Abstract:

Qualitative research is a key method in the area of educational research. This case study evaluates the effectiveness of multiple survey dissemination methods in qualitative research, focusing on practical logistics and cost-effectiveness. Given that gathering a rich and representative sample is essential for meaningful qualitative outcomes, this study is especially relevant as it provides practical insights into the recruiting process. The study compares different digital strategies to engage potential participants with skills related to 3D CAD modeling. The strategies include direct email to both companies and clusters, LinkedIn posts, LinkedIn direct messages, institutional social media, and personal network outreach. The research tracks the number of responses and their completeness by channel and analyzes demographic variety and data quality. Findings confirm that direct emailing, similarly to more traditional methods like postal mail and telephone, was the least effective as it faces declining response rates and requires significant time investments for information gathering. In contrast, LinkedIn, particularly through group posts and targeted messaging, was the most efficient considering time and budget investment. The study identifies personalized invitations and targeted professional platforms as key drivers for highest response rates while generic outreach yielded bigger absolute number of responses. Discussion includes cost-effectiveness in a low-budget scenario and implications in terms of sample control. Recommendations emphasize the value of mixed-method dissemination and strategic channel selection to enhance data richness and respondent engagement.

Keywords:

Survey dissemination strategies, participant recruitment, qualitative research.