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A Guide to Consent Forms for Researchers

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This article is for Researchers, Project Owners, Editors & Collaborators who wish to add an extra layer of consent to their Live & Async Qual Research.

Consent Forms are uploaded, managed, signed, and downloaded directly from the Discuss All-in-One platform, limiting anything back and forth between Researchers, Recruiters & Respondents.

This feature is free and included with  Pro, Premium, Premium+, or Consumer Reach subscriptions. Otherwise, contact us for pricing info. 

 

Getting Started with Consent Forms

Discuss streamlines your way to manage participants' consent and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). With the integration of HelloSign, the process becomes seamless, enabling easy collection of binding documentation for your projects. We will also cover how to access and download all your signed consent forms into a zip file.

With our HelloSign integration, we have created an easy way to collect binding documentation that you can upload to any of your projects and assign those forms to specific sessions.

If consent form(s) are assigned to a session, a respondent MUST complete the form(s) to be admitted access to the session. Respondents will not have access to the session until their signature has been submitted. Once the consent form has been signed and submitted, you will no longer have editing access to the consent form.

 

Uploading my Consent Form

  1. Click the upload button in the upper right-hand corner of the consent form section to add your document. PNG and PDF files are the only files supported in the consent form hub.
  2. Files can be taken from multiple sources (Your Computer, Google Drive, URL Link etc.)
  3. You will be then taken to the editing part of this process which is hosted by our HelloSign integration. You can add any signature/initial to any area of your document that you may have. All features are drag and drop and can be placed/moved/removed from any area that your document may need.

 

 

Editing & Previewing my Consent Form

 

HelloSign Editing Tutorial

  1. When editing your document, click 'Edit' to make amendments to any document that has not been yet signed. You will not have access to edit any document once it has been signed.
  2. The HelloSign integration also allows for you to preview your document, as viewed by the respondent responsible for signing these documents.

Note: You will see a message stating that the consent form is not legally binding. This message only appears in the previous modal and won't appear in the respondent experience. 

 

Previewing Modal

 

You can optionally download a Copy of the edited Consent Form

  1. Click on the 3 dot menu on the right side of your consent form and select download

Assigning Consent Forms to an Interview or Tech Check

Assigning a Consent Form to an interview implies that all respondents accessing the interactive meeting room will be prompted to sign the form, before joining the discussion. 

You also have the option to assign a consent form to a tech check, allowing you to confirm the signed form before the day of the interview. For best practice, you can always assign the consent form to both the interview & the tech check. 

  1. Once you have uploaded your consent forms and scheduled sessions, you can assign consent forms. Go to your project Overview page and under 'All Upcoming Interviews' and click 'Add Form'
  2. You will then be prompted to select which consent forms you would like to add to this session
  3. Choose as many of your uploaded consent forms as you would like to add to each session by checking the box next to the form name.
  4. If you'll be using the same form(s) across all interviews, tick the "Apply Selection to ALL" checkbox. Please Note: this ONLY adds forms to currently scheduled upcoming interviews.

After you select and save your consent forms, you will be able to view the number of consent forms assigned to each session. Edits to consent forms can be made until there is at least 1 legally binding signature tied to that form.

 

Managing Signed Forms

From the Overview Tab of your Project Dashboard, scroll down to the Documents Hub to add, edit, view, download, and delete all of your consent forms.

Only Project Owners will have the capability to download all Consent Forms.

  1. Click the right arrow to enter the documents in that folder and you will be able to add, edit, preview, and download any consent forms that have been added.
  2. If this is a new project and you have not yet uploaded any consent forms to your project you will only see a view to upload consent forms in the top right-hand corner of the section.

As you are uploading and getting signed return consent forms, you will see two sections in this folder.

  1. The 'Consent Forms' section contains any uploaded but not yet signed consent forms
  2. The 'Signed Consent Forms' section will contain all signed consent forms

Deleting a Consent Form

Deleting a Consent Form can be done by the project owner, editors & collaborators. Only Consent forms without collected signatures can be deleted.

  1. In the Overview Tab of your Project Dashboard, head to your document hub to view your Consent Forms.
  2. Once the list of your forms is displayed, you can select the 3 dots menu icon that's on the right of your targeted form.
  3. Select the delete button corresponding to the targeted consent form.

  4. After clicking the delete option the form will be deleted and will not appear in your consent form list.

Downloading All Signed Consent Forms

You can manage, view, and download all consent forms that have been reviewed, signed, and submitted associated with each session.

Please note that only Project Owners have the permission to download all signed consent forms.

  1. Start by navigating to your Overview page.

  2. Scroll down the navigation bar until you spot the "Documents" section.

  3. Within this section, you will see the 'Consent Forms' section. Click on it to enter.

  4. Inside the 'Consent Forms' section, click the 'Download All' button. This action will generate a zip file containing all signed consent forms for each project

 

Video Walkthrough

 

FAQ

How can I assign the Consent Form in advance of the interview, to the respondent's Tech Check or Self Captures?

You can assign in advance by clicking on the Respondent Hub tab of your project, and then Notify & Invite. Learn more here 

Are Consent Form Localized?

Yes, Consent Forms instructions are localized to the respondent's browser language. Learn more here.

How can I review the consent form status?

You can review the Consent Form status by clicking on the Respondent Hub tab of your project, and then viewing the Consent Form column. More info here.

What is the respondent's experience when signing the Consent Form before they join the interview?

View the Respondent's Experience here

What is the respondent's experience when signing the Consent Form during their Tech Check?

View the Respondent's Experience here

 

 

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