Researching with young people as participants: Issues in recruitment

Abstract

An essential element of human research is the successful recruitment of participants. Many researchers appear to be able to recruit participants quickly and without significant issues, while other researchers have more challenges. This paper presents some issues encountered when recruiting participants for a phenomenological research project on the lived experiences of young people aged 16–24 years, with type 1 diabetes living in a rural setting. Insights and strategies are presented to assist researchers when recruiting young people to their research.

Keywords:

• qualitative research
• recruitment
• nursing
• young people
• diabetes
• social networks