Difficulty: Introductory | Prerequisites: Research Requirement Overview notes
Sona Systems is the online platform where you create an account, browse available research studies, sign up for timeslots, and track your earned credits. The entire process, from account creation to credit verification, runs through nyu-psych.sona-systems.com. Manage it carefully: missed deadlines and unassigned credits are the most common reasons students run into trouble.
Sona account
Your personal account on the NYU Psychology Research Participation System (nyu-psych.sona-systems.com). It lets you browse studies, sign up, and track credits. You create it once and keep it across semesters.
Net ID (User ID)
Your NYU network identity, formatted as your NYU email prefix (e.g. abc123). This is your Sona username. Think of it as the same login you use for most NYU systems.
Timeslot
A specific date, time, and location slot for participating in a study. For lab studies, multiple timeslots may be available. For online studies, there is typically one timeslot that gives you access to the survey link.
Invitation code
A special password some studies require before you can sign up for a timeslot. It is separate from your Sona login password. The researcher provides it to you.
Cancellation deadline
The latest point at which you can cancel a study appointment through Sona without penalty. This is set by the researcher and is typically 24 hours before the appointment. After this deadline, you must contact the researcher directly.
No-show (excused vs unexcused)
A no-show occurs when you miss a scheduled study appointment. If you contact the researcher in advance (even 30 minutes before), it is marked as excused. If you fail to cancel or notify the researcher, it is marked as unexcused. Two unexcused no-shows disable your Sona account.
Credit reassignment
The ability to move an earned study credit from one course to another within your Sona account. Done via the Reassign button on the My Schedule/Credits page. Useful if you are enrolled in multiple courses with research requirements.
Archived credits
Credits from previous semesters that are stored in Sona after the system resets. They appear under the Comments column (not Credit Status) on your credits page. If you have an Incomplete to make up, these tell you how many credits you still need.
Go to nyu-psych.sona-systems.com and click Request Account
Enter your first name, last name, and Net ID (your User ID). Student ID number and phone are optional
Select the course(s) you are enrolled in and choose whether to receive weekly study announcements
You will receive login credentials via your NYU email within 24 hours
If you already have an account from a previous semester, do not request a new one. Use your existing Net ID and password, or reset via Forgot Password
On your first login, you must read and agree to the Human Subjects/Privacy Policy. You will then be invited to complete an optional screening questionnaire that helps match you to studies with specific eligibility criteria (e.g. handedness). Declining the screener still lets you access studies open to everyone.
Click Studies or View Available Studies on your dashboard
Only studies with open timeslots appear. Each listing shows the credit value, a brief description, and any eligibility requirements
Click a study name or Timeslots Available to see full details: duration, tasks involved, researcher contact information, and sign-up/cancellation deadlines
Select a timeslot that fits your schedule. For online studies, there is usually one timeslot that grants access to the survey link
Some studies require an invitation code. Enter it just before clicking Sign Up
After signing up, you receive a confirmation email with the study name, date, time, location, researcher name, and credit details. A reminder email arrives the evening before
You cannot participate in the same study twice, even across semesters. Sona keeps a permanent record
To cancel, go to My Schedule/Credits and click Cancel next to the study. Cancellation deadlines vary by study but are typically 24 hours before the appointment.
If you miss the online cancellation window, contact the researcher directly by email or phone as soon as possible. Even reaching out 30 minutes before the appointment counts as an excused no-show rather than an unexcused one.
For two-part studies: cancelling part one automatically cancels part two. Cancelling part two does not cancel part one, but you will need the researcher to re-enrol you for part two later.
If a researcher cancels on you, expect an email with an explanation. They will typically offer an alternative timeslot. If the researcher simply does not show up, wait a few minutes, verify you are in the correct location, check your email for cancellation notices, and then contact them. You should receive study credit as compensation for your lost time.
Each time you sign up for a study, you assign the credit to a specific course listed in your Sona account. If only one course is listed, credits are assigned automatically.
This is critical: if no course is assigned to a study, the earned credit will not count toward any requirement. Check your My Schedule/Credits page regularly and use the Reassign button if credits need to be moved.
To update your courses (e.g. after add/drop), go to My Profile, find Credits on the right-hand side, and click Change Courses.
Your dashboard's Credits Overview shows three numbers: credits earned, credits pending, and credits required.
