The process of sample recruitment: an ethostatistical perspective

This article draws on the authors' fieldwork experiences in four different research studies to address the gap in the methodological literature on the practical activities of sample recruitment. Boundaries between ineligibility and refusal are considered along with the `emotional labour' required during the recruitment process. In particular, the article aims to draw attention to the necessary indeterminacies in the recruitment process to show how the practical reasoning and situated action of researchers in the field critically determine the constitution of the study sample and the recruitment rate. It is concluded that, while no rules can adequately specify the process of recruitment, more resources, particularly to allow team recruitment, would reduce researcher stress and allow greater quality control.