Informed Consent is the ethical code that requires investigators to obtain and document people’s willingness to participate in an investigation.
There are three major elements of informed consent:
- Information: The subject has received necessary information about the study. All questions and concerns are addressed.
- Comprehension: The subject understood the information.
- Voluntariness: The subject voluntary signs an agree to participate in the study without any pressure, intimidation, or coercion on the part of the investigators.
Informed Consent Resources
- Student Ethics FAQs: Written for students at Brock University (in Canada), this is a thorough outline of ethical considerations for researchers
- Protection of Human Subjects in Research: Sponsored by IUPUI, this is an excellent, extensive review of informed consent
- Guidelines for the Ethical Treatment of Students and Student Writing in Composition Studies: Written by The CCCC Committee on the Ethical Conduct of Research in Composition Studies, this document provides straightforward discussion of ethical considerations for research involving writers and writing processes
- Bioethics Resources on the Web: Huge site on ethics and research sponsored by U.S. government
- APA’s Code of Ethics for Researchers: Good description of ethical standards for researchers
