ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses issues related to including older adults in design research such as sampling, recruitment, measurement, and design of research protocols. It highlights a few issues that need special consideration when conducting research with older people. In general, older adults are less likely than younger adults to be familiar with the research process and research environments. The chapter provides guidelines for auditory presentation of information; for example, when providing oral instruction, attention must be given to speech rate and speech clarity. Successful recruitment of participants is essential to the success of any research activity. The primary goal of recruitment is to enroll the required number of participants who are representative of the target population and meet study inclusion/exclusion criteria. Recruitment strategies that target older adults might include newspaper advertisements, attending events at senior centers or church events, radio advertisements, or advertising in a community newsletter or website.