SOAS Template Participant Consent Form. [Researcher to adapt text in square brackets for their particular research project and remove this header]
PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM
Introduction
The purpose of this form is to provide you with information so you can decide whether to participate in this study. Any questions you may have will be answered by the researcher or by the other contact persons provided below. Once you are familiar with the information on the form and have asked any questions you may have, you can decide whether or not to participate. If you agree, please either sign this form or else provide verbal consent
Research title: / [Include an alternative title if the official title of your thesis or project would be difficult for research participants to understand.]Type of Project / [e.g. PhD Research, Funded Research Project]
Project funders: / [Include the funders of the project, and any interest which they may have in the research or control over use of the research.]
Project partners: / [Include any other organisations (e.g. other HE institutions) which are involved with SOAS in delivering the project, and what involvement they may have in the data.]
Research coordinator: / [Give the name and work contact details of the person (usually the researcher) who is responsible for the project.]
Purpose of Research: / [Describe background, aims and duration of the project in as clear a language as possible and simple enough to be understood by research participants]
Reasons for data collection: / [Describe why you have chosen the research participant for your data collection and who how many other participants you will collect data from]
Nature of Participation / [Describe the procedures involved with the data collection e.g. duration of interviews; recording method; technology; who will collect the data; whether personal data will be anonymized; use of audio recordings]
Risks and Benefits of participation / [Explain any benefits for the participant in being involved in the research and also any risks, inconvenience or distress that could be caused by participation]
Data Sharing: / [Indicate any individuals or organisations outside SOAS who will receive or be given access to non-anonymised personal data gathered in the project.]
Countries to which the data may be a transferred: / [Researcher to complete. Indicate any specific countries to which the data may be transferred, including the UK if the data is gathered outside the UK. The form also should include the following text:
Data about you gathered in the course of your participation in this project may be transferred to countries or territories outside the European Economic Area for purposes connected with this project and similar future projects, subject to appropriate safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of your data.
Security measures: / [Describe in a general way any special security measures which will be put in place to protect research participants’ data during the life of the project e.g. encryption, secure storage, password protection]
Methods of anonymisation: / [If you plan or need to anonymise the research data then describe the steps which will be taken to remove identifying information from your data set and publications]
Methods of publication: / [Describe how the data and the research results will be published, including whether research participants will be anonymized in the published information or PhD theses and where this published information will be available e.g. Open Access via the internet]
Withdrawal of Consent
Please note your participation is voluntary and you may decide to leave the study at any time. You may also refuse to answer specific questions you are uncomfortable with. You may withdraw permission for your data to be used, at any time up to [Researcher to enter date or point in project when it is no longer possible to withdraw consent for use of personal data e.g. when data has been anonymized] in which case notes, transcriptions and recordings will be destroyed. Withdrawal or refusal to participate will not affect your relationship with [Insert name of organization to which research participant belongs if you are doing research in an organization. Remove this statement if not appropriate].
Data Protection Statement
Information about you which is gathered in the course of this research project, once held in the United Kingdom, will be protected by the UK Data Protection Act and will be subject to SOAS's Data Protection Policy. You have the right to request access under the Data Protection Act to the information which SOAS holds about you. Further information about your rights under the Act and how SOAS handles personal data is available on the Data Protection pages of the SOAS website ( and by contacting the Information Compliance Manager at the following address: Information Compliance Manager, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom (e-mail to: ).
Copyright Statement
By completing this form, you permit SOAS and the research to edit, copy, disseminate, publish (by whatever means) and archive your contribution to this research project in the manner and for the purposes described above. You waive any copyright and other intellectual property rights in your contribution to the project, and grant SOAS and researchers who are involved, a non-exclusive, free, irrevocable, worldwide license to use your contribution for the purposes of this project. If you wish to receive a copy final published research outputs once completed I will happy to provide you with an electronic copy
Contact Information
Telephone No: [Include both your UK mobile number and the local phone number you will use or set up]
Email Address:
Postal Address:
Alternative contact: [Include your supervisor’s name and contact details or other colleagues on your research project]
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Research Participant Declaration
I confirm that I have read the above information relating to the research project. I freely consent to my information being used in the manner and for the purposes described, and I waive my copyright and other intellectual property rights as indicated. I understand that I may withdraw my consent to participate in the project, and that I should contact the project coordinator if I wish to do so.
Participant Name:
Signature:Date:
Researcher Name:
Signature:Date:
PLEASE KEEP THIS FORM FOR FUTURE REFERENCE