Research, Recruitment and Sampling

Participant recruitment, or the identification, invitation, and selection of individuals to participate in research, is often viewed as one of the most challenging but essential steps in conducting research. Research with trans individuals, communities, and populations presents some unique considerations and challenges for effective recruitment and sampling, as discussed in this entry. A brief historical overview is followed by an examination of principles and recommended practices in research with trans people and communities, and the entry concludes with a description of the key recruitment and sampling strategies used by today’s researchers.

Historically, research with trans populations has typically employed a variety of nonprobability sampling methods and approaches. With earlier academic scholarship being authored predominantly by cisgender (cis) medical professionals who interacted with trans individuals seeking out ...