This document provides guidance for recruiting hard-to-find participants through intercept interviews. It outlines a 7-step process: 1) observe potential participants, 2) approach them, 3) invite them to participate, 4) read their reactions, 5) respond to objections, 6) ask if they qualify, and 7) transition to the interview. It also recommends choosing high-traffic public locations, using intermediaries, scripting but being flexible, monitoring participant sampling goals, and considering personal safety and biases when recruiting research participants through intercept interviews.

1. Intercept them in the wild:
Recruiting hard-to-find participants
Dana Chisnell
Whitney Quesenbery
Center for Civic Design

2. Hi. Can I ask you some
quick questions?

3. Why would anybody
recruit research participants
this way?

4. What’s happening here?
1. Observe
2. Approach
3. Invite
4. Read reactions
5. Respond to objections
6. Ask
7. Transition

5. Observe
What are you looking for?
fit for the sample
sanity
eye contact
1

6. Approach
How do you present yourself?
asking for a favor
not crazy or scary
not selling anything
not begging
2

7. Invite
Talking to strangers
smiling
walking
pitching
3

8. Read
How do you know whether they’re willing?
If they’re not leaving, keep talking
If they keep going, walk along for a bit
4

9. Respond
What are their concerns?
credibility
purpose of interview
time
just NO
5

10. Ask
Do they qualify?
minimal qualifications
snap decisions
easy to dismiss
start with a script but be willing to flex
6

11. Transition
Willing to spend more time?
thanks
could I have [specific amount of time]
progressive (quick) disclosure
keep the time promise
7

12. Practicalities:
Planning for intercepts

13. Goals
§ What do you want to end up with?
§ What are you using the data for?

14. Locations and timing
§ High traffic, but not traversing
§ Lots of loitering or waiting
§ Cafes
§ Community centers
§ Mixed use areas
§ Open markets or malls

15. Intermediaries
People who are connected to the community that you
want to meet
Trusted sources
Know the territory
Caution: Be clear about roles

16. Scripting
Flexibly transitioning
§ Pre-visualize
§ Checklist-like
§ Track timing

19. Transition

20. Very quick!

21. Sampling and targets
Have in mind what you want coverage to be
Check on the mix at regular intervals
Look at what you’re learning from whom
Set goals

22. Choosing whom to
approach

23. Issues in
self-awareness

24. Issues in self-awareness
fear and apprehension
bias
getting started

25. Personal comfort and safety
§ Dress for weather
§ Choose shoes for standing
§ Drink water

26. Personal comfort and safety
§ Work with a partner
§ Be aware of surroundings
§ Not after dark, outside

27. Languages
Have materials available in languages
Make the translator a partner
make sure they know the goals of the study
give them the script
get translations ahead of time
Don’t insist on one language or the other

28.
Summary
Choose locations carefully
Use intermediaries and translators
Script but flex
Choreograph the transition
Be aware of personal biases
Work in pairs

29. Thank you

30. Dana Chisnell
Whitney Quesenbery
Center for Civic Design
hello@centerforcivicdesign.org
blog: civicdesigning.org