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Sample Research Documents

Sample documents are provided below as tools to help you prepare your research studies. Not all documents will be applicable or useful for all studies.  Each document will require study-specific wording or other changes to be made to the documents.

Note that these documents are provided as samples and do not guarantee final IRB approval.

In some research studies, consent may be obtained verbally rather than by using a signed consent form. This is an example of a verbal script and accompanying contact information card used by graduate students to obtain informed consent for participation in an international research study. The sample is based on a consent script and information card created by Dr. Richard Gunther, a Professor in the Department of Political Science. The example includes all of the required elements of consent.

The highlighted language in the sample denotes instructions and areas that should be revised to reflect information specific to your research study. Other changes may be necessary depending on the nature of your research.  The language should be non-technical and preferably at an 8th grade (or lower) reading level for adult participants.  A consent script must be submitted for IRB review in conjunction with a request for a waiver of consent documentation.

Translated Sample Contact Information Cards

For minimal risk research being conducted online (such as using an online survey host, conducting interviews via a video messaging platform, document collection via e-mail) consent may be obtained via participants reading a script and then agreeing to participate by clicking a link to a survey, a check box formatted by the survey host, etc. This is an example of a script to be read by participants to collect consent for participation in online research. The example provided either includes or prompts information for the required elements of consent as well as additional language specific to participant confidentiality when collecting data online. A consent script must be submitted for IRB review in conjunction with a request for a waiver of consent documentation.