JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

This article will explore the use and implications of social media for the purposes of participant recruitment within qualitative healthcare research using an example from our research team. As social media and the use of digital recruitment methods have become increasingly prevalent in recent years and even more so since the Covid–19 pandemic, there remains little discussion surrounding social media usage and strategies to effectively recruit research participants. This information may help guide qualitative researchers who are considering the use of social media to recruit eligible research participants. We discuss the key benefits and challenges to consider when using social media for participant recruitment in research and present our experience using this strategy in a research project as a way to illustrate its use and considerations for researchers. Critical considerations for future researchers include content creation, formatting, and posting frequency; connecting with established community organizations or individuals; and continuously refining the respective strategy with metric analytics. Definitions, examples, and detailed experiences are provided throughout the article to assist other researchers who are considering social media as a tool to facilitate participant recruitment.