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In some cases, a waiver of documentation of consent may granted by the UI IRB for research conducted online (i.e. a web-based survey). Investigators may use a consent letter or information sheet containing the elements of consent (template provided in the attachments section of HawkIRB) to provide consent information to participants. For studies with a waiver of documentation of consent collecting data online, a web portal or screen may be used to present the consent information to the participant, allowing for the individual to indicate consent by selecting a button to proceed with their participation.
If the research is greater than minimal risk, written consent will be required. Currently, the UI IRB does not allow for the collection of electronic signatures to document informed consent over the Internet. Investigators will need to have subjects submit a signed consent document in order to access the web site to participate in the study.
Survey instruments, such as those provided by the University of Iowa Qualtrics account, should be designed in such a way that allows participants to skip questions or provide a response such as “I choose not to answer.”