Targeting intermediaries to recruit older women for qualitative, longitudinal research

Crafting a comprehensive recruitment plan for qualitative, longitudinal research requires consideration of many issues, particularly when a culturally diverse sample of older women is to be recruited for interviews conducted in their homes. The development of a detailed recruitment plan for a phenomenological investigation of older widows' experience of home care is described. The plan's two inter-related foci (targeted intermediaries and sequential phases) are presented. Strategies used to recruit participants through each targeted intermediary are explained, and the implementation of the sequential phases of the recruitment process is described. Successes and difficulties are considered in relation to the literature on recruiting older adults for research.