Remote Recruitment and Training Methods as a Way to Increase Diversity in Community Samples for EMA Studies: A Research Note

Researchers have only recently recognized the paucity of research on sexual minority samples and the need to diversify research samples. However, recruiting sexual minority samples of sufficient size to allow for adequate statistical power can be challenging, particularly when the goal is to compare heterosexual with sexual minority subsamples. We describe successful efforts to recruit same-sex male and female intimate couples in sufficient numbers to permit comparison with a larger sample of primarily mixed-sex community couples participating in a 30-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study of alcohol and relationship functioning. Our efforts involved targeting Facebook ads to appeal to same-sex couples, expanding the geographic reach of the ads beyond the local area, and conducting videoconference as opposed to in-person orientation sessions. Efforts yielded sufficient numbers of same-sex couples meeting stringent eligibility criteria to permit statistical comparisons and offer a potentially cost-effective means for recruiting hard-to-reach populations.