Publication type
Survey Futures Working Paper Series
Series Number
28
Series
Survey Futures Working Paper Series
Authors
Publication date
August 13, 2026
Summary:
This paper evaluates the feasibility of using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) with probability-based seeds to recruit young adults. Previous research suggests young adults may be suited to RDS because they are willing to recruit peers, while online peer-to-peer recruitment aligns with their communication habits. Using seeds drawn from the probability-based NatCen Opinion Panel, we investigate RDS-based recruitment among young adults aged 18-24. We examine recruitment dynamics, willingness to recruit, predictors of recruitment cooperation, homophily, seed productivity, including super-seed chains, and non-compliance.
A total of 820 seeds were issued, of which 317 participated (38.7%) and 183 agreed to recruit peers. 2,229 productive respondents were recruited over ten waves, averaging 1.1 recruits per participant. Recruitment showed substantial attrition but became increasingly self-sustaining after initial waves. However, recruitment was concentrated, with three super-seed chains accounting for 91.8% of all recruited participants. Homophily was evident across several sociodemographic characteristics, particularly ethnicity and region, while non compliance included age discrepancies and eligibility violations.
The findings suggest that RDS can be integrated into probability-based survey infrastructure, but recruitment success depends on network structure and is vulnerable to concentration effects and protocol deviations. Further methodological development is needed before RDS can be recommended for implementation in probability-based surveys.
Subjects
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