I seem to get an increasing number of requests to fill out surveys -- apart from the commercial nonsense, there are also a number connceted with academic projects. Academic projects that have been awarded under full economic costing.

These requests often come with an estimate of how much time it will take me to fill in the survey. This is convenient, as it make the job of the researchers easier: FEC rates for an academic work out at around GBP100k per annum. Based on the laughable TRAC definitions, an academic works less than 1800 hours per year. If we round off, this works out conveniently at GBP1 per minute.

So, dear researcher, if you estimate that your survey will take me just 20 minutes to complete, please contact Research and Innovation Services at the University of Dundee to arrange payment of GBP20. After you have negotiated the bureaucracy between your university and mine (for if I were to do it, I would need to account for that time as well), please send me your email request, and I would be delighted to help out.

Please be advised, however, that if you have not yet made payment, I will (efficiently and cheaply) delete your email without further ado.

CAR,
12Nov2008.