Understanding Sampling and Recruitment Challenges in Social Work Dissertation Research

Background and Purpose

A dissertation is the signature pedagogy for social work doctoral education.  The dissertation process is both an opportunity to learn and demonstrate research skills and a common time for attrition from programs to occur.  Despite completing advanced coursework on research methods, doctoral candidates may encounter challenges in carrying out their studies.  One challenge—recruitment of participants—has received minimal attention in the professional literature, even though research with human subjects depends on successful recruitment of a suitable sample.  This presentation will report results of the sampling and recruitment experiences of social work doctoral candidates in carrying out their dissertation research.

Methods

Participants of this study included 249 doctoral-level social workers who completed a dissertation between 2005 and 2015 and who gathered their own data from human participants. Sampling strategies included both purposive and snowball methods. Data were collected with a one-time anonymous online survey, with questions that explored participants’ sampling strategies, success and challenges with recruitment, guidance throughout the process, and the impact of challenges.  Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings described the experience of recruitment for doctoral candidates, including. the successes and challenges in the recruitment process of dissertation research for graduate. Specifically, the challenges included low response rates, the time- and labor-intensity of the recruitment stage, and difficulty finding a suitable sample, especially due to stigma faced by the population.  The majority of participants reported encountering some kind of challenge or delay in the data collection process. Strategies for successfully overcoming challenges were identified by participants, such as collaborating with gatekeepers, changing or expanding the approach to sampling, and allotting more time to the recruitment process.  Candidates described the guidance that they received before beginning their study, and during the recruitment stage, from their dissertation committee and other mentors.  The impact of the recruitment process on the dissertation completion, as well as on the participants’ personal lives and future research projects, is discussed.

Conclusions and Implications

With a dearth of research on the process of conducting dissertations for social work doctoral candidates, these findings have significant value for programs interested in helping their students prepare to carry out a dissertation. As the dissertation is a time when attrition is likely to occur, these findings have important implications for social work programs to support their students through this process and on to graduation. The field depends on social workers producing research that advances social justice and supports social work practice.  Thus, challenges during the dissertation process must be identified and anticipated, and guidance from those who have recently and successfully completed this stage is an important source of professional wisdom.