Research Governance

Informed Consent

Informed consent is the process of ensuring that participants understand a study and voluntarily agree to take part.

Concept facts

Informed consent is the process of ensuring that participants understand a study and voluntarily agree to take part.

Also known as
Participant consent, consent process, research consent, voluntary consent.
Used in
Interviews, usability testing, field research, diary studies, recordings, surveys, participatory design, and program evaluation.
Interpret with
Research ethics, research participant, recruitment criteria, research protocol, moderation guide, and data quality.

Plain-language explanation

Informed consent is not just a signature. It is a communication process. Participants should understand what the research is about, what they will be asked to do, what data will be collected, how the data will be used, whether they can refuse, and whether they can stop participating.

In UX research, consent is especially important when participants are customers, citizens, patients, students, applicants, or staff who may feel that they have little power.

Why it matters

Consent protects participants and improves research quality. If people do not understand the study or feel pressured, their participation is not ethically sound and their responses may be less honest.

In public-service, healthtech, fintech, and development-sector research, consent must be clear enough for participants with different literacy levels, languages, abilities, and digital confidence.

Use contexts

Informed consent is used when:

  • people are interviewed, observed, recorded, or asked to perform tasks
  • personal or sensitive information may be discussed
  • participants are recruited through institutions, employers, service providers, or field staff
  • research involves users who may fear losing access, benefits, services, or employment
  • recordings, screenshots, transcripts, or quotations may be used

Application guidance

The consent process should use plain language and enough time for questions. Researchers should explain participation, risks, benefits, privacy, voluntary withdrawal, and contact points.

Consent should be adapted to context. In some field settings, a verbal explanation may be more meaningful than a long written form. However, the process still needs to be documented appropriately.

Researchers should avoid implying that participation will improve service access, approval chances, benefits, or employment standing.

Practical example

A public health team tests a maternal care appointment system with patients at rural clinics. Some participants have low literacy and assume the researchers are connected to service approval.

The consent process uses plain-language verbal explanation, confirms that care will not be affected by refusal, explains that no clinical decision will be made from the test, and asks permission before recording.

This allows participants to make a real choice and helps the team collect feedback without creating fear or false expectations.

Interpretive boundaries

A signed consent form does not guarantee informed consent. If participants do not understand the study, feel pressured, or cannot realistically refuse, the consent process is weak.

Consent is also not a one-time event. Researchers may need to reconfirm consent when activities change, sensitive topics emerge, or recording begins.

Applied at Userhub

Userhub treats informed consent as part of responsible UX research practice, especially when working with vulnerable users, institutional staff, students, patients, applicants, or service beneficiaries.

Consent procedures are adapted to the study context while preserving participant understanding, voluntariness, and dignity.

See Userhub UX Lab for applied UX research and evaluation context.

Sources and references

Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences. (2016). International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans. CIOMS.

Israel, M., & Hay, I. (2006). Research Ethics for Social Scientists. SAGE Publications.

National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1979). The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053

Cite this entry

APA

Userhub. (2026). Informed Consent. UX Reference. https://userhub.com.bd/reference/informed-consent/