Recruiting older adults as participants in applied social research: Applying and evaluating approaches from clinical studies |
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| Authors: | Joyce Weil Angela Nancy Mendoza Erin McGavin |
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| Institution: | 1. Gerontology Program, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA;2. Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA |
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| Abstract: | While issues of recruiting older persons in clinical trials are well known, efficacious strategies in the recruitment process in applied social research are less explored. As more research becomes community-based, it is useful to see, if effective clinical-trial recruitment strategies can be applied to social and applied research studies. The goal of this article is to examine clinical recruitment strategies used with older adults (e.g. print and electronic advertising, referrals, and community-partnered approaches) in applied social research studies and to illustrate issues arising from the use of each recruitment approach with older adults in real-life settings. Experiences from four community-based, social research studies are included to show how some of the most successful clinical recruitment strategies fare in social gerontological studies. Specific guidelines are provided about how recruitment strategies can aid in future study planning and improved recruitment of older participants in social research. |
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