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Social Media as a Recruitment Strategy with Transgender-Identified Individuals: Using an Ethical Lens to Direct Methodology
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Social Media as a Recruitment Strategy with Transgender-Identified Individuals: Using an Ethical Lens to Direct Methodology

Jake Bush and Christopher W. Blackwell
Journal of transcultural nursing, Vol.33(5), pp.603-614
09/2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10436596221101928
PMID: 35699438
Web of Science ID: WOS:000812230900001

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8 Times Cited - Web of Science

Abstract

Introduction: Researchers are limited when using traditional recruitment methods to access hidden and vulnerable populations, including transgender persons. Social media platforms such as Facebook can provide access to the transgender population and facilitate recruitment of a representative sample. There is little regulatory guidance for using social media as a recruitment strategy. Methodology: This article presents recruitment recommendations based on a study that generated a diverse sample of transgender-identified persons using Facebook as the sole recruitment method. Results: Despite taking precautions, computer bots penetrated the initial survey. A second survey distribution collected data from a diverse sample of transgender-identified individuals. Discussion: Researchers should design social media recruitment methods with attention to privacy and transparency. Thus, using social media platforms such as Facebook to recruit transgender participants that otherwise would be challenging to reach is a viable and ethically sound alternative to traditional recruitment methods.

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