Case Study
Migraine Stigma
The Researcher
Brian is a doctoral candidate at Liberty University, pursuing a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He is doing his dissertation on the prevalence of migraine-related stigma in the Construction industry.
The Challenge
Brian attempted to recruit participants through migraine support groups on Facebook, but group admins declined to approve his posts. He then launched a Facebook ad campaign, which yielded two qualified participants alongside a large number of fraudulent responses. A LinkedIn post was also made, but it did not result in any participant sign-ups.
Participant Criteria
- Currently works as a Laborer, General Laborer, Demolition Laborer, Roofer, Construction Worker, Mason, or Ironworker
- In the Construction industry
- Has experienced at least five attacks with a headache lasting 4-72 hours, where the headaches were not attributable to another disorder
- Has pain characterized by at least 2 of the following features (unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe intensity, aggravation by physical activity), where the features were not attributable to another disorder
- Has accompanying symptoms like nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia, where the symptoms were not attributable to another disorder
- Location: United States
- English proficiency: Advanced or Native
Study Details
- Format In-depth interview
- Interview duration 30 minutes
- Venue Zoom video conference
- Number of participants 12
- Incentive ⭐ $75 gift card ⭐
The Solution
Qualitative met with Brian to discuss his research study and sent him a proposal for participant recruitment. After he decided to move forward with Qualitative, we guided him in setting up his account and creating a participant screener that minimized response bias. We then simulated recruitment to gauge the cost of participant recruitment. The study initially targeted people suffering from chronic migraines and offered a $40 incentive. The simulation indicated that the cost of targeting chronic migraine sufferers would be extremely high and that the $40 incentive was too low. We worked with Brian to figure out new recruitment criteria (i.e., targeting people suffering from migraine headaches instead of chronic migraines) and a higher incentive ($75). The new study configuration was successful and we came back to Brian with a quote for participant recruitment.
Brian paid the invoice for participant recruitment and within a day, participants were appearing in Brian's project in Qualitative, ready to be scheduled for interviews. Most of the participants completed their interview at the scheduled time. 6 of the participants did not confirm their interview time and were unscheduled. Another 6 participants were no-shows and replaced. The rate of no-confirmations and no-shows was very high, and this is most likely due to a few reasons: the target population does not use a calendar or spend time on video calls regularly, the target population suffers from migraines, and the target population changed their minds about discussing their migraines. Brian conducted all 12 interviews over the course of 5 weeks.
The Outcome
By the end of the study, Qualitative had recruited 12 blue-collar workers from the Construction industry who experienced migraine headaches. 8 of the participants experienced at least 15 migraine headaches that lasted more than 4 hours, 2 experienced at least 10 migraine headaches that lasted more than 4 hours, and 2 experienced at least 5 migraine headaches that lasted more than 4 hours. 8 participants experienced the headache only on one side of the head. Almost all of the participants felt throbbing, an increase in pain with movement, and had had nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, or sensitivity to sound. There were 3 females and 9 males. All participants were U.S. residents. 5 participants were from the East Coast, 1 was from the West Coast, and 6 were from the middle of America.
The Feedback
I worked with Qualitative.io during my dissertation research, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their professionalism and results. Recruiting participants for a sensitive topic like migraines in the construction industry was no easy task, but their team delivered exactly what I needed.
They successfully recruited 12 blue-collar workers who met the criteria and were willing to share their experiences in depth. Even when the target population initially hesitated to discuss migraines, Qualitative.io adapted quickly and ensured the study stayed on track. Their process was seamless, and within just five weeks, I was able to complete all 12 interviews.
What stood out most to me was how carefully they managed participant expectations and screening. The level of detail in the case study they later wrote about my project shows how much thought they put into every stage of the recruitment process. This work directly supported the success of my dissertation, and I couldn’t have reached my research goals without their expertise.
I highly recommend Qualitative.io to any researcher needing reliable, thoughtful, and effective participant recruitment support. They exceeded my expectations and made what could have been a very difficult process smooth and successful.
Brian Bailey
PhD Researcher
Liberty University
See Brian's verified review on G2.com
