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Research Randomizer is a free service offered to students and researchers interested in conducting random assignment and random sampling. By using this service, you agree to abide by the SPN User Policy and to hold Research Randomizer and its staff harmless in the event that you experience a problem with the program or its results. Although every effort has been made to develop a useful means of generating random numbers, Research Randomizer and its staff do not guarantee the quality or randomness of numbers generated. Any use to which these numbers are put remains the sole responsibility of the user who generated them.
What are the system requirements needed to run Research Randomizer?
This program works best with the Firefox and other recent web browsers. If you're using a browser that came with America Online, you may experience difficulties with Research Randomizer unless you switch to a fairly recent stand-alone browser.
How do I know what browser I am using?
The easiest way to find this out is to click "Help" on the pulldown menu at the top of the screen. One of the options should be "About Mozilla Firefox," "About Internet Explorer," "About Netscape," or something similar. Selecting this option will open a window that displays the name, version number, and copyright date of your browser.
How does Research Randomizer generate its numbers?
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher, Research Randomizer uses the "Math.random" method within the JavaScript programming language to generate its random numbers. If you are using any other browser, Research Randomizer uses an adaptation of the Central Randomizer by Paul Houle.
In either case, Research Randomizer (like most computer-based random number generators) is best described as a "pseudo-random number generator" because the numbers are generated by use of a complex algorithm (seeded by the computer's clock) that gives the appearance of randomness. For most purposes this is adequate. If, however, your research requires "true" random numbers, we suggest you visit the HotBits web site. Results from HotBits are not as customizable as results from Research Randomizer, but the numbers are generated by radioactive decay rather than a computer algorithm.
Who designed Research Randomizer?
The original idea and programming for Research Randomizer came from Geoffrey C. Urbaniak in 1997. Research Randomizer was then jointly developed with Scott Plous, webmaster of Social Psychology Network, and online tutorials were added to the main program. In 1999 the site was redesigned with the assistance of Mike Lestik, in 2003 Mike Lestik added the download function, and in 2007 Mike Lestik and Scott Plous redesigned the site and added new content.
Has Research Randomizer received any honors?
Yes, Research Randomizer has received a number of honors, including these:
How can I contact the developers of Research Randomizer?
If you experience any problems with Research Randomizer, or if you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the program, please contact Geoffrey C. Urbaniak.
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