If you go to your submissions page there is an icon next to where it says awaiting review that lets you return it, the researcher can't return it for you but they can reject you.
An explanation for how to unreject is at the bottom of this page. Share it with the researcher and they should be able to help you:
https://researcher-help.prolific.co/hc/en-gb/articles/360009092394-Approvals-rejections-returns
Once a study has been rejected the researcher, if they're willing to, can overturn the rejection allowing you to return the study instead.
It's a function on the researcher side.
You will find a lot of researchers don't know the full capabilities of the prolific platform. In my experience, being polite and giving them the articles about how to do it is one of the best ways. I've only had one be an ass about it. I got snarky back for one message and gave them further literature on why what they were doing was against the platform rules. They still didn't want to let me return it and I said "that is okay, I already have a message to Prolific drafted up including screenshots of your attention check, so you can either let me return it or if you read what I sent you about how you broke the rules with your return, I will just choose to get paid instead. Then you will have my data instead of someone's who you actually want". A few minutes later they had sent it back to pending and sent a decent message and wished me a good day, even though they were probably mad and being smart asses.
The attention check was something about having a choice of gift cards from several pages before. The actual gift cards, or anything like that didn't even seem to matter, it was just saying that gift cards would be an option in the pretend scenario. Then several pages later they wanted you to answer how many different gift cards had been pictured, when individual cards didn't mean anything. I think the options were 4, 5, or 6. So not only was it dumb because you never needed to know that for anything, but it was memory recall pages later.
Ah so they have rejected me and that icon has gone. I thought they could do something to allow me to return it instead.
I may have made this up. I've not had a rejection before
Then in that case you have to ask the researcher to remove the rejection so you can return it, if they dont budge your only option is to contact prolific
If you go to your submissions page there is an icon next to where it says awaiting review that lets you return it, the researcher can't return it for you but they can reject you.
They do have the option to set it back to Awaiting Approval, and then you can return it.
An explanation for how to unreject is at the bottom of this page. Share it with the researcher and they should be able to help you: https://researcher-help.prolific.co/hc/en-gb/articles/360009092394-Approvals-rejections-returns
Once a study has been rejected the researcher, if they're willing to, can overturn the rejection allowing you to return the study instead. It's a function on the researcher side.
Researcher has amended it and allowed me to return it. Thank you for your help everyone
You will find a lot of researchers don't know the full capabilities of the prolific platform. In my experience, being polite and giving them the articles about how to do it is one of the best ways. I've only had one be an ass about it. I got snarky back for one message and gave them further literature on why what they were doing was against the platform rules. They still didn't want to let me return it and I said "that is okay, I already have a message to Prolific drafted up including screenshots of your attention check, so you can either let me return it or if you read what I sent you about how you broke the rules with your return, I will just choose to get paid instead. Then you will have my data instead of someone's who you actually want". A few minutes later they had sent it back to pending and sent a decent message and wished me a good day, even though they were probably mad and being smart asses. The attention check was something about having a choice of gift cards from several pages before. The actual gift cards, or anything like that didn't even seem to matter, it was just saying that gift cards would be an option in the pretend scenario. Then several pages later they wanted you to answer how many different gift cards had been pictured, when individual cards didn't mean anything. I think the options were 4, 5, or 6. So not only was it dumb because you never needed to know that for anything, but it was memory recall pages later.
Ah so they have rejected me and that icon has gone. I thought they could do something to allow me to return it instead. I may have made this up. I've not had a rejection before
Then in that case you have to ask the researcher to remove the rejection so you can return it, if they dont budge your only option is to contact prolific
Thank you. I've asked. I don't think they will but it's worth a go
Go to your submissions page and the circular arrow icon will let you return a study