Participant recruitment among vulnerable populations: An experience from a qualitative study among refugee adolescents in Germany

When it comes to actual practice, comparing to theoretical plans, the study progress is much more complicated due to both predicted and unpredicted challenges in the study participant recruitment. The situation is even more difficult if the research team deal with a vulnerable population. The current article represents and discusses the recruitment process for a currently unpublished qualitative study, conducted in Germany in 2021, as the first phase of our project: SC-SD4ASA: A self-care/self-development guidebook for asylum-seeking adolescents. First a brief of the study methodology is outlined and then, the strategies used to reach the potential participants including major/government organizations for refugees, private organizations and local centers, social media, youth’s favorite public places, and participatory strategy are discussed. Finally, our experience of participant recruitment challenges in this study is reviewed. We hope that the points raised from our experience can be helpful to other researchers in the same field. Overall, the experience of recruiting our participants emphasized the necessity for a dedicated point of contact for consultation and the provision of resources to connect with potential participants for researchers in the field of refugee and migrant health. Furthermore, the influence of trustworthy individuals, particularly within the community, should not be underestimated. Their assistance can significantly benefit the advancement of a research project.