Research Guide

Panel Recruitment for Research Surveys

Recruitment is part of the measurement process. The survey link, participant identifiers, eligibility rules, quota behavior, and completion status all need to agree with the panel provider before the study opens.

A practical workflow

1
Define the eligible population
Translate inclusion criteria into provider targeting and survey-side screeners, with a documented rule for disagreements.
2
Preserve participant identity safely
Pass the provider ID through the study link and export it without collecting unnecessary direct identifiers.
3
Configure endings
Separate complete, screened-out, quota-full, attention-failed, and technical-error outcomes before copying redirect codes.
4
Test provider handoffs
Run each ending from the provider preview or a test link and verify both the redirect and recorded status.
5
Monitor and reconcile
Compare panel counts, survey statuses, duplicates, exclusions, and quota cells before approving participants.

Key design decisions

Decision	Guidance
Provider targeting or survey screening?	Use provider targeting for efficient recruitment and survey screening for criteria that must be measured inside the instrument; document both.
Hard quota or monitored target?	Use hard quotas only when exceeding a cell would be unusable or unaffordable. Otherwise monitor targets to avoid selection effects near closure.
Which identifier belongs in analysis?	Keep a stable pseudonymous provider ID for reconciliation and store direct contact data separately when it is genuinely required.