Meaningful informed consent entails more than a participant’s signature on a consent form. The steps that we take for obtaining consent are crucial to safeguarding participants’ dignity, autonomy and well-being, especially when collecting data from vulnerable populations. META’s introductory tip sheet walks through five questions to ask yourself when developing plans and procedures for obtaining meaningful informed consent. The example consent form is intended to serve as a starting point when developing a consent form for a research or evaluation project.
Important note: When your data collection meets the definition of human subjects research, it is a legal requirement to follow the federal regulations outlined in 45 CFR 46.116 and to seek approval from an Institutional Review Board, or IRB. Review these requirements in detail prior to beginning a research project.
