Background: Research involving substance-abusing participants is often hindered by low rates of recruitment and retention. Research suggests that monetary payment or remuneration can be an effective strategy to overcome these obstacles. Objectives: This article provides a brief overview of these issues and provides data reflecting how substance-abusing participants in several of our studies used their baseline and follow-up payments. We also present research findings related to how the mode of payment (i.e., cash, check, gift card) may affect how payments are used. Conclusions and Significance: Overall, our findings suggest that participants use their research payments in a responsible and safe manner. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. © 2012 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/david-festinger/39/
This article was published in American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Volume 38, Issue 1, Pages 43-48.
The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00952990.2011.563337 .Copyright © 2012.