informed-consent

Informed Consent Design

Design informed consent processes and documents for qualitative anthropological research that respect both regulatory requirements and the relational, iterative reality of ethnographic fieldwork. Consent in anthropology is an ongoing negotiated conversation, not a one-time signature event. The skill treats consent design as a translation problem: making ethical commitments legible to participants, reviewers, and institutions simultaneously.

Contemporary best practice recognizes that the quality of consent — whether participants genuinely understand what they are agreeing to and feel free to say no — matters more than the format. A signed form that participants do not understand is worse than an oral conversation that they do. This skill helps researchers design consent processes that are ethically robust, culturally appropriate, and institutionally defensible.

Cross-references: For full IRB protocol narratives that include consent as one section among many, use the irb-protocol skill. The irb-protocol skill covers consent within the broader protocol context; this skill focuses specifically on designing the consent process and its documents in depth.

Quick Reference

Task	Reference
Regulatory foundations, consent modes, essential elements, cultural adaptation, power dynamics, documentation	Read references/consent-design-guide.md
Consent form templates, sample wording, checklists, flowcharts, media consent, special contexts	Read references/consent-templates-and-examples.md

Workflow

Step 1: Identify What the User Needs

Determine the entry point:

• Designing a consent process from scratch. The user has a research design and needs to determine the appropriate consent approach (written, verbal, layered, community-based) and produce the associated documents. Load both reference files.
• Writing a consent form or information sheet. The user knows what consent approach they need and wants help drafting the actual document. Load the templates reference for modular text blocks and sample wording.
• Adapting consent for a specific context. The user has a standard consent form but needs to adapt it for low-literacy populations, a specific cultural context, minors, or another special circumstance. Load the design guide for cultural adaptation and power dynamics.
• Adding media/recording consent. The user needs consent language for audio recording, video recording, photography, or participant-generated media. Load the templates reference for tiered media consent options.
• Designing consent for longitudinal or multi-site research. The user needs re-consent strategies, multi-site adaptations, or international compliance. Load both references.
• Responding to IRB feedback on consent. The user's consent documents were flagged by reviewers. Identify the specific concern and load relevant guidance to address it.

Step 2: Gather Context

Before generating any content, collect these inputs:

Required:

1. Research methods. What methods will be used? Interviews, participant observation, focus groups, oral history, visual methods, digital ethnography? Different methods trigger different consent requirements (e.g., recording consent, group confidentiality limits, ongoing consent for observation).
2. Participant population. Who are the participants? Are there vulnerable populations (minors, prisoners, patients, employees)? What is the literacy level? What languages are spoken? Are there cultural norms around agreements and documentation?
3. Risk level. Minimal risk or elevated? Sensitive topics (health, legal status, political activity)? This determines how detailed the consent process needs to be and whether additional safeguards are required.

Important but can be inferred: 4. Consent modality preference. Written, verbal with waiver of documentation, layered/tiered, community-level? If unspecified, recommend based on methods, population, and context. 5. Recording plans. Audio, video, photo, screenshots? Separate consent for recordings is usually required and should be tiered (participate without recording as an option). 6. Institutional context. U.S. Common Rule, Canadian TCPS 2, EU/GDPR, or other? This determines regulatory requirements and available consent waivers. 7. Data sharing or archiving plans. Will data be archived, shared, or deposited? Consent language must match downstream data use.

Helpful but not required:

• Field site characteristics (public vs private spaces, organizational vs community settings)
• Whether community-level authorization is culturally expected or required
• Prior consent documents that need revision
• Specific IRB feedback to address
• Whether the project involves Indigenous communities (triggers CARE, OCAP, FPIC frameworks)

Step 3: Load Appropriate References

• Always load references/consent-design-guide.md for regulatory foundations, consent mode selection, essential elements, cultural adaptation, and documentation requirements.
• Always load references/consent-templates-and-examples.md when the user needs to produce actual consent documents — forms, information sheets, oral consent scripts, media consent, or checklists.
• Load both for most tasks. The design guide provides the framework; the templates provide the implementation.

