Recruitment Methods for Research Studies: 5 Screener Tips to find the Right Participants

Finding the right market research participants is a crucial part of any study – but getting it right isn’t always easy.

But with the right recruitment methods for research studies, and a screener that does the heavy lifting – it doesn’t have to be. Market Research Screeners carefully refines applicants, ensuring you recruit engaged, high-quality participants who fit your insight needs.

However, many screeners miss the mark. They’re too long, ask unnecessary or intrusive questions, or aren’t user-friendly – leading to a high level of incompletion, frustrated respondents and mis-recruits.

So, how can you optimise your screener to improve your participant recruitment process? In this guide, we’ll break down five expert tips to help you craft a clear, concise, and effective market research screener.

1. Be Clear on What You Need – And What You Don’t

When it comes to having effective recruitment methods for research studies, a great screener helps you define clear objectives. Without a focused approach, it’s easy to overcomplicate things, resulting in longer surveys, unnecessary questions, and lower completion rates.

How to get this right:

• Define your ideal participant – what demographics, behaviours, or experiences matter most?
• Prioritise must-haves over nice-to-haves – don’t be so restrictive that you exclude great participants.
• Sense check with your team – does everyone agree on the key criteria?

A good rule of thumb? If a question doesn’t directly help you qualify or disqualify a participant, remove it.

📌 Related Read: 5 Common Market Research Recruitment Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

2. Keep It Short, Simple, and Easy to Complete

One of the biggest frustrations participants and recruiters have with screeners is that they take too long to complete or ask irrelevant questions. If a screener feels like it’s dragging on or includes unnecessary enquiries, people drop out – and those who stay may rush through it just to get it over with.

According to MRS Guidelines, questionnaires should be concise, relevant, and designed with the respondent in mind.

How to keep screeners user-friendly:

• Aim for under 10 questions – any longer, and you risk dropouts.
• Use simple, jargon-free language – make questions clear and easy to understand. 
• Use multiple-choice where possible – open-ended questions slow participants down. 
• Test your screener – ask a colleague to complete it and give feedback.

3. Be Sensitive with Personal or Financial Questions

Asking for personal details, like household income or employment status, can make participants uncomfortable. If questions feel too intrusive or unnecessary, people may abandon the screener – or worse, give false answers.

How to handle sensitive questions carefully:

• Only ask if it’s essential – does it really impact your research? =
• Explain why you need the information – transparency builds trust.
• Give response ranges – instead of "What’s your exact salary?", ask "Which of the following income brackets applies to you?
• Prep those making recruitment calls – when real humans are involved in the process, they can put participants at ease, explaining why these questions are necessary and addressing concerns in a natural, reassuring way. This personal touch is a key part of Angelfish’s approach, ensuring a smoother and more trustworthy experience for participants. 

📌 Related Read: How to Boost Respondent Engagement

4. Avoid Leading Questions and Built-in Bias

It’s easy to accidentally phrase questions in a way that steers participants toward a certain answer. This creates bias in your research, which can skew your results.

How to avoid bias in screeners:

• Keep questions neutral – instead of "How much do you love this product?", ask "What are your thoughts on this product?"
• Include all reasonable answer choices – don’t force participants into a limited set of responses.
• Randomise multiple-choice answers – so placement bias doesn’t influence responses. 
• Pilot test your screener – have a few people complete it and flag any unclear wording. 

Did you know? The MRS Questionnaire Design Guidelines recommend avoiding assumptions in question wording to maintain data integrity.

5. Test and Tweak Before You Go Live

Even the best-written screeners can be improved with testing. Running a quick pilot test helps spot potential issues before launching your recruitment drive.

How to test effectively:

• Check completion rates – do participants drop out after a certain question? 
• Look for skipped or inconsistent answers – this can indicate confusion. 
• Refine questions based on feedback – small tweaks can make a big difference. 
• Keep optimising – even after launch, keep an eye on participant responses.

Final Thoughts: Get Participant Recruitment Right with Angelfish Fieldwork

Nailing your recruitment methods for research studies doesn’t have to be complicated. By keeping it short, user-friendly, and focused on the right criteria, you’ll attract higher-quality participants and boost the overall success of your market research participant recruitment.

At Angelfish Fieldwork, we:
✔ Have years of experience in participant recruitment
✔ Can help develop screeners to find high-quality, engaged participants
✔ Make the whole process smooth, hassle-free, and mistake-free

Ready to improve your research participant recruitment?

Contact us today – we’d love to help!