Q – When does the IRB believe recruitment begins?
A – Recruitment involves seeking individuals to enroll or participate in a research project through advertisement. An advertisement is a public announcement usually by a printed notice or voice or data broadcast that describes a research study including contact information. The IRB considers advertising or soliciting for study participants to be the start of recruitment and in turn, the informed consent process and subject selection process. When advertising is to be used, the IRB must review the information contained in the advertisement, and the mode of its communication, to determine that the procedure for recruiting participants is not coercive and does not state or imply a certainty of favorable outcome or other benefits beyond what is outlined in the consent document and study protocol.
