A Comparative Analysis of Recruitment Methods to Reach Emerging Adults Outside the Clinical Setting.

While social media and ResearchMatch are both successful tools for research recruitment, each provides distinct benefits for recruiting specific populations. ResearchMatch offers a lower-cost option and access to an older emerging adult population with higher education, while social media provides access to a younger emerging adult population. This knowledge can be imperative for deciding which recruitment methods best fit research study needs. Future research should explore differences in race by recruitment method to highlight potential sampling biases or recruitment opportunities.