How do I recruit participants?

Who you recruit and how you recruit them is very important. The IRB wants to be sure that people participate voluntarily and what may appear voluntary on the surface can be coercion when examined more closely, as the following excerpt makes clear.

"One of the primary responsibilities of IRBs… is to ensure that a subject's decision to participate in research will be truly voluntary, and that consent will be sought 'only under circumstances that provide the prospective subject...sufficient opportunity to consider whether or not to participate and that minimize the possibility of coercion or undue influence' [Federal Policy §___.116; 21 CFR 50.20].…

Clear cases of coercion (i.e., actual threats) are readily identifiable; it is more difficult to recognize undue inducement. An offer one could not refuse is essentially coercive (or "undue"). Undue inducements may be troublesome because: (1) offers that are too attractive may blind prospective subjects to the risks or impair their ability to exercise proper judgment; and (2) they may prompt subjects to lie or conceal information that, if known, would disqualify them from enrolling — or continuing — as participants in a research project.…

IRBs must attempt to make sure that prospective subjects realize that their participation is voluntary, and that choosing not to participate will not adversely affect their relationship with the institution or its staff in any way. To make this determination, IRBs should know who the subjects will be, what incentives are being offered, and the conditions under which the offer will be made." [Source: http://ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/irb/irb_chapter3.htm]

As part of your materials, please include drafts of all advertisements, emails, recruiting scripts, fliers, etc. that will be used to recruit subjects.