Remote and Online Consent

The increase of remote and online research tools has increased the need for methods of collecting consent that extend beyond pen and paper. This guide will introduce and detail the following:

Requirements for all types of consent
Methods to gain online or verbal consent
Sample language for online/remote consent, parent permission, and assent
considerations for remote consent

When engaging in the consenting process, researchers will present participants with consent, permission, or assent forms. If appropriate, researchers and participants will discuss the study activities, and throughout the study and between activities, the researcher will ask the participant if they are willing to continue. The researcher can remind the participant that the study is voluntary, that they can skip any questions, and that they are free to stop participating at any time.

Teachers College Institutional Review Board (TC IRB) has provided the following templates to aid researchers in developing consent materials:

Researchers should use TC IRB-approved consent, parent permission, and assent form templates for all studies involving human subjects. Where appropriate, researchers can adapt TC IRB templates for online data collection. When preparing consent (permission or assent) documents for online studies, the consent process must be:

Authenticated
Documented
Retrievable

Authenticated: Researchers must be sure that the person receiving the consent, parent permission, or assent form is the intended individual. Authentication can occur by linking Qualtrics surveys to specific email addresses, verbally over the phone, or face-to-face through Teachers College Information Technologies (TC IT) approved video (teleconference) platforms (e.g., Zoom). If a face-to-face interaction is not possible, the researcher must take additional steps to ensure confirmation that the person signing (or acknowledging) the consent form is the intended individual. Qualtrics has a guide for linking surveys to specific email addresses. Researchers may also use voice (Zoom or telephone) confirmation or identity verification methods (e.g., TC UNI) to confirm the identity of the individual wishing to engage in the study.

Documented: Researchers must have confirmation that the intended individual provided their consent, permission, or assent on a specific date. Documentation can occur through an automated date stamp record, an electronic tracking system that verifies that the event occurred, or a manual entry from the participant. For verbal consenting (or assenting) processes, the researcher can sign and date the “researcher verification” section to confirm that they described the study in a clear and understandable way to the individual being recruited. Researchers must provide subjects with a version of the consent (permission or assent) form that they can retain for their records, whether it is a hard copy or an electronic version. In an online survey, the researcher can provide a PDF downloadable version of the consent form for the participant to access (review our for a sample).

Retrievable: The researcher must be able to retrieve the consent, permission, or assent form when asked by the research participants, an IRB official, or a fellow research staff member. Retrieval can occur digitally or through a physical, signed document. An example of a digitally retrieved consent form may include a scanned copy of the consent form or an electronic tracking system (like an acknowledgment online through Qualtrics). Consent (assent or permission) documents must be stored in readily accessible locations that are secure, monitored, and well-managed.

Gaining Consent Online or Verbally

In some online contexts, researchers may elect to use a survey platform to gain consent. TC Information Technologies (IT) has a guide on how to create a consent form using Qualtrics' survey platform. Depending on the nature of the study, researchers may replace signature lines with clickable “I agree” options, such as checkboxes. Researchers can adapt the standard TC IRB template and replace the signature line at the end of the document with text explaining the online consent process (review the section below for sample language). If researchers choose to use a survey platform to obtain consent, they must provide participants with the option to download a copy of the TC IRB stamped informed consent. Researchers can provide this option at the bottom of the consent page.

If researchers choose to use a survey platform to obtain consent, they must provide participants with the option to download a copy of the TC IRB stamped informed consent.

Researchers engaged in low-risk exempt studies may consider using verbal consent forms or verbal assent processes when engaging in online settings (e.g., Exempt Verbal Consent template). For example, a researcher may email the parent or guardian of a child and ask them to review the parent permission form via email. The researcher may ask the parent or guardian to have a discussion with their child about their interest in participating in a study. Then, if the parent and child are interested in proceeding, the researcher can schedule a Zoom meeting. At this point, the researcher can summarize the content of the verbal consent form and gain verbal permission (from the parent/guardian) and verbal assent (from the child).

TC IRB will review each study submission on a case-by-case basis and work with researchers to determine the best course of action for protecting participants and engaging in the consenting process. The IRB will consider:

The risk level of the study and how to best engage in consent (permission or assent).
How the electronic signature (telephone or verbal affirmation) is communicated to potential participants.
Whether the consent (permission or assent) process is clear and understandable.
If the electronic signature can be shown to be legitimate, such as with an authenticated timestamp.
How the researcher plans to provide a version of the consent (permission or assent) form to the potential subject for their review and retention.

Sample Language

Below are samples of language that could be used for obtaining consent online, based on the medium of consent:

Using Qualtrics to Obtain Adult Consent (18+) for an Online Survey (No Identifiers):

“By checking the “I agree” box, you agree to participate in this study. You also confirm you are 18 years or older and [list inclusion criteria]. To agree: Check the “I agree” box below and then click next to participate in the study. If you do not wish to participate in this study, simply close out of this browser window.”

