Recruiting Teenage Participants for an Online Security Experiment: A Case Study Using Peachjar

TL;DR

This case study explores using Peachjar to recruit teenage participants for online security research, highlighting its benefits, costs, and challenges in obtaining a diverse sample of minors.

Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility and limitations of using Peachjar for recruiting teenage participants in online security experiments.

Findings

Successfully recruited 55 teens from 90 schools

Estimated cost per participant was $43.18

Peachjar can reach geographically diverse teen samples

Abstract

The recruitment of teenagers for usable privacy and security research is challenging, but essential. This case study presents our experience using the online flier distribution service Peachjar to recruit minor teenagers for an online security experiment. By distributing fliers to 90 K-12 schools, we recruited a diverse sample of 55 participants at an estimated cost per participant of $43.18. We discuss the benefits and drawbacks of Peachjar, concluding that it can facilitate the recruitment of a geographically diverse sample of teens for online studies, but it requires careful design to protect against spam and may be more expensive than other online methods. We conclude by proposing ways of using Peachjar more effectively.