Strategies to Recruit Minority Persons: A Systematic Review

This review examined 26 studies, published between 1995 and 2012, that reported on recruitment of persons of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Authors extracted data on the type of recruitment strategies used and overall reported effectiveness of each strategy. They then developed a list of effective strategies in recruiting persons of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Strategies included both proactive recruitment (e.g., face-to-face meetings) and reactive recruitment (e.g., collaboration with key leaders, snowball and word of mouth, printed material, and broadcast media). Other strategies included providing compensation, being flexible, and building rapport and trust. The review also found that employing ethnically and culturally diverse research staff were effective in recruiting participants.

Ibrahim S, Sidani S. Strategies to recruit minority persons: A systematic review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2014;16(5):882-888.