Informed consent

A process by which a sample member voluntarily confirms their willingness to participate in a study after having been informed of all aspects of the study that are relevant to the decision to participate. Informed consent can be obtained orally or via a written consent form (or implied, if the respondent returns a mail survey), depending on the study protocol. In some cases, consent must be given by someone other than the respondent (e.g., an adult when interviewing children).

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