Recruitment and Site Permissions

Recruitment Permission

Physical Sites and Materials

You do not need permission to recruit adult research participants from physical spaces such as parks or libraries through in-person oral recruitment or handing out flyers. But before posting physical recruitment materials in public spaces (e.g., coffee shops, grocery stores, church bulletin boards), ask a manager or other organizational authority whether you may do so. Read WWU policy information before posting physical recruitment flyers on campus.

Online Spaces

You do not need permission to post recruitment announcements to public online groups or on your own social media feeds. You may also ask others if they will share your recruitment announcement in their feeds. But if a group requires membership to join or has a set of group expectations, contact an administrator to ask permission before posting recruitment materials. Even if you are a member, you need explicit permission to send research study recruitment announcements via an organizational listserv, unless the group's stated policies allow for such use.

Snowball Sampling

Permission also extends to individual privacy. When engaging in snowball sampling for recruitment, you may ask others to share your study information to allow interested persons to contact you (outward snowball direction). But others should never provide you with someone else's contact information (inward direction) unless they have explicit permission to do so.

Documentation

For adult populations without special circumstances, you may state in your HRPP application that you have obtained necessary permissions for recruitment within that organization or group.

If you are recruiting special populations in certain settings (e.g., minors, tribal communities, prisons or other correctional facilities), your site permission letter also needs to address recruitment.

Site Permissions

Site permission letters document that you have the necessary authority to conduct your research project with a special population or a unique location not otherwise accessible to you or to the general public. (This includes private data sets.) The person who writes the letter should have the necessary authority to grant permission and should be fully familiar with your research protocol, including any recruitment, consent processes, and data collection activities.

Some examples where site permission may be required:

• Schools/educational departments (pre-K—12 research always requires site permission)
• Medical offices or clinics
• Private companies, non-profit or non-government organizations
• Religious institutions
• Federal, state, or local governance institutions or offices
• Closed/private online social media groups
• Other universities

Do I need permission to recruit or conduct research activities at Western Washington University?

Possibly. A specific department, college, or administration might require you to obtain permission, depending on your study recruitment or procedure methods. For example, if you wished to send a recruitment email to a specific College, you would need permission from the Dean's office. Or if you want to analyze certain institutional data, you need permission from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. If you're not sure, check with that specific office to inquire. Then, either include that permission letter with your HRPP application or state in your application that you verified formal permission is not necessary.

Documentation

Letters or emails should clearly state that the authorized individual understands the nature of your protocol and all activities related to their organization/group and gives you permission to conduct these activities with that population and/or in that location.

Include site permission(s) with your initial HRPP application as an attached PDF. Letters must be signed on organizational letterhead. Emails must originate from the individual's professional organizational email. Please do not ask individuals to email the HRPP directly, as their messages might be screened into Clutter/Junk or missed among other HRPP business.

Occasionally, an organization (e.g., a school district) will require HRPP/IRB approval before providing permission. In those cases, we will provide a "conditional approval" letter pending receipt of their permission. You will need to wait for final HRPP approval to begin any study activities, including recruitment.