ResearchMatch

ResearchMatch is a national recruitment registry that brings together researchers and people who are interested to learn more about research studies via a secure website.

Researchers at Fordham University use this tool for:

• Feasibility Assessment – Researchers use ResearchMatch to assess the availability of volunteers that matches the requirements for study eligibility. Results of a feasibility assessment are provided in aggregate, without individually identifying information.
• Recruiting – Researchers invite volunteers who agree to be contacted.

Getting Started

Creating an Account
Create an account, and follow the prompt to register.

Conducting Feasibility Assessment
To conduct a feasibility assessment, a researcher must create an account with ResearchMatch.

Using the ResearchMatch search-building tools, the researcher enters search criteria to assess availability of the study population of interest within the ResearchMatch database. Criteria include (but are not limited to):

• Geographic factors (distance from institution and State);
• Age;
• Gender;
• Physical characteristics (height, weight, BMI);
• Race and Ethnicity;
• Health status (diagnosed diseases and conditions)*;
• Medication history, and;
• Twin status

*Absence of diagnoses is also captured for healthy volunteers

Upon completing a feasibility search, researchers can view how many ResearchMatch volunteers meet study-specific criteria.

Recruiting Research Participants

ResearchMatch provides tools to assess how many individuals meet eligibility criteria, to view non-identifying descriptions of potential matches, to add an IRB-approved recruitment message to send to eligible individuals, and inviting permission to release identifying information for researcher initiation of enrollment procedures. Tools include mechanisms for tracking enrollment statistics.

Securing IRB Approval
Every study requesting Recruitment Access must receive IRB approval to use ResearchMatch. The IRB submission and approval process is detailed in Fordham University's RM instructions.

To request approval to use this tool, researchers must ensure that "ResearchMatch" is indicated as a recruitment method in the Recruitment section of their IRB application. This must include the contact/recruitment message which will be sent to matched volunteers. Information identifying the study investigator(s) and how to contact recruitment coordinators must be omitted from this message, to retain communication pathways within ResearchMatch. Click here for more detailed instructions.

Click here for examples of contact messages.

Uploading Study-Specific Information
Once IRB approval is provided, researchers enter study details and upload the IRB-approval document. Following verification of IRB approval to use ResearchMatch for recruitment, the requesting researcher will receive notice that access has been granted.

Identifying and Communicating with Potential Volunteers
Researchers search the ResearchMatch database to assess how many individuals meet eligibility criteria, to view non-identifying descriptions of potential matches, and to add the IRB-approved recruitment message to send to eligible individuals.

ResearchMatch sends the study recruitment message to matched volunteers to inform them about a new opportunity to participate. Once individuals respond with permission to be contacted for that study, personal contact information is made available to the researcher within the secure ResearchMatch system.

Fordham University is in the process of researching if we will join REDCap community. If Fordham joins REDCap, researchers will be able to take advantage of the prescreening survey feature in ResearchMatch, which allows the system to automatically send participants to a pre-screening survey. However, researchers may also use an alternate survey platform to create and send out a pre-screening survey (manually) after receiving volunteer contact information in the continuum.

Quick Links

Video: How to Perform a Search for Volunteers
Video: How to Add a Study and Contact Volunteers
Researcher FAQ's

Technical Assistance with ResearchMatch

If you have general questions about ResearchMatch, please email [email protected] or [email protected]

Report technical difficulties with the ResearchMatch.org website.