Clarity and Accuracy

Recruitment content must clearly communicate the study purpose, basic eligibility, time commitment, and contact information in language appropriate to the audience (students, patients, or community members).

Avoiding Coercion or Undue Influence

Materials must not:

• Overstate or guarantee benefits
• Minimize risks
• Imply pressure to participate
• Use exculpatory language (statements that waive rights or release investigators from responsibility)
• Suggest that participation affects grades, employment, access to services, or clinical care

Equitable Subject Selection

Recruitment plans should fairly reach individuals relevant to the research question, across academic, clinical, and community environments. Consider setting-specific needs (e.g., translation, literacy level, cultural norms).

Respect for Privacy

Recruitment must follow relevant privacy and confidentiality standards, including HIPAA for clinical recruitment and FERPA when engaging students.

The HRPP/IRB must review all recruitment materials and strategies, including:

• Flyers, posters, brochures
• Classroom announcements, student emails, departmental listserv posts
• Clinic signage, waiting-room materials, patient portal messages
• Letters, emails, phone scripts, text messages
• Social media content, targeted ads, and online platforms
• Community outreach materials, presentations, or scripts

All materials must be in final format at the time of submission.

Academic Settings (Students, Faculty, and Staff)

• Avoid implying that participation affects academic standing or employment.
• If recruiting your own students or supervisees, use a neutral third party to distribute information whenever possible.
• Clearly describe methods to minimize undue influence.

Hospital and Clinical Settings

• Follow HIPAA and institutional rules for accessing or contacting patients.
• Do not use clinical records for recruitment unless explicitly approved by the IRB.
• Distinguish clinical care from research; recruitment may not imply therapeutic benefit.
• Clinic flyers, posters, or digital signage require IRB approval and site permission.

Community Settings

• Work with community partners to ensure cultural appropriateness and clarity.
• Use channels appropriate to the community (local newsletters, community boards, social media groups, faith organizations).
• Obtain permission before distributing materials in community locations.

All online content must be IRB-approved, including:

• Text, images, hashtags, and videos
• Targeting criteria (age, location, interests)
• Methods for monitoring and responding to comments or messages

Recruitment may not:

• Overstate benefits
• Imply that an investigational product is safe, effective, or superior
• Use terms such as “new treatment” without clarifying investigational status

• Compensation may be mentioned but may not be emphasized using large fonts, bold text, or promotional phrasing.
• Incentives must not be so large as to unduly influence participation—particularly in relationships with power dynamics (e.g., clinician/patient, instructor/student).
• Recruitment materials may not promise “free treatment” unless this is accurate and approved.
• Materials may not include coupons or discounts for future purchase of a product after approval.

Recruitment materials must be limited to information that helps potential participants determine eligibility and interest, such as:

• Name and address of the investigator or research facility
• Condition under study or purpose of the research
• Summary of eligibility criteria
• Brief description of participation benefits (if any), without implying guaranteed benefit
• Time or other commitment required
• Location of the research and contact information

Recruitment materials must not:

• State or imply certainty of favorable outcomes
• Suggest the investigational item is safe/effective or superior to existing treatments
• Include exculpatory language
• Promise “free treatment” unless accurate
• Use “new drug,” “new treatment,” or similar terms without stating it is investigational
• Include coupons or future purchase discounts
• Emphasize compensation

Recruitment strategies should reflect the diversity of the population relevant to the research topic. Consider:

• Translated materials
• Accessible formats and readability
• Community-based recruitment channels
• Clinics serving diverse patient populations
• Academic resource centers and student networks
• Barriers such as transportation, childcare, or technology access

Include the following when submitting recruitment materials:

• Final copies of all recruitment text, images, audio, and video
• Description of recruitment settings (academic, hospital, community)
• Targeting criteria for online/social media ads
• Phone, classroom, clinic, or community outreach scripts
• Privacy safeguards and how inquiries will be handled
• Any relationships that may introduce perceived pressure
• Incentive plans and exact language used
• Translations or alternative formats, if applicable

Can I post a flyer in a hospital clinic or waiting area?

Yes, but only with IRB approval and with clinic/hospital administrative permission.

Can I recruit students from my own course?

Yes, but with safeguards to reduce the perception of pressure, such as using a third party to distribute recruitment information.

Can community organizations help share recruitment materials?

Yes—however, the materials still require IRB approval before distribution.

Do online posts need IRB approval?

Yes, all public-facing recruitment must be reviewed and approved.

For questions about recruitment or assistance with your IRB submission, email irb@brown.edu.

For more information, researchers are encouraged to refer to the Investigator Manual (HRP-103), a key resource within the HRPP Toolkit. It serves as a foundational guide to the policies, procedures, and expectations for conducting Human Research and helps investigators navigate HRPP and IRB processes specific to their institution.