Recruiting participants is one of the hardest parts of clinical research. Many studies miss their enrollment targets, and a common reason is that potential volunteers never hear about the study or cannot quickly tell whether they qualify and what taking part involves. A clear, friendly recruitment fact sheet solves that. It tells people who the study is for, what they would do, how long it takes, what they receive for their time, and how to find out more. This template, shown for a sleep study testing a digital therapy program, is designed to be approachable, honest, and easy for an ethics committee to review.
What Volunteers Want to Know
People considering a study think about practical questions first. Am I eligible? What will I have to do, and how often? Is there any medicine or procedure involved? How much time does it take, and will I be paid? Can I stop if I change my mind? Who is running it? The template answers each one in plain words, starting with a friendly question as the headline.
A Crescent Moon on Deep Blue
The header is a deep indigo night sky with a pale yellow crescent moon and four small stars on the right, a gentle motif for a sleep study. A yellow RESEARCH STUDY · NOW ENROLLING label introduces the headline, Trouble sleeping?, in white Lexend, a sentence introducing the SLEEP-WELL Study, and a reassuring yellow note: No medication is involved. Lexend is used throughout because it is designed for easy reading.
Two lists follow: You may be able to join if you, with green checkmarks, and you cannot join if you, with red bullets. What happens in the study is a table of visits, timing, and what happens at each step, from screening to follow-up. Three pale indigo tiles summarise total time in the study, the number of clinic visits, and compensation. Good to know explains that participation is voluntary, information is confidential, and parking is free. An indigo contact box gives the study team’s phone, email and centre, beside a QR code labelled CHECK IF YOU QUALIFY. The principal investigator, protocol number and a statement of ethics approval appear at the bottom. The flyer is laid out for US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches, in portrait.
Plain-Language Swaps for Study Documents
Ethics committees encourage plain language in recruitment materials. Use these swaps when you adapt the template:
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Inclusion criteria | You may be able to join if you |
| Exclusion criteria | You cannot join if you |
| Randomised | Chosen by chance, like flipping a coin |
| Placebo | A dummy treatment with no active ingredient |
| Investigational | Being tested; not yet approved for this use |
| Adverse event | A side effect or health problem during the study |
| Remuneration | Payment for your time |
Adapting It to Your Study
- Rewrite the header question around the condition (Living with type 2 diabetes? Do you have knee pain?) and the one-line description.
- List the key eligibility criteria only, not the full protocol list. Four or five of each is plenty.
- Select the visit table and use Edit Data to describe each visit, with + Row for more visits.
- Update the three tiles with total duration, number of visits, and compensation.
- Rewrite the Good to know points for your study’s arrangements.
- Change the contacts, investigator, protocol number, and ethics statement.
- Link the QR code in the Barcodes & QR panel to your pre-screening questionnaire or study page.
- Replace the moon motif with an icon that suits your study area; it is an editable group of shapes.
Ethics Review and Recruitment Materials
Recruitment materials usually need approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or research ethics committee before use, and any change must be reapproved. Reviewers look for accurate descriptions, no promises of benefit, no undue emphasis on payment, clear statements that participation is voluntary, and contact information. Avoid words like free treatment or new cure, and do not make payment the largest element on the page. The template follows these principles, with compensation shown as one of three equal tiles and phrased as for your time.
Where to Recruit
Post the flyer in clinic waiting rooms, pharmacies, community centres, libraries, universities, gyms and places of worship, with permission. Share the PDF through patient advocacy groups, study registries, social media and email newsletters. For conditions that affect particular communities, work with community organisations to reach people who are often under-represented in research, and consider translated versions.
Making Participation Easy
Many people want to help research but cannot spare time off work or travel to a hospital. If your study includes home-based or remote elements, say so clearly, as the template does (you can do most of the study from home). Mention free parking, evening appointments, travel reimbursement, or childcare if they are available. Reducing practical barriers often improves enrollment more than increasing payment.
The Visit Table Sets Honest Expectations
Dropouts are costly for studies and frustrating for participants, and many happen because people did not realise how much a study would ask of them. The visit table lists every contact point with its timing and length, so volunteers can judge whether it fits their lives before they sign up. Be precise: about 60 minutes is more useful than a short visit.
Other Types of Research
The layout works for drug and device trials, behavioural and psychology studies, vaccine trials, nutrition and exercise studies, healthy-volunteer studies, university student research and market research panels. For paediatric studies, write the headline to parents (Does your child have asthma?) and add a section about what the child will do.
Printing for Clinics and Notice Boards
Print in colour for noticeboards so the deep blue header stands out; the lists and table remain readable in greyscale. Consider tear-off tabs with the phone number along the bottom of printed copies for community boards.
Study Coordinator FAQs
Can I list the full eligibility criteria?
Keep the flyer to the main criteria; the full list belongs in the screening process and consent form.
Should compensation be on the flyer?
Many studies include it; follow your ethics committee’s guidance on how to present it.
Can I add a photo?
Yes, if your ethics committee approves it. Replace the moon motif with a friendly, relevant photo slot.
Open the template, add your study’s criteria, schedule, and contacts, and help the right volunteers find your research.
