Consent form template
A consent form is used as an official document to indicate you agree to certain terms and conditions. It may also grant another person permission to do something on your behalf. consent forms may be used in numerous situations:
- Grant a child the right to travel alone
- Give official permission to someone to use your property
- Grant doctors permission to perform surgery and indicate you are aware of any risks
Why use Pointerpro as consent form tool?
Why use Pointerpro as consent form tool?
Immediate personalized feedback
With our automatic PDF generator you can provide the respondent with personalized feedback based on their individual answers immediately at the end of the form.
Zapier integration
Integrate your consent forms with all your favorite apps or tools via our Zapier integration.
Fully branded and white labeled assessments
Remove any reference to Pointerpro and add your own brand colors, fonts and logos with our white label solution. You can even brand the URLs, PDF reports, dashboards and assessment editor!
What is a consent form?
The consent form is a document that provides research subjects sufficient written information to decide whether to participate in a research study or not based on an explanation of the proposed research and the nature of the participation that is requested of them.
It should be descriptive and not overly technical.
A consent form gives written permission to another party that they understand the terms of an event or activity that will be performed.
When agreeing to consent, it must be done so voluntarily with a competent mind.
A subject can revoke their consent at any time and this decision should be respected.
A consent form is also referred to as the following: informed consent form, written consent form, consent form template.
Top consent survey tips
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Informed consent is not merely a form but a process. All necessary information must be clearly present and defined so that the person can make an informed, voluntary decision about what they are agreeing to. This involves informing about possible risks, extra costs and the purpose your permission is needed for. Apply the following tips:
- Use words familiar to the non-academic/non-scientific reader.
- Avoid (legal) jargon & avoid abbreviations and acronyms if possible. - Take into account the age, culture, ethnicity, literacy level of your audience. Make sure there is nothing that may be misinterpreted or off-putting within their cultural or social environment.
- Do the respondents have special needs related to language or other abilities? (Use large front for the elderly and for people with poor eyesight, use simple language for minors and children and consider using images, pictures).
- Minimize the passive voice to the extent possible, use “we will send you the results”, instead of “the results will be sent to you”.
- Use YOU. The only time you should deviate from second person is the actual “informed consent” section, which should use first person (e.g.: I voluntarily agree to participate in this survey).
How to give and accept consent?
1. Define the permission needed
Obtaining consent is due to a service or agreement that needs approval by the subject which then gives permission for the research to be carried out. Consent is not required in all situations. For example, a person going to the doctor to have their blood pressure measured is a form of treatment but not in the sense that it needs special approval as the treatment does not pose any risk to the patient. If you are offering a service and have doubts about whether or not you need consent from recipients of that service, it’s always best to contact a lawyer for advice. Once you know the exact permissions you need when offering a service, it’s time to obtain the right consent form for your needs.
2. Obtain a consent form
A consent form should be specific and clearly describe the permissions and services that are to be conducted. Consent should never be given or trusted verbally, always be certain that you have written consent. If you are a photographer needing consent from models, your consent form will differ from a landlord needing a background check on a potential tenant.
3. Sign and acceptance
Any consent form must be signed in order to be valid. It’s the responsibility of the recipient to know the risks involved when giving consent. Prior to signing a consent form, ask questions if you need more detailed information.
Consent form format
As can be seen in the above sample, the consent form should at least include the following information:
- Information about the researcher or research institution
- Research purpose
- Potential risks & hazards
- Duration subject’s participation
- Contact information
- A statement that the agreement is voluntary
It is important that the consent form approvals are easy to understand, distribute, collect and organize. Online consent forms are far more efficient. Mobile devices such as a tablet or smartphone are ideally suited for this task. All our forms and surveys are mobile optimized to provide the most user-friendly experience we can offer.
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