Find user research participants across Defence
Participants are the people who take part in user research. They should be people who are using or will use your service or product.
Do
- Check what user research has already been done
- Follow the chain of command
Don’t
- Do not recruit participants on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
Check what has already been done
User researchers across Defence must avoid doing similar research with the same groups of participants.
Before starting user research, ask the user-centred design (UCD) community if there is existing data you can use.
Check how to contact the UCD community.
Start with stakeholders and subject matter experts
Your stakeholders will understand how Defence works. Working with them to find participants can be more efficient than trying to find them yourself.
They can help you:
- find participants across Defence
- follow the correct process
- navigate the various MOD organisations
Follow the chain of command
Some people need approval from their commanding officer to take part in research. Reaching out directly to some participants may break the chain of command.
Your stakeholders can help you follow the chain of command and avoid problems.
Use MOD networks
You can contact networks directly. You do not need stakeholder involvement or to follow a chain of command.
Defence Disability Network
You must include people with different disabilities in your research. This helps your service meet the needs of all of its users.
You need to include participants who:
- are disabled or use assistive technologies
- may need help to use your service
The Defence Disability Network (DDN) can help you recruit participants with condition-specific disabilities.
On MODNET, search for the Defence Disability Network.
Defence Connect
Defence Connect is a secure network for “disconnected users”, including:
- reservists
- soldiers and officers without access to a MOD device
- people working off base
You can use Defence Connect to:
- recruit participants for one-to-one research
- send out randomised surveys and questionnaires
Army Knowledge Exchange
Army Knowledge Exchange (AKX) is an Army resource for sharing knowledge, lessons and good practice for doctrine, force development and training.
You can use it to recruit research participants from the British Army.
Updated April 2023