An information-consent letter is most often used to inform potential participants about a research study and to document their agreement to participate.
Guide to creating an information letter and consent form
The guide to creating an information letter and consent form (Word) is intended to provide researchers with the information needed to develop their information letters and consent documents. TCPS 2, Article 3.2 indicates that “Researchers shall provide to participants, or authorized third parties, full disclosure of all information necessary for making an informed decision to participate in the research project.”
The guide was developed as a resource for researchers to use when developing their materials.
Information letter samples
The samples below are intended to be examples of information letters. When developing your information letter, refer to the guide and use the samples as a starting place. All information letters should be accompanied by consent material documenting how consent is obtained.
Consent and permission form samples
Consent and permission forms are generally used with an information letter. These forms document a participant’s agreement to take part in the study. Depending on the study methods and context, permission may also be needed to use quotations, take audio or video recordings, take photographs/digital images, or to store and use data for future research.
While consent is typically obtained in written form, researchers may obtain consent in other ways, such as orally or verbally. Consent is to be documented regardless of the method chosen (TCPS 2, Article 3.12).
| Method for obtaining consent | Sample consent material |
|---|---|
| Written | Written consent form (Word) |
| Verbal | |
| Online (e.g., online surveys) | Online consent form (Word) |
| Parental consent form for research with a child |
Parent consent form (Word) Child or youth assent form (Word) |
| Post debriefing (e.g., for studies using deception) | Post debriefing consent form (Word) |
Statements to use in particular situations
If providing remuneration, include the following in the information letter:
- of cash or near-cash with value less than $500 include: "The amount received is taxable. It is your responsibility to report this amount for income tax purposes, if required."
- value $500 or more include the following: "The amount received is taxable. You will be asked to sign a release of personal information form for purposes of remuneration and for issuing a tax slip."
If using a draw include the following in the information letter:
-
"In appreciation of the time you have given to this study, you can enter your name into a draw for 1 of X prizes. The prizes include [insert prizes and dollar value, for example "a movie pass or a $10 Tim Horton's gift card"]. Your odds of winning one of the prizes is 1 in X [or if the odds is unknown or difficult to determine the following can be stated: "Your odds of winning one of the prizes is based on the number of individuals who participate in the study. We expect that approximately X individuals will take part in the study."] Information collected to draw for the prizes will not be linked to the study data in any way, and this identifying information will be stored separately, then destroyed after the prizes have been provided. The amount received is taxable. It is your responsibility to report this amount for income tax purposes."
Resources
Waterloo finance policy on remuneration for research participants
Using plain language in participant materials — Waterloo guidelines
Recruiting people to surveys using crowdsourcing — Waterloo guidelines
Storing data and information — Waterloo guidelines
Harmonized consent language-Sample language for data sharing — Metaresearch and Open Science Program, University of Ottawa
Updated April 2024