Participants or pretenders? Addressing the challenge of inauthentic participation encountered during three social research studies on experiences of food insecurity in the UK

Individuals participate in research for numerous reasons, however, the global economic downturn may have driven some to participate solely for monetary recompense. While inauthentic participation is more widely recognised in quantitative survey studies, it is increasingly becoming an issue in qualitative research. Drawing on our experiences and supported by the wider literature, we highlight ways in which inauthentic participation can be identified and addressed. We argue that pertinent researchers are aware of the risks and potential impact of inauthentic participants and recommend researchers consider this phenomenon from study planning stages onwards. We identify institutions, including Universities, as well placed to provide training and ensure, where necessary, mitigation plans are in place. We suggest ethics committees, funders and publishers request inauthentic participation be considered and reported. These recommendations would establish awareness of this phenomenon, prevent wasting valuable project resources, increase transparency of reporting and ensure data integrity is protected.