Solicitation Procedures

Definition

Solicitation is a process through which volunteers are recruited to participate in research. Solicitation materials should inform about the main objective of the proposed study, time of the data collection, rough description of the data collection procedure, and information about the incentives, if any. More detailed description should be provided in the Informed Consent Form; the solicitation materials give a brief overview of the research project and invite potential participants to volunteer.

Population Vulnerability and Inclusion Issues

When recruiting volunteers, the PI must provide all the relevant information and be mindful about possible vulnerability of the target group. For example, the inclusion of students, employees, friends, and family members, may cause coercion, undue influence, or manipulation (see Vulnerable Populations).

On the other hand, the research must not exclude anybody from the participation opportunity, unless the person does not meet criteria linked to the research objectives. For example, a research whose objective is to investigate the happiness level in married couples cannot exclude couples based on their socio-economical status or ethnicity. However, persons who are not married at the time the research is conducted are automatically excluded form the research.

The bottom line: Be inclusive within the scope of study and mindful about the vulnerable populations.

The IRB ascertains how the population vulnerability and inclusion issues were addressed when reviewing the solicitation materials and description of their distribution. Some questions that the IRB members may consider when examining the solicitation materials:

• Where were the posters posted? Who had access to the online adds? (is it open access that everybody can see the posted or add, or is it posted in a place that only certain group of people can see?)

• For how long were the brochures available? (if the adds were displayed only in the morning, those who work full time may not be able to see them)

• Did the materials explain clearly what should the volunteers do? (e.g., if the research involves blood samples, you must let the volunteers know that you will take their blood)

• Was information about the incentive posted? (clearly stay whether the incentive is for everybody or for those who submit their emails to a poll, or no in

• Were there any manipulative expressions used? (an expression "if you are a good colleague, you will participate in my study" is manipulative. The example was paraphrased based on a solicitation email proposed by one of the undergraduate students to be sent to her classmates)

• Was the hierarchical coercion avoided? (e.g.: a poster that says "the morning shift employees are strongly encouraged to participate in the described research project" posted by the shift manager is highly coercive)

Sample Solicitation Materials

The recruitment materials may include, but are not limited to, posters, brochures, letters, printed ads, TV or radio commercials, texts messages, and emails. The IRB require to attach all the solicitation materials in the form that they will be distributed or published. A screenshot or a link to an inactive website is acceptable. Drafts, Word docs, or citations from thesis or dissertation paper are not acceptable.

You may want to review the examples below: