[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-165518-en":3,"doc-seo-165518-105":29,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":89},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":11,"category_id":12,"category_name":13,"doc_title":14,"doc_description":15,"doc_content":16,"file_id":17,"file_url":18,"file_type":19,"file_size":20,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":11,"is_downloadable":11,"audit_status":11,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":15,"update_tm":28,"read_time":11},165518,687207024643,"Rhys","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2",1,17,"Forms","Ethical Guidelines for Snowball Sampling","Guidelines explain snowball sampling as a non-probability approach in which recruited participants refer other potential participants, especially when target populations are hard to reach or extremely small. The document outlines why the method is used and compares two ethical pathways for recruiting referrals. It emphasizes risk minimization through limits on incentives, freedom from referral requirements, careful handling of eligibility criteria, and specific safeguards for authority bias, privacy, and consent materials in REB applications.","Ethical Guidelines for Snowball Sampling\nWhat is snowball sampling?\nSnowball sampling is a non-probability sampling method where research participants are asked to recruit or refer other participants for a research project. Researchers then use their own judgement to choose participants.\nWhy is snowball sampling used?\nWith some research questions, participants are difficult to find (e.g., cheating on exams, drug use) or the population may be extremely small. In these cases, those study participants that have been recruited are more likely to know other people in the same situation, so are invited to pass study information along.\nWays to use snowball sampling\nThere are usually two preferred ways\nPotential participants can be contacted by current participants, not the researcher.  With this method, researchers recruit a current participant and ask them to tell other people about the study. If interested, these people contact the researcher directly.\nCurrent participants provide the researcher with names and contact information of people they think might be interested and then the researcher contacts these people directly.\nEach has its own different ethical issues that need to be considered.\nIMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR EITHER METHOD:\nCurrent participants cannot receive any compensation for providing referrals, or be offered any incentives to provide referrals.\nCurrent participants must not be required to refer others or incur any penalty for not referring other participants.\nCurrent participants may not fully understand the criteria for inclusion and/or exclusion so may refer ineligible participants.\nThink through the ethical issues described below that are relevant to your specific situation and explain, in the application, how your chosen option handles these issues. The method that minimizes risk is the preferred choice.\nPotential participants contacted by current participants\nThis form of snowball sampling involves asking current participants  to assist the researcher in identifying other potential participants. The researcher would provide a short description of the study and their contact information and anyone interested would contact the researcher directly. The protocol for using this method must be justified in the REB application in the context of the study and the target population.\nEthical Issues to Note:\nIf a current participant is in a position of authority or commanding influence (especially where possible sanctions are involved) over the referred person, this method is not recommended. While, a continuum of influencing factors may exist, it is impossible to know exactly where justifiable persuasion ends and undue influence begins. For example, if a respected person in the community (e.g., Elder) or employer asks others.\nIf the current participant was recruited through a poster/brochure/email/social media poster, the researcher could encourage participants to pass the information on to others who may be interested or eligible (taking into consider point a). Interested prospective participants could then contact the researcher for more information. If, however, social media is used, in the consent form, discourage individuals from reposting, liking, or tagging people and to the extent possible monitor the accounts to see that such posts or tags are removed. Encourage direct messaging to the researcher.\nThe researcher must include the materials and/or instructions (e.g., recruitment script and researcher contact information) that they will be providing to participants within the REB application.\nExample scripts to include on the Consent Form and/or Recruitment material.\nIf you know other individuals that may be interested in participating in this research and are willing to contact them, I would appreciate it if you would send them the following script. There is no obligation for you to pass along this information, and there will be no penalty if you do not provide this information.\nMy name is [insert name] and","cbCaihZca4Pxw6nO","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihZca4Pxw6nO","docx",23879,3,"English","en",105,"# What is snowball sampling?\n# Why is snowball sampling used?\n# Ways to use snowball sampling\n## Potential participants contacted by current participants\n## Current participants provide names and contact information\n# IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR EITHER METHOD\n# Potential participants contacted by current participants\n## Ethical issues to note\n## Example scripts for consent and recruitment materials\n# Current participants provide the researcher with names and contact information\n## Ethical issues to note","[{\"question\":\"What is snowball sampling and how does it work?\",\"answer\":\"Snowball sampling is a non-probability method where research participants are asked to recruit or refer other participants. Researchers then use their judgment to choose participants.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is snowball sampling used in some studies?\",\"answer\":\"It is used when potential participants are difficult to find or when the population is extremely small. Recruited participants are more likely to know others in similar situations.\"},{\"question\":\"What ethical safeguards apply to either referral method?\",\"answer\":\"Current participants cannot be compensated or incentivized for referrals. They must not be required to refer others, must not face penalties for not referring, and may need support so they understand inclusion/exclusion criteria.\"}]","Ethical Guidelines for Snowball Sampling | DOCX",1788172992,{"code":4,"msg":30,"data":31},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":32,"title":14,"keywords":33,"description":15,"schema_data":34,"social_meta":84,"head_meta":86,"extra_data":88,"updated_unix":28},"ethical-guidelines-for-snowball-sampling","",{"@graph":35,"@context":83},[36,52,66],{"@type":37,"itemListElement":38},"BreadcrumbList",[39,43,47,49],{"item":40,"name":41,"@type":42,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":44,"name":45,"@type":42,"position":46},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":48,"name":13,"@type":42,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/forms/",{"item":50,"name":14,"@type":42,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/ethical-guidelines-for-snowball-sampling/165518/",4,{"url":50,"name":14,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":14,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":23,"description":15,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":60,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":61,"interactionStatistic":62},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":40,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document","2026-08-31",true,{"@type":63,"interactionType":64,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":65},"ViewAction",{"@type":67,"mainEntity":68},"FAQPage",[69,75,79],{"name":70,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":72},"What is snowball sampling and how does it work?","Question",{"text":73,"@type":74},"Snowball sampling is a non-probability method where research participants are asked to recruit or refer other participants. Researchers then use their judgment to choose participants.","Answer",{"name":76,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":77},"Why is snowball sampling used in some studies?",{"text":78,"@type":74},"It is used when potential participants are difficult to find or when the population is extremely small. Recruited participants are more likely to know others in similar situations.",{"name":80,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":81},"What ethical safeguards apply to either referral method?",{"text":82,"@type":74},"Current participants cannot be compensated or incentivized for referrals. They must not be required to refer others, must not face penalties for not referring, and may need support so they understand inclusion/exclusion criteria.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":50,"og:type":85,"og:title":14,"og:site_name":57,"og:description":15},"article",{"robots":87,"canonical":50},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":90},[91,96,101,106,111,116,119,124,129],{"id":92,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":97,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":102,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":107,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":112,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":12,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":13,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},40,"forms",{"id":120,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":125,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":130,"doc_module":11,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":131,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":132},158,"General","general-158"]