Older adults are underrepresented in research, often due to age-related biases and stringent exclusion criteria; this limits generalizability and leaves knowledge gaps [1].

The increasing prevalence of online research has the potential to increase older adult participation, given the rising internet use among this demographic [2]. While research has primarily focused on improving recruitment of older adults, an understanding of their experiences of online research is needed to effectively engage older people [3]. While most surveys include some form of piloting, they rarely capture or share participants’ perceptions of the research process. We sought to explore older adults’ perceptions after participating in an online experimental survey, given the potential high accessibility of this type of research.

Participants (N=1789) most frequently did not provide any feedback in the free-text comment field (n=784, 43.8%) or wrote that they had no comments (n=487, 27.2%). Three participants (0.2%) gave unclear statements.

Participants’ comments (n=515, 28.8%) were primarily positive (415/515, 80.6%), such as that the study was interesting (116/515, 22.5%). Themes and representative quotes are reported in Table 1. Participants said it made them think about their health (80/515, 15.5%) and some participants shared further health information about the study topic (48/515, 9.3%). Participants provided feedback on how to improve the study, categorized as question-specific comments (21/515, 4.1%), general suggestions (12/515, 2.3%), or country-specific comments (3/515, 0.6%). Few participants (16/515, 3.1%) provided negative feedback about the survey.

Among older adults who provided feedback about their experiences completing an online survey, approximately 80% (415/515) of the comments were positive. Our findings signal general acceptability of the methodology, and we have implemented the practical feedback to improve our online surveys. We have become more mindful of the survey length, selected straightforward question types, and have conducted pilot testing in all target countries to ensure that questions are appropriate for all participants.

Our study had several limitations. First, less than one-third of the study participants provided any comments. Second, participants were asked if they had any comments, as opposed to more specific questions about their experience taking the survey. Finally, we acknowledge that we coded a single primary theme per comment given the short statements that were provided.

With an aging population who may spend many years in retirement, participating in research can offer benefits such as reducing social isolation and loneliness, fostering a sense of purpose, and providing mental stimulation, and it may provide monetary incentives [5]. While our online study lacked the social benefit of in-person interaction typical of traditional research, participants reported enjoying the survey; they found it prompted self-reflection on their health, and they expressed interest in the study’s outcomes and future research.

Online research is becoming more prevalent; therefore, it is important to make sure this methodology is inclusive of older adults [5]. More than half of adults older than 65 years use the internet, yet they are the least likely to have a home computer [6]. While some researchers attribute this limited use to age-related functional decline, others argue that the main barriers are negative attitudes such as fear, anxiety, and low motivation—barriers that are modifiable. Anxiety about using the internet and digital technologies often leads to self-imposed limitations and low confidence, with older adults frequently underestimating their knowledge and abilities compared to younger users [6]. This underscores the importance of studies like ours that highlight the positive experiences of older adults in online research.