Step 4: Generate Content

Follow the consent design framework from the guide reference:

1. Select consent mode. Based on methods, population, risk, and cultural context, determine the appropriate consent approach: written consent form, verbal consent with information sheet, layered/tiered consent, community consent plus individual consent, or a combination.
2. Draft key information section. The opening of any consent document should present the essential information concisely: what the study is about, what participation involves, main risks, main safeguards, voluntariness.
3. Build the full document. Using the template structure from the templates reference, draft each section: purpose, procedures, voluntariness, risks/benefits, confidentiality, recordings, data use, withdrawal, contacts.
4. Add method-specific elements. Recording consent (tiered), focus group confidentiality limits, observation consent (primary vs incidental), visual methods rights and ownership, digital ethnography quoting policies.
5. Adapt for context. Plain language, translation, cultural norms, literacy level, power dynamics, community authorization processes.
6. Design the consent process. The document is one part; also design when and how consent will be obtained, how it will be revisited, and what triggers re-consent.

Step 5: Generate Output

Produce one or more deliverables depending on user needs:

• Written consent form. Full consent document for participant signature, with all required elements and method-specific additions.
• Information sheet. Standalone document for use with verbal consent (waiver of documentation). Provides all information without requiring a signature.
• Oral consent script. Structured script for obtaining and documenting verbal consent, including a witness protocol.
• Tiered media consent. Separate consent for audio, video, and/or photography with graduated options (participate without recording, record for analysis only, record for publication).
• Community consent protocol. Process for obtaining community-level authorization alongside individual consent.
• Re-consent protocol. Strategy for longitudinal or evolving studies, specifying when and how consent will be revisited.
• Consent process design. Complete consent strategy document describing the approach, rationale, timing, and documentation plan — suitable for inclusion in an IRB protocol or methods section.
• Adapted consent materials. Consent documents tailored for specific populations (minors with assent + guardian consent, low-literacy with visual aids, translated materials).

Step 6: Quality Check

Before presenting output, verify:

• The consent document covers all essential elements: purpose, procedures, voluntariness, risks/benefits, confidentiality, data use, withdrawal, contacts
• Language is plain and jargon-free — a participant with no research background should understand every sentence
• The consent mode matches the context: written consent is not imposed where verbal would be more appropriate (and vice versa)
• Recording consent is separate and tiered: participants can say yes to the study but no to recording
• Focus group consent acknowledges that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed among participants
• Confidentiality promises are accurate — not overpromised (e.g., "we cannot guarantee absolute anonymity" where relevant)
• Consent is framed as a process, not a one-time event — ongoing consent checkpoints are specified
• Power dynamics are addressed: participants have genuine agency to refuse without consequences
• Cultural adaptation is appropriate: format, language, and process reflect participants' norms and expectations
• Data sharing/archiving consent matches the actual plan — consent language does not promise more restriction or more openness than what will happen
• The document meets institutional requirements (Common Rule, TCPS 2, EU guidelines, or other applicable framework)
• Documentation plan is specified: how consent will be recorded, stored, and archived

Parameters

• Consent mode: Written (signed form), verbal with waiver of documentation (information sheet + oral agreement), layered/tiered (graduated options for different aspects), community-level (collective authorization + individual consent), recorded oral consent (audio-documented verbal agreement). Choice depends on risk level, cultural context, literacy, and institutional requirements.
• Methods requiring consent: Interviews (standard), focus groups (confidentiality limit), participant observation (primary vs incidental), oral history (attribution vs anonymity), visual methods (media rights), digital ethnography (platform-specific). Each method adds specific consent elements.
• Population characteristics: General adult population, minors (assent + guardian consent), low-literacy (oral/visual adaptations), non-English speaking (translation), vulnerable populations (additional protections), Indigenous communities (collective governance frameworks).
• Risk posture: Minimal risk (streamlined consent, waiver options), elevated risk (detailed consent, additional safeguards), sensitive topics (enhanced confidentiality language, distress protocols).
• Output type: Written consent form, information sheet, oral consent script, media consent form, community consent protocol, re-consent protocol, consent process design, adapted consent materials.
• Regulatory framework: U.S. Common Rule (default), Canadian TCPS 2, EU/Horizon Europe, UK ESRC, Australian NHMRC. Determines required elements, available waivers, and documentation expectations.

