Consent means a participant’s clear agreement to take part in your study, ideally recorded in writing. It is a legal requirement to have informed consent for all participants.
Key points to consider:
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Consent must be informed, explicit, and voluntary. Participants should clearly understand what they are agreeing to and freely decide whether to participate.
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Explicit consent means participants actively say “yes” (e.g., signing a form, clicking a yes/no button). Simply completing a survey without clear agreement is not enough.
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While written consent is preferred, other recorded forms (like oral consent) can be accepted but may be harder to manage and audit. Oral consent recordings should be stored separately and not mixed with study data.
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Getting permission from a gatekeeper to access participants does not replace obtaining individual consent from each participant.
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Clearly explain when and how participants will receive the consent form and how you will collect signed forms (e.g., in person, email).
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Make sure participants know they have the right to refuse or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.
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Use official university letterhead and ensure the form is easy to read by avoiding the use of jargon and check grammar carefully.