Recruitment Materials

Recruitment Materials Guidelines

  • Include institutional logos of the Principal Investigator's institution (UofA, AHS, or Covenant Health).
  • Add UofA Ethics ID (Pro000XXXXX) with a version date in the footer.
  • Provide the full study title and the name of the principal investigator.
  • Clearly state that participants are being invited to participate in a research study.
  • Include a contact name (e.g., study coordinator) with a UofA phone number and email address.
  • Briefly describe eligibility criteria and mention any specific exclusion criteria.
  • Mention the incentive offered without emphasizing the amount.
  • Provide an estimation of the time required for participation.
  • Use images that support the study information without emphasizing money if incentives are offered.
  • Avoid including sponsor logos on participant-facing materials. Use local research team logos instead.

Language Requirements

  • Use simple and lay language, avoiding jargon and acronyms.
  • Explain that a test article is investigational if referring to a new treatment, medication, or drug.
  • Avoid acronyms implying a favorable outcome in clinical research.
  • Use "research" or "research study" instead of "trial."
  • Use "participant" instead of "patient," "volunteer," or "subject."
  • Use "healthy participant" instead of "healthy volunteer" or "healthy control."
  • Use "investigational" instead of "experimental."
  • Use "at no cost" instead of "free."
  • Avoid overly incentivizing language.

Download the full documentRecruitment Guidelines.