You Can Build It, but Will They Come? Strategies for Recruiting Diverse Participants in Social Work Research

Social work researchers often conduct research with populations experiencing hardships, stigma, and structural disadvantages that create challenges for recruiting study participants. As a result, it is not uncommon for even well-designed studies to fail to achieve their recruitment goals. For instance, recruiting participants for clinical intervention trials is a well-documented challenge. Despite their critical role in the success of social work research, scholars seldom convene to evaluate the efficacy of recruitment sources and strategies. This limits our aptitude for developing effective, cost-efficient recruitment plans that are appealing and valuable to potential participants. Existing literature on recruitment strategies typically omits accounts of efforts used to recruit diverse samples. Therefore, we often miss the significant opportunity to center disability status, racial equity, economic diversity, and social justice within our recruitment plans. Additionally, existing literature insufficiently delineates between recruitment strategies and sources, which limits our ability to replicate best practices within our unique, geographical environments. Finally, rapidly changing communication technology and changing social/political contexts call for increasingly diverse and creative recruitment approaches. This roundtable session will draw from four autism-related studies across the U.S. to facilitate a conversation about best practices for recruiting diverse participants. The presenters will discuss their recruitment challenges, share successful recruitment strategies and materials, and facilitate idea-sharing among session participants. To this end, two presenters will describe the evolution of their recruitment strategies and staffing throughout a five-year clinical trial for co-parents of children recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The third presenter will describe strategies for recruiting autistic and neurodiverse adults in the US to studies related to healthcare and transitioning from high school. Special attention will be paid to neuro-affirming language in recruitment materials, use of diverse media (Reddit), collaborations with autistic stakeholders, and trust-building efforts for inclusive recruitment. The fourth presenter will discuss the recruitment strategies of Korean immigrant caregivers in the US who exhibit mistrust of research, face stigma, and are non-English speakers, to a feasibility study of a parent training program. Special attention will be paid to strategies aimed at reducing stigma, such as using secure online communities that ensure anonymity, building trust by providing helpful resources and training, collaborate with parent associations, and engaging with community advisory members. The fifth presenter will discuss the importance of building a presence and collaborating with the communities you are including in your research with examples from her studies with Latino families of autistic children and adults. She will also discuss the post-covid challenges of using social media for recruitment and conducting research remotely.