Prospective sampling bias in COVID-19 recruitment methods: experimental evidence from a national randomized survey testing recruitment materials
Posted on 2022-09-27 - 07:48
Abstract Background In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, social science research has required recruiting many prospective participants. Many researchers have explicitly taken advantage of widespread public interest in COVID-19 to advertise their studies. Leveraging this interest, however, risks creating unrepresentative samples due to differential interest in the topic. In this study, we investigate the design of survey recruitment materials with respect to the views of resultant participants. Methods Within a pan-Canadian survey (stratified random mail sampling, n = 1969), the design of recruitment invitations to prospective respondents was experimentally varied, with some prospective respondents receiving COVID-specific recruitment messages and others receiving more general recruitment messages (described as research about health and health policy). All respondents participated, however, in the same survey, allowing comparison of both demographic and attitudinal features between these groups. Results Respondents recruited via COVID-19 specific postcards were more likely to agree that COVID-19 is serious and believe that they were likely to contract COVID-19 compared to non-COVID respondents (odds = 0.71, p = 0.04; odds = 0.74, p = 0.03 respectively; comparing health to COVID-19 framed respondents). COVID-19 specific respondents were more likely to disagree that the COVID-19 threat was exaggerated compared to the non-COVID survey respondents (odds = 1.44, p = 0.02). Conclusions COVID-19 recruitment framing garnered a higher response rate, as well as a sample with greater concern about coronavirus risks and impacts than respondents who received more neutrally framed recruitment materials.
CITE THIS COLLECTION
DataCiteDataCite
3 Biotech3 Biotech
3D Printing in Medicine3D Printing in Medicine
3D Research3D Research
3D-Printed Materials and Systems3D-Printed Materials and Systems
4OR4OR
AAPG BulletinAAPG Bulletin
AAPS OpenAAPS Open
AAPS PharmSciTechAAPS PharmSciTech
Abhandlungen aus dem Mathematischen Seminar der Universität HamburgAbhandlungen aus dem Mathematischen Seminar der Universität Hamburg
ABI Technik (German)ABI Technik (German)
Academic MedicineAcademic Medicine
Academic PediatricsAcademic Pediatrics
Academic PsychiatryAcademic Psychiatry
Academic QuestionsAcademic Questions
Academy of Management DiscoveriesAcademy of Management Discoveries
Academy of Management JournalAcademy of Management Journal
Academy of Management Learning and EducationAcademy of Management Learning and Education
Academy of Management PerspectivesAcademy of Management Perspectives
Academy of Management ProceedingsAcademy of Management Proceedings
Academy of Management ReviewAcademy of Management Review
Kennedy, Eric B.; Charifson, Mia; Jehn, Megan; Jensen, Eric A.; Vikse, Jenna (2022). Prospective sampling bias in COVID-19 recruitment methods: experimental evidence from a national randomized survey testing recruitment materials. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6218420.v1