Guardrails

• Consent is a process, not a document. Every output should frame consent as ongoing and negotiated. A signed form is documentation of one moment in a continuing conversation. Help users design the process, not just the paperwork.
• Quality of understanding matters more than format. A participant who genuinely understands what they are agreeing to through a verbal conversation has given better consent than one who signs a form they did not read. Help users justify the consent mode that produces genuine comprehension.
• Do not overpromise confidentiality. Absolute anonymity cannot always be guaranteed in qualitative research. Consent language should be honest: "we will take these specific steps to protect your identity, but we cannot promise that no one will ever be able to identify you."
• Recording consent must be separate and tiered. Participants must be able to participate without being recorded. Consent for audio, video, and photography should be distinct choices, not bundled with study consent.
• Adapt to cultural context without abandoning ethical standards. Cultural adaptation means changing the form and process of consent, not lowering the standard. Community consent supplements but does not replace individual consent. Oral consent in low-literacy settings still requires genuine understanding and voluntary agreement.
• Flag when consent documents cannot solve the problem. Some ethical challenges (extreme power imbalances, coercive institutional settings, participants who cannot meaningfully refuse) require methodological redesign, not better consent forms. Flag these situations.
• Do not produce generic boilerplate. Every consent document must reflect the specific study's methods, population, risks, and context. Language that could apply to any study is a failure mode.

Common Failure Modes

Failure mode	Prevention
Consent form that participants cannot understand (jargon, complex sentences, legal language)	Write at a 6th-8th grade reading level; use plain language, short sentences, bullet points; test with a non-researcher
One-time signature treated as permanent consent	Frame consent as ongoing; specify check-in points; include re-consent triggers in the process design
Recording consent bundled with study consent (all or nothing)	Separate recording consent with tiered options: participate without recording, record for analysis only, record for publication
Confidentiality overpromised ("your identity will be completely protected")	Use honest language: "we will take these steps... but cannot guarantee absolute anonymity in all circumstances"
Written consent imposed in contexts where it increases risk	Justify verbal consent with waiver of documentation; provide information sheet without requiring signature
Focus group consent that promises confidentiality	State explicitly that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in group settings; describe mitigation steps
Generic consent form with no study-specific content	Every section must reflect the actual study: specific methods, specific risks, specific data handling plans
Missing media consent for visual methods	Require separate, tiered consent for any audio, video, or photographic recording; specify use and retention

Examples

Example 1: Written consent form for semi-structured interviews

Input: "I need a consent form for my interview study about health workers' experiences with burnout in rural Kenya. I'll be doing 30 interviews in English and Swahili, audio-recorded. Participants work at government health facilities."

Output approach:

• Load both reference files
• Set consent mode to written (standard risk, literate population)
• Set methods to semi-structured interviews with audio recording
• Key design decisions: (a) bilingual form (English + Swahili), (b) tiered recording consent (participate without recording as an option), (c) address power dynamics (health workers may feel pressure from facility management — clarify that participation is separate from employment and supervisors will not know who participated), (d) confidentiality with honest limits (pseudonyms, encrypted storage, but acknowledge small professional community), (e) distress protocol for burnout discussions
• Generate: full consent form with all required sections, plus separate recording consent checkbox, plus Swahili translation guidance notes

Example 2: Verbal consent with information sheet for participant observation

Input: "I'm doing participant observation in a homeless shelter in Portland. Many residents have literacy challenges and are wary of signing documents. My IRB is asking how I'll get consent without written forms."

Output approach:

• Load both reference files
• Set consent mode to verbal with waiver of documentation
• Set population to low-literacy, potentially vulnerable (housing insecurity)
• Key design decisions: (a) justify waiver — signed forms create a record linking participants to a study about a stigmatized population, and many participants cannot read the form; (b) design a plain-language information sheet (large font, bullet points, visual elements) that participants keep but do not sign; (c) oral consent script covering all required elements; (d) witness protocol for documenting verbal consent; (e) layered consent distinguishing primary participants (consented for observation + interview) from incidental contacts in the shelter; (f) ongoing consent check-ins given that shelter residents may come and go
• Generate: information sheet, oral consent script, witness documentation form, and a consent process narrative suitable for the IRB application

Example 3: Community consent protocol for research with Indigenous community

Input: "I'm planning research on traditional ecological knowledge with a First Nations community in British Columbia. The band council wants to be involved in the consent process. I need to design something that respects both TCPS 2 Chapter 9 and the community's own governance."

Output approach:

• Load both reference files
• Set regulatory framework to Canadian TCPS 2 with Indigenous governance (OCAP principles, CARE principles)
• Key design decisions: (a) two-layer consent — community authorization through band council plus individual participant consent; (b) community research agreement addressing data ownership, access, and use (OCAP); (c) consent for traditional knowledge that addresses collective rights, not just individual privacy; (d) participant choice model for attribution vs anonymity (some knowledge holders may want to be credited); (e) community review of outputs before publication; (f) consent language addressing what happens to data if the community-researcher relationship ends
• Generate: community research agreement template, individual consent form with attribution/anonymity choice, and a consent process design document describing the two-layer approach for the ethics board