Informed Consent & Dealing with It

What should prospective students know at a basic level?

What they're getting into before they got into it.

What does informed consent involve?

Making participants aware of the aims of the research, the procedures, their rights and also what their data will be used for

What do the participants rights include?

The right to withdraw partway through the investigation should they so wish.

What should participants then make?

An informed judgement whether or not to take part without being coerced or feeling obliged.

Why may asking for informed consent make the study meaningless, from the researcher's point of view?

Participants behaviour will not be natural as they know the aims of the study.

What should participants be issued with?

A consent letter or form detailing all relevant information that might affect their decision to participate

What's required for investigations involving children under 16?

A signature of parental consent is required

What are the 3 other ways to obtain consent?

Presumptive, prior general and retrospective.

What's presumptive consent?

Rather than getting consent from the participants themselves, a similar group of people are asked if the study is acceptable and if the group agrees then consent of the original participants is presumed.

What's prior general consent?

Participants give their permission to take part in a number of different studies, including 1 that involves deception

What's retrospective consent?

Participants are asked for their consent during debriefing, having already taken part in the study and they may haven't been aware of their participation or may be subject to deception.