Two unexcused no-shows disable your account. Once disabled, you must either complete the written assignment alternative, or contact the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator to explain the circumstances and request a third chance.
Online studies are treated identically to lab studies: missing the participation deadline for an online survey counts as an unexcused no-show.
If the requirement is incomplete by the last day of classes, you receive a temporary Incomplete ("I") grade. You have until the end of the following semester to make it up.
When Sona resets between semesters, all credits are archived. You can view archived credits under the Comments column on your credits page. During the first weeks of a new semester, you can sign up for additional studies to fill any shortfall.
Once you complete the missing credits, email your professor, Head TA, and copy the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator at r.queiruga@nyu.edu. The administrator verifies completion, your professor submits the grade change, and it works through the department and Registrar's office over several business days.
Students often sign up on the wrong Sona site (the Paid Sona site or a lab-specific portal) and then discover their participation does not count. The only site that awards research credit is nyu-psych.sona-systems.com.
Psychology majors sometimes delete their Sona account at the end of a semester, not realising they will need it again for future courses. If you plan to take more psychology courses, keep your account.
Many students assume the cancellation window is the same for every study. It varies by researcher. Always check the cancellation deadline on the study's information page before signing up.
A surprisingly common mistake is failing to assign credits to a course. If your Sona account lists more than one course, you must manually select which course each study's credit applies to. Unassigned credits are effectively lost.
⚠️ You can sign up for studies from the first week through the last day of classes. Do not wait until late in the semester, as availability drops sharply.
⚠️ The cancellation deadline is set per study. Missing it without contacting the researcher results in an unexcused no-show.
⚠️ Two unexcused no-shows lock your account. There is no automatic reinstatement.
⚠️ Always assign earned credits to the correct course. Unassigned credits do not count toward any requirement, and your professor's end-of-semester report will show you as incomplete.
⚠️ Keep every debriefing form. If a researcher has no record of your participation, the debriefing form is your evidence.
True or false: You need to request a new Sona account every semester. (False. One account persists across semesters.)
Fill in the blank: Your Sona User ID is your NYU ______. (Net ID.)
True or false: If you contact a researcher 30 minutes before your appointment to say you cannot make it, you will be marked as an unexcused no-show. (False. Contacting the researcher in advance, even shortly before, results in an excused no-show.)
Fill in the blank: Archived credits from a previous semester appear under the ______ column on your credits page. (Comments.)
True or false: For online survey studies, you should complete the survey before signing up for a timeslot in Sona. (False. Always sign up for the timeslot first to ensure credit is granted.)
Q: A student signs up for an in-person study but realises the night before that they have a scheduling conflict. The online cancellation deadline has passed. What should they do?
A: Contact the researcher directly by email or phone as soon as possible. Even last-minute notice results in an excused no-show rather than an unexcused one. If the researcher cannot be reached, contact the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator.
Q: A student is enrolled in two courses with a research requirement. They earn 0.5 credits from an online study but forget to assign it to either course. What happens?
A: The credit is not allocated to any course. When the professor receives the end-of-semester participation report, it will appear as though the student is 0.5 credits short. The student should check My Schedule/Credits and use the Reassign button to fix this.
Q: A student completes an online survey but does not receive credit. What steps should they take?
A: First, confirm they reached the final page and submitted responses (look for the absence of a Next button, or a confirmation/debriefing page). Contact the researcher directly with any screenshots or details they have. If no response within 48 hours, escalate to the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator.
Q: A student's Sona account has been disabled after two unexcused no-shows. They still need 1 credit hour. What are their options?
A: They can either speak to their professor or Head TA about completing the written critique alternative, or contact the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator to explain the no-shows and request a third chance to use Sona.
Q: At the end of the semester, a student has earned only 1.5 credits. What grade do they receive, and what is the deadline to resolve it?
A: They receive a temporary Incomplete. They have until the end of the following semester to earn the remaining 0.5 credits and must then email their professor, Head TA, and the administrator. If the requirement is not met in that window, the Incomplete converts to an F.
The Sona workflow connects to the broader topic of research ethics and methodology. Understanding how studies are listed, screened, and consented mirrors the IRB approval process covered in Research Methods courses. The credit structure and no-show policy are also practical examples of how institutions manage participant pools, a topic relevant to experimental design discussions.
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