Older African American rural residents
Build sustained relationships through trusted local organizations and consistent staff contacts.
Burns et al. (2008)Representation in practice
Strategies for more inclusive outreach
Use these evidence-informed ideas to diagnose recruitment barriers and select outreach approaches that fit the community, study, and groups currently underrepresented.
Start with the barrier, not the demographic label
Underrepresentation can reflect transportation, timing, language, disability access, mistrust, digital access, recruitment channels, eligibility rules, or a lack of visible benefit. Speak with community partners and potential participants before selecting a strategy.
A practical planning sequence
- 1
Identify the gap
Use the results to identify which groups and geographies are missing or participating at lower rates.
- 2
Investigate the cause
Ask whether the gap comes from outreach channels, trust, timing, accessibility, incentives, eligibility, or data collection design.
- 3
Co-design the response
Work with organizations and residents who understand the group’s priorities, networks, and participation constraints.
- 4
Track improvement
Document what changed, monitor recruitment and retention, and revise the strategy when it is not improving participation.
Evidence by population and barrier
The examples below are starting points, not universal prescriptions. Adapt each approach to local history and participant feedback.
Older adults
Invest in relationship-building before recruitment and involve community partners across the research process.
Diallo et al. (2024)Youth
Use participatory visual methods such as photovoice and digital storytelling, and give young people meaningful control over inquiry and communication.
Greene, Burke, and McKenna (2018)Cross-cutting practices
Trusted messengers
Partner with organizations and people who already have accountable, sustained relationships with the community.
Compensation and access
Compensate time and expertise, and address transportation, childcare, food, technology, and scheduling needs.
Language and format
Use translated, oral, visual, low-literacy, mobile-friendly, and disability-accessible participation options.
Transparency and reciprocity
Explain how input will be used, report back what was learned, and show what changed because people participated.
Document the strategy
Record the representation gap, the barrier you believe produced it, who helped design the response, what resources were provided, which recruitment channels were used, and whether participation improved. This makes the outreach plan assessable rather than anecdotal.