When finding samples of participants, it is important to keep informed consent in mind. All social science researchers must obtain informed consent–a process through which a researcher receives and maintains participants’ permission to be a part of a study. Informed consent is an ongoing communication between researcher and participant throughout the duration of the study.
The basic process of informed consent is laid out in the flowchart below. Note that even after the study begins, the participant still must be notified of any changes to the progression of the study and has a right to withdraw at any time without repercussions.
Potential participants must be provided with all the necessary information regarding a given study so that they are able to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to participate. This includes the objectives, procedures, and information about risks and benefits (Ferreira & Serpa, 2018).
However, the information that you provide to potential participants is only meaningful if they are able to fully understand it, which depends on whether you are using layman’s language and accessible terminology.
Consent must be given voluntarily, meaning that there can be no coercion or undue influence. Coercion refers to the use of threats to get subjects to agree to participate, while undue influence is the use of excessive rewards to obtain consent. (The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, 1979).
Participants must fill out an informed consent form that includes the purpose of the research, a description of the research, a description of how the research will be carried out, an explanation of possible risks and benefits, information about confidentiality and anonymity, an explanation of any rewards for participation, and information about whom to contact with questions. Take a look at this sample consent form provided by the Middlebury IRB to get an idea of how to begin writing your own.
The video below provides more information on informed consent. As the video focuses primarily on informed consent in medical research, it includes some additional sensitivities which may not apply in many social science interview settings. However, the appropriate language and goals you should be mindful of throughout the process remain the same.
Personal Project
With some background knowledge regarding informed consent, you can now begin to consider what this process will look like within your own research. What information would a reasonable volunteer want to know about your project? Will your participants have any difficulties in terms of comprehension? How specifically can you avoid coercion and undue influence in your research process?
