In online research, obtaining informed consent is a critical ethical practice that upholds the rights, autonomy, and well-being of participants. Whether conducting academic studies, market research, or community surveys, researchers must follow guidelines to obtain informed consent effectively and ethically. Gathering data in person makes getting informed consent straightforward and there are well-established practices. In this post, we consider the essential steps and considerations for obtaining informed consent for increasingly popular online surveys.
Before designing your online survey and seeking participants, familiarize yourself with the ethical principles and guidelines governing informed consent in research. Key principles include voluntary participation, full disclosure, participant understanding, confidentiality, and the right to withdraw without consequences.
Craft clear and comprehensive consent statements that provide participants with essential information about the survey, its purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, confidentiality measures, and voluntary nature. Use plain language and avoid jargon to ensure participant understanding.
Introduce the informed consent process at the beginning of your online survey. Clearly state that participation is voluntary, explain the purpose of the study, and provide a brief overview of what participants can expect. Include a statement indicating that by continuing with the survey, participants indicate their informed consent.
Provide contact information (e.g., email, phone number) for the researcher or research team in the consent statement. Participants should have a means to reach out for questions, clarifications, or concerns about the survey, informed consent, or their participation.
Assure participants of confidentiality and data protection measures in place. Explain how their responses will be anonymized, aggregated, stored securely, and used solely for research purposes. Emphasize that individual responses will not be identifiable in any published or shared reports.
Incorporate a consent checkbox or button at the end of the informed consent statement in your online survey. Participants must actively indicate their consent by checking the box or clicking the button before proceeding to the survey questions.
Include an opt-out or withdrawal option in the informed consent statement and survey introduction. Participants should know they can choose not to participate or withdraw from the survey at any point without negative consequences.
Maintain documentation of informed consent for each participant. This documentation can include timestamped consent statements, consent checkboxes, or records of participant responses indicating consent.
If conducting research within an academic or institutional setting, ensure that your online survey and informed consent process comply with ethical review board requirements and institutional guidelines. Seek approval or exemption from the relevant ethics committee or review board as necessary.
After participants provide informed consent and complete the survey, consider sending a follow-up message thanking them for their participation and reiterating confidentiality measures. Maintain open communication channels for any follow-up inquiries or feedback.
Obtaining informed consent for online surveys is a crucial step in ethical research practice, respecting the rights, autonomy, and dignity of participants. By following these steps and considerations, researchers can ensure that their online surveys adhere to ethical principles, promote participant understanding, maintain confidentiality, and foster trust and credibility in research endeavours. Prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and participant welfare throughout the survey process to uphold the integrity and validity of your research findings.
Glenn is an academic writing and research specialist with 15 years experience writing, editing, PhD and Masters supervision and journal editing. He is also a qualified English teacher. His prior career was in magazine publishing. He is now editor of this blog.
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