Section 3
Informed Consent
Every researcher (faculty, staff, or student) at Truman State University must obtain the informed consent of every human subject used in research before involving that person in the research project. Obtaining the informed consent of subjects is a matter of professional research ethics in every discipline at the University. Sample consent forms may be viewed here. The IRB strongly recommends that you use one of the sample informed consent documents to help structure your form.
The purpose of the consent document is to provide the subjects (or their representative) with sufficient opportunity to consider whether or not to participate. In order to fulfill this purpose, there are a number of required elements to the consent document. Broadly, the informed consent document should communicate to the prospective research subject the purpose, procedures, risks and benefits of the study, the subject's rights in participating in research, and the freedom to decline to participate without any penalty.
