Non-genuine participants: Undermining the veterinary evidence base?

Non-genuine participation in online veterinary research threatens data integrity and the reliability of evidence-based practice.

This short communication addresses the emerging issue of non-genuine participation (NGP) in online veterinary research, specifically within qualitative interview studies. As online recruitment methods become increasingly common in veterinary research, the authors report their experiences with suspected NGP during a multi-institutional study examining early-career veterinary graduates. Participants were recruited online with a modest financial incentive, which may have attracted individuals misrepresenting their professional credentials. Eleven potential interviewees were excluded after failing to demonstrate eligibility, with red flags including inconsistent background accounts, inability to answer basic veterinary training questions, vague or generic responses, and discrepancies in contact information. The authors note that NGP disrupted the data collection process and raised significant concerns about data integrity. Importantly, participant intent could not be definitively determined, and the findings are limited to a single study. Currently, no published literature addresses NGP specifically within a veterinary research context. Given the growing reliance on qualitative research to shape veterinary education curricula, workforce planning, and clinical policy, the authors argue that NGP represents a meaningful threat to the evidence base. They call for greater awareness, preventive strategies, and methodological safeguards to protect the integrity of veterinary research and ensure that evidence informing clinical practice and policy remains reliable and trustworthy.

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