Describing engagement practices for the Enhance Diversity Study using principles of Tailored Panel Management

The purpose of this chapter is to examine engagement strategies used in a large, multisite evaluation study through the lens of Estrada, Woodcock, and Schultz’s (2014) tailored panel management. The evaluation, called the Enhance Diversity Study (EDS), is part of an effort funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to increase diversity in NIH-funded research. The chapter discusses engagement with a large national cohort of student participants and outlines survey administration complexities, tailored engagement approaches, and annual survey response trends. It shows how the EDS expanded Estrada and colleagues’ concepts of credibility by integrating branding strategies that permeated all aspects of the study. The resulting practices, as modified over time, extend knowledge of how to increase survey response rates across a multisite, multiprogram, longitudinal evaluation. As data collection continues, subsequent analysis may provide more clarity on the impact of these strategies on retention. Future researchers should explore the impacts of incorporating fully developed branding strategies to enhance study commitment and cohort retention. While past research has guided surveys through phone, mail, and multimodal distribution, more research is needed to understand how to engage participants and retain them in an increasingly competitive and digital world.