Table 6.

Summary of strengths and weaknesses of each recruitment method, as seen in the INTERACT^a study (lessons learned from INTERACT results).

Recruitment method	Strengths	Weaknesses
Mailed letters	Highest and quickest completion rates Effective at recruiting older populations Higher share of older men than other methods	Most expensive cost-per-completer rate
Social media	Generally cost-effective for recruiting a large cohort Effective in recruiting women and younger participants	Had the lowest and slowest completion rates
News media	Low cost-per-completer rate Effective at recruiting older participants	Low effectiveness for recruiting participants without a university degree Little control from research team to garner attention from media
Partner communications	High completion rate Effective in reaching priority population participants Effective for recruiting participants without a university degree Least expensive cost-per-completer rate	Slow completion rate Important investments in time for building trust with partners
Snowball recruitment	Ease of implementation through automated email campaigns	Tends to reinforce trends within sample composition, because referred participants resemble their peers

^aINTERACT: Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team.