Recruitment & Administration (REC-ADMN)

Code: REC-ADMN

The REC-ADMN pillar covers how participants are sourced, recruited, onboarded, incentivised, tracked, supported and governed throughout research engagement.

REC-ADMN 1.0.0 Recruiting Participants

Recruitment ensures researchers can access appropriate, representative participants in a timely and ethical way.

REC-ADMN 1.1.0 Sourcing Participants

P

REC-ADMN 1.1.1

Representative Sampling Principle

Sampling should reflect the intended population. Excluding groups inadvertently introduces systematic bias and weakens research validity.

G

REC-ADMN 1.1.2

Evaluate Participant Sources

Assess recruitment channels for:

  • diversity of participants
  • cost and sustainability
  • operational load
  • risk of sampling bias

Organisations may use agencies, internal panels or hybrid models.

REC-ADMN 1.2.0 Participant Panel & CRM Setup

G

REC-ADMN 1.2.1

Guidance on Participant Panel & CRM

A research CRM supports ethical, efficient and repeatable recruitment.

  • store consent, preferences and participation history
  • segment participants via attributes and tags
  • refresh and retire contacts routinely
  • ensure all data handling follows governance policies

REC-ADMN 1.3.0 Inclusive Recruitment & Bias Reduction

G

REC-ADMN 1.3.1

Inclusive Recruitment Guidance

Recruitment must actively broaden representation.

  • use accessible, inclusive language
  • offer reasonable adjustments
  • monitor diversity and adjust outreach
  • train teams to recognise their own biases

REC-ADMN 2.0.0 Participation Incentives

REC-ADMN 2.1.0 Incentivise Participants

G

REC-ADMN 2.1.1

Guidance on Incentives

Match incentives to effort and complexity. Avoid undue influence.

  • pay promptly
  • offer alternatives for vulnerable groups

REC-ADMN 2.2.0 Participant Experience & Logistics Automation

G

REC-ADMN 2.2.1

Managing Participant Experience
  • automated scheduling & reminders
  • clear joining instructions
  • automated incentive distribution
  • feedback collection after sessions

REC-ADMN 3.0.0 Consent & Participant Administration

R

REC-ADMN 3.0.1

Informed Consent Requirement

Consent must be informed, documented and securely stored.

G

REC-ADMN 3.0.2

Consent Administration Guidance

Use standard templates, track consent changes and reconfirm during longitudinal studies.

REC-ADMN 4.0.0 Participant Database & Panel Management

P

REC-ADMN 4.0.1

Panel Governance Principle

Panels require governance: diversity, consent tracking, retention, refresh cycles and role-based access.

R

REC-ADMN 4.0.2

Panel Data & Consent Record Requirement

Record and secure consent-for-recontact, demographic attributes (per consent), restrictions and last-contact timestamp.

REC-ADMN 5.0.0 Recruitment Data Handling & Privacy

R

REC-ADMN 5.0.1

Recruitment Data Protection Requirement

Recruitment data must follow organisational privacy, minimisation, security and access policies.

REC-ADMN 6.0.0 Reporting, Attrition & Participation Tracking

G

REC-ADMN 6.0.1

Participation Tracking Guidance

Track invitations, acceptances, withdrawals, attendance and completion to analyse attrition and representation.

Glossary & Definitions

Participant Panel
Database of individuals who consent to ongoing research contact.
Consent Log
Record of consent status, timestamps and any withdrawal.
Representative Sampling
A sampling approach aimed at reflecting relevant diversity.
Attrition
Drop-off between recruitment stages.

Templates & Artefacts

Change History

Version Date Summary Author
0.1-draft 2025-12-11 Aligned REC-ADMN to unified pillar structure. Corrected hierarchy and SKOS notation. ResearchOps Governance Team