Whether you’re conducting a student survey or a large-scale community evaluation, informed consent is more than a check-the-box requirement. It’s a cornerstone of ethical research and a signal that you respect the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of your participants.
Let’s unpack what informed consent really means, why it matters, and how to do it well—especially when things feel a little murky.
The Three Pillars Of Informed Consent: Disclosure, Understanding, Voluntariness
Informed consent is built on three simple but powerful ideas.
Disclosure: researchers must provide enough information so that people can make an informed decision. That includes explaining why you’re doing the research, what participants can expect, any potential risks, and how their information will be protected.
Understanding. This one gets overlooked a lot. It’s not just about handing someone a form; it’s about making sure they get what you’re asking of them. That might mean using everyday language, offering examples, or encouraging them to ask questions. A novel technique? Ask participants to summarize what they heard/read in their own words.
Voluntariness. This means participants know they have a real choice—before, during, and after the study. Consent isn’t one-and-done. People should feel free to withdraw at any point, without consequence. Be especially mindful about incentives. What feels generous to you might feel coercive to someone else.
When these three elements are in place, you’re not just getting a signature—you’re building trust.
More Than a Signature: Different Ways to Give Consent
Consent doesn’t always mean a signed form. Depending on the context, there are different ways to ethically and appropriately secure informed consent.
Signed consent is the standard for higher-risk studies. It usually involves a form that participants sign (physically or digitally) to indicate they understand and agree to take part.
Implied consent often shows up in surveys or online forms, where the act of submitting a response implies agreement.
Assent is used when you’re working with folks who can’t legally give consent, like children or some adults with cognitive impairments. Their assent complements the consent of a parent or guardian. Here’s more information about working with vulnerable populations.
Waived consent is a special case. Sometimes, getting consent just isn’t feasible—like in large-scale anonymous studies or certain observational research. But this isn’t a judgment call you make on your own. It requires IRB or ethics board approval – we can help with that!
What all these have in common is that researchers are still responsible for making sure people know what’s going on and feel like they have a say in whether or not to participate.
Where Researchers Get Stuck
It’s easy to assume that if a space feels casual or familiar, informed consent is somehow baked in. But ethical research means making sure expectations are clear and decisions are truly voluntary, even when things seem low-stakes.
So what do you do if a participant seems confused or just rushes to sign the form without really reading it? Slow down. Explain things in everyday language. Invite questions and use examples. Encourage a little back-and-forth to check that they understand; it’s worth the time.
And if you’re dealing with a situation where traditional consent feels complicated—maybe you’re working with a captive audience or planning a big anonymous survey—that doesn’t mean you get to skip the process. It means you need to be more thoughtful about how you do it.
If you want deeper support with these nuances, our PPRE course is packed with real-world scenarios, expert guidance, and tools that help you meet the mark. Plus, it helps you earn your human subjects research certificate, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence!
Making Consent a Habit, Not a Hurdle
Informed consent isn’t a box you check once. It’s an ongoing practice that reflects how you show up as a researcher. When you build a habit of transparency, empathy, and respect into your work, people notice—and they respond with greater trust, clearer feedback, and stronger data.
That means making space for questions and being open to a “no.” It means checking in regularly, not just at the start and examining how your role, your methods, and even your incentives might be shaping participants’ choices.
Ethics Aren’t A Burden; They’re A Practice
The most ethical researchers aren’t perfect—they’re intentional. They ask questions, stay curious, and reflect on how their work affects real people in the real world.
Whether you’re aiming for IRB approval or running an internal evaluation, starting with solid informed consent is one of the most powerful ways to show that your work is rooted in respect.
Let’s keep raising the bar for research ethics, together.