Using Qualtrics to Obtain Adult Consent (18+) for an Online Survey (With Identifiers):

“By checking the “I agree” box and typing your name, you are electronically signing this consent form to participate in this study. You affirm that an electronic signature has the same effect as a written signature. You also confirm you are 18 years or older and [list inclusion criteria]. To agree: Check the “I agree” box and click NEXT to participate in the study. If you do not wish to participate in this study, simply close out of this browser window.”

Using Telephone, Email, or United States Postal Service (USPS):

"An Informed Consent form will be emailed to each participant in the study. If the study participant is not able to scan and email back the form, a form will be mailed with a self-addressed and stamped envelope. Participant addresses will not be kept. Informed Consent forms will be scanned or placed and put in a password-protected file on the researcher's private computer."
Studies that pose more than minimal risk, or that involve the transmission of sensitive information, may consider implementing a process by which the researcher confirms identities using authentication that relies upon multiple factors, like telephone, email, or USPS.

When research involves minors, research teams will have to take the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) into account. The IRB application should describe how the research team will ensure compliance with COPPA. For example, the research team could first obtain parental permission via Qualtrics, Zoom, mail, or in a telephone call. Each option must ensure that the parent or guardian can be authenticated.

Using Qualtrics to Obtain Parent/Guardian Permission for Child Participation in an Online Study:

“By checking this box and typing your name and your child’s name below, you are electronically signing this permission form for your child to participate in this study. You affirm that an electronic signature has the same effect as a written signature. You also confirm you are the parent or guardian of a child who qualifies to participate in this study and that you agree to allow your child to participate in this study. To agree: Check the “I agree” box. Type in your first and last name, your child’s name, and then, click NEXT. If you do not want your child to participate in this study, simply close out of this browser window.”
Next page: “The following screen will give you instructions on how your child can participate in this study. Your child will be asked to review and give their assent for their participation in the study on an Assent Form.”

Using Qualtrics to Obtain Child Participation Assent (In Age-Appropriate Language):

Use this statement below if the child can read and write. Signing an assent is for children between the ages of 8 to 17: "Your parent or guardian has informed the researcher that it is okay for you to be in this study. It is important that you understand what we will ask you to do. If you have any questions, you can ask the researcher [email, text, or call the researcher]. You can also quit this study whenever you want to and that will be OK. It will not be a problem for anyone if you decide to quit at any time. [Do you have any questions?] Do you agree to be in this study? To agree: Check the “I agree” box. Type in your first and last name and click NEXT. The next screen will give more instructions so you can get started. If you do not want to be in this study, just close this browser window.”
Use this statement if the child cannot read and write: "The child is not capable of reading the assent form, but the information was verbally explained to the child in age-appropriate language. The child had an opportunity to ask questions and indicated assent. The child has been informed that the child can quit this study whenever the child wants to and it is perfectly OK to do so. The child's parent or guardian was present during the verbal assenting process. [The researcher would then sign a Researcher’s Verification of Explanation, with the "Signature of Person Obtaining Assent," "Name of Child, "Age of Child," and "Date."]

Considerations for Remote Consent

Researchers should note the following items when using online means to collect consent (permission and assent):

Qualtrics has an electronic signature option (for signing with a finger or a mouse, for example on an iPad or a laptop trackpad) if typing a name is not sufficient for documenting consent. Please review this tutorial provided by Qualtrics.
Qualtrics has the option to allow participants to download a copy of the TC IRB stamped informed consent. Researchers must provide this option at the bottom of the consent page.
Teachers College Information Technology department also offers suggestions on how to maximize the use of Qualtrics features. To get help from TCIT, please create an “incident report” and describe your technology questions or concerns about online platforms.
Researchers can send Qualtrics links directly to specific email addresses to ensure that the person clicking the link is the person associated with the email address. This helps maintain security when consenting online because the link is not general or open-access. This process also meets the “Authenticated” requirement for online consent (permission or assent).
Researchers may want to send the Qualtrics link with the consent, parent permission, and/or assent form, and follow-up with a Zoom meeting to conduct a verbal affirmation of participation. This would also support the “Authenticated” requirement.
Some research studies may include options for future contact, audio recording, or access to existing data (e.g., class curriculum). If your study has specific additional components that require individual acknowledgments, you can add checkboxes at the end of the consent form. For example, your consent (permission or assent) form might include language such as: “By checking “I agree,” you agree to participate in this study. You also confirm that you are 18 years or older and [list inclusion criteria]. To agree: Check the “I agree” box below, and also check to indicate whether you agree to be audio recorded for this study. Then, click NEXT to participate in the study.”

Researchers should always remember that consent, permission, and assent are not just forms but also processes.

Researchers are responsible for ensuring that any individual interested in participating in a study is informed and provided with study-related information in a clear and understandable way.

Consenting online provides an opportunity for researchers to engage in study activities when in-person data collection is not possible. Researchers should design the consent process with considerations for the best protection of participants in online environments. This may mean ensuring that participants are fully informed about the research activities, can easily obtain answers to questions, and know that participation is voluntary.