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Authors

Abstract

Participant recruitment in survey research is an essential part of many research studies, especially those conducted in academic settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the current, most-effective methods of recruitment. We used four methods to administer the same survey. They included the traditional methods of classroom presentation and face-to-face recruitment using fliers, and the more recent methods of mass e-mails to class lists and social-network mass messaging. We analyzed the data using a chi-square test to compare and determine the most effective method of recruitment. We found that recruitment through the social-networking site Facebook was the most effective method, with 37% of those recruited taking the survey. Mass emails to class lists was the next most effective method, followed by face-to-face recruiting and classroom presentations. These findings were statistically significant at p < .01. For researchers looking for a diverse sample, Facebook offers a quick, inexpensive, and efficient method of recruiting.

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