).