PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM Title of Research Project: Brief Description of Research Project, and What Participation Involves: Investigator Contact Details: Name Department University Address Postcode Email Telephone Consent Statement: I agree to take part in this research, and am aware that I am free to withdraw at any point without giving a reason, although if I do so I understand that my data might still be used in a collated form. I understand that the information I provide will be treated in confidence by the investigator and that my identity will be protected in the publication of any findings, and that data will be collected and processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and with the University's Data Protection Policy. Name …………………………………. Signature ……………………………… Date …………………………………… Please note: if you have a concern about any aspect of your participation or any other queries please raise this with the investigator (or if the researcher is a student you can also contact the Director of Studies.) However, if you would like to contact an independent party please contact the Head of Department. Programme Director Contact Details: Name Email Telephone TIPS FOR COMPLETING PARTICIPANT FACING DOCUMENTATION (E.g. Participant Consent Form, Debriefing Form, Questionnaire, Posters) Project Details • The project title should be consistent across all documentation. • The Brief Description of the Project should contain brief information on what will be involved, e.g. number of participants, how and where the research will be conducted, interviews, timings and that interviews will be audio recorded (if applicable). This is to ensure that a participant knows what participation involves, so that they can give informed consent Information for Participants • You should include information on the participants' right to withdraw without giving a reason and how a participant would do this (e.g. via use of an ID number which appears on the Debriefing Form). The implications of withdrawal should also be explained in the consent statement (e.g. that data in an aggregate form may still be used/ published). • Headings should clearly refer to either the researcher or participant. ('I' should not be used ambiguously in the participant-facing documentation) • The participant facing documentation should refer to the investigator's willingness to discuss any concerns that may arise as a result of participation, and details of who a participant should contact if they feel any physical or emotional discomfort (e.g. GP, support groups etc) • Payment of expenses to participants (e.g. vouchers) should be referred to as reimbursement or similar, rather than as 'a payment' Presentation • The Consent Form should follow the pro forma on the page above including the University logo, title, description of project, full contact details of investigator and programme director, and independent party. • The University logo and contact details should be presented in a consistent manner on all documentation. The contact name and full address of the appropriate department should be given followed by a University email address and telephone number. • All documents that are more than one page in length should have page numbers • All participant-facing documentation should have been proof-read for typos, the text should be formatted consistently in style and size and track changes should have been removed