Document Type
Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Facebook is a prominent social medial platform frequently used for business marketing. Researchers are starting to recognize the utility of this platform for developing research awareness, information dissemination, and more recently participant recruitment. PURPOSE: This paper will provide an overview of methods used in Facebook recruitment through an exemplar study. It will highlight successes and challenges and provide insight into future opportunities for its' use. METHODS: Two methods of Facebook recruitment are outlined in this paper: the use of Facebook groups and paid advertising. A step-by-step guide highlights how researchers can implement these specific methods of Facebook recruitment. RESULTS: Facebook was successfully utilized to recruit participants in the exemplar study. Recruitment was completed over a period of 82 days with a total cost of $157.09 Canadian dollars. CONCLUSION: Facebook is a viable method of recruiting research participants. This method can be cost-effective, timely, and efficient in comparison to traditional research recruitment methods. However, one must balance the benefits and challenges of this type of recruitment.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in The Canadian Journal of Nursing Research / Revue Canadienne De Recherche En Sciences Infirmieres, Volume 56, Issue 3, 2023, pages 247-256.
APA Citation
Ashfield, S., Donelle, L., Smith, M. J., Ève Dubé, & Tryphonopoulos, P. D. (2023). Challenges and Opportunities in Recruiting Research Participants Using Facebook: Lessons Learned from an Exemplar Study. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 56(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621231207546
Rights
© The Author(s) 2023. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page ((https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).