Underrepresented Groups

A fundamental task of research involves determining what type of research design would fulfill the goals of research, which subsequently informs recruitment of participants or coresearchers. Failure to recruit a diverse sample or coresearchers may affect the size and demographic characteristics of the sample, which may limit the research project in numerous ways. Small samples and sample bias may reduce the statistical power of the study and diminish its applicability of findings and interventions. This entry outlines the relation of research design to participants and researchers, defines underrepresented groups, and outlines strategies to enhance the recruitment and retention of underrepresented research participants. All aspects of the research study (i.e., designing project, pre-fieldwork, protocol development, recruitment, pilot research, analysis, and dissemination) are assumed to be interlocking.