> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/guides/recruiting-with-confidence/participant-sources-in-dscout.md). # Participant sources in Dscout Before you write a single screener question, you'll need to decide where your participants will come from. You have four options in Dscout, and your choice can shape the cost, speed, and specificity of your target audience. Here's a breakdown of each available participant source, including when you'd want to use it: | Source | Description | When to use | | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Dscout's Scout Panel** | Dscout's proprietary panel of vetted participants (called “Scouts”) that you can recruit from directly in the platform. | Best when you want speedy insights and built-in quality controls. | | **Dscout's Partner Panels** | Third-party panels from providers such as Respondent. |

Best when you're looking for niche criteria or hard-to-find audiences.

Note: There are some restrictions when recruiting from Partner Panels. For example, each participant can only participate in one study, and additional activity credits are required. For more information, see Partner Panels.

| | **Private Panels** | Your own pool of participants managed through Dscout's panel-management offering. |

Best when pulling from your existing customer database to gather insights over time.

Note: Not every account has access to Private Panels. Check with your Account Director for more information.

| | **Bring your own (BYO)** | Participants recruited manually outside of Dscout. | Best when tapping into your own customers through channels such as a mailing list or external signup. | Now that you're familiar with *where* participants can come from to fill your Dscout studies, let's take a look at *how* you can recruit them in lesson two: [Recruitment approaches in Dscout](/guides/recruiting-with-confidence/recruitment-approaches-in-dscout.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.dscout.com/guides/recruiting-with-confidence/participant-sources-in-dscout.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.