Guidance for researchers planning to use social media for recruitment

Researchers who are planning to recruit participants via social media are advised to take the following steps when planning, writing and submitting their application to the School Research Ethics Committee (SREC):

1. In the application provide the SREC with a statement describing the proposed social media recruitment techniques including:
   1. A list of the social media sites to be used.
   2. A description of whether recruitment will be passive¹ and/or active².
   3. If employing an active recruitment strategy, an account of how potential participants will be identified and approached, and their privacy maintained.
2. Ensure that the social media recruitment strategy complies with relevant data protection legislation. If there is any doubt over whether the proposed strategy complies with relevant data protection legislation, researchers should always refer to or take advice from the University data protection team at dataprotection@dundee.ac.uk Additional information can be found at the Data Protection webpages.
3. Provide the SREC with a statement certifying compliance with the policies and terms of use of relevant websites OR if the proposed techniques conflict with relevant website policies/terms of use:
   1. Seek advice from the University legal team at legalteam@dundee.ac.uk before approaching the website to obtain an exception.
   2. Provide the SREC with written documentation that the exception has been granted, without a written exception the proposed techniques cannot be utilised.
4. Ensure that the proposed recruitment strategy respects all relevant ethical norms, including:
   1. Does not involve deception or the fabrication of online identities.
   2. Does not involve the researcher ‘lurking’ or ‘creeping’ on social media sites in ways members of the site are unaware of.
   3. Does not involve approaches or contact that could embarrass or stigmatize potential participants.
5. Ensure that consent is obtained from current participants before inviting these individuals to approach members of their network on the researcher’s behalf.
6. Consider whether a formal communication plan is needed for managing social media activities among participants, including:
   1. Steps to educate participants on how certain types of communication³ with other participants can jeopardize the validity of a study (e.g., information in the participant information sheet).
   2. Triggers for intervention from the researcher should participants act in a way which threatens the validity of the study.
   3. Proposed Interventions by the researcher (e.g., correction of misinformation).
7. Ensure that participants are aware that social media sites track users following links to external sites. Thus, it is important that we adjust our practices to protect people’s confidentiality. A suggested wording that can be incorporated into information provided to potential participants is “The University of Dundee takes your confidentiality seriously. By clicking on this link, you may be tracked by the provider of the current web page. In order to prevent this, we advise that you cut and paste the URL into a new browser tab or page”.

Note: We acknowledge the contribution of Luke Gelinas and colleagues who produced the following guidance and gave permission for us to base our guidance on their document adapted to the UK context.

The Use of Social Media in Recruitment to Research: A Guide for Investigators and IRBs. Harvard Catalyst Regulatory Foundations, Ethics, & Law Program

Parts of the guidance document are reproduced in:

Gelinas, Pierce, et al. (2017). “Using Social Media as a Research Recruitment Tool: Ethical Issues and Recommendations,” American Journal of Bioethics. 17(3):3- 14.

A copy of the author accepted manuscript of Using Social Media as a Research Recruitment Tool: Ethical Issues and Recommendations is available. 

1 Passive recruitment is where the researcher uses materials, such as flyers, to promote the study and invite potential participants to contact the researcher for more information.

2 Active recruitment is where the researcher makes direct contact with potential participants with a view to inviting them to take part in the study,

3 For further guidance refer to ‘The Use of Social Media in Recruitment to Research: A Guide for Investigators and IRBs’ Harvard Catalyst Regulatory Foundations, Ethics, & Law Program