St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan Department ...

ON-LINE DATA COLLECTION: The consent form template must be modified to reflect the specific circumstances
of on-line data collection (e.g., you will not be there to answer questions; that there is no consent form to store; an
approval response option to indicate consent rather than a signature; an invitation to contact you with any questions
prior to commencing the study if necessary etc.). If you are using the SONA system survey tool via the Participant
Pool Website, the consent form must be revised to include a statement indicating that participants will not be
automatically debriefed if they choose to withdraw, but that they can contact the student-researcher for a copy of the
debriefing form (the U of S web survey tool has the capacity to direct participants to a debriefing page upon
withdrawal). Be sure of which you are using.
SMALL SAMPLE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: The consent form template usually must be revised to reflect this
situation. Pay particular attention to ensuring that the Confidentiality section accurately reflects your particular
study. If you are obtaining transcript release, this process should be outlined in the consent form.
ASSENT VERSUS CONSENT: If your research involves children, then you must follow procedures for gaining
assent from the child participants as well as parental consent.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONSENT: If your research involves recruiting through an organization or community group
(e.g., hockey team, church group), it is necessary to obtain consent to recruit from the organization or group. The
form to obtain such consent MUST be included in your application for Psy-REC approval.
DATA LINKAGE: If you plan on linking data (across two time point, or across two individuals for example), this
must be clearly outlined in your consent form, and the necessary revisions must be made to the Confidentiality
section of the consent form.
Section 5 – Procedure for Participants Who Wish to Withdraw
• Ensure that you have checked one of the boxes within Section 5(a). Regardless of whether you checked YES or
NO, you must complete the associated text boxes.
• The statements below, for Section 5(a) and 5(b), should be sufficient for many class projects. Please modify if
necessary to reflect your specific study (e.g., on-line study, assent form for children).
Section 5(a)
The consent form clearly indicates that participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time and for
whatever reason without penalty. After signing the consent form, participants will be reminded of their right to
withdraw.
26