When Social Media Recruiting Goes Wrong: A Cautionary Tale of Sample Engagement

Doctoral candidates’ experiences with recruiting participants vary in many ways. While some execute plans with ease, others implement their strategic plan for recruitment only to find that it does not work well or does not work at all. While successful recruitment is rarely reflected upon, the candidate who experiences unexpected difficulty with recruitment has several potential negative effects including increased time to degree completion, increased program and recruitment costs, and increased potential for dropout. In this case study, we present a cautionary tale of sample engagement from the gaming community where a doctoral candidate experienced doxxing, social media banning, and long-lasting effects during recruitment for their qualitative study. In addition to the narrative account, we, as a former student-committee member team, reflect on the situation and provide recommendations for preventative measures to avoid similar situations.