# Research Participant Information and Consent: [Study title]

> A participant information sheet and consent form for user experience research such as
> interviews, usability tests, diary studies and surveys with follow-up calls. It covers what
> taking part involves, recording choices, how data is used and kept, withdrawal and contacts,
> with a separate yes or no for each recording and reuse option. Privacy notes use the EU GDPR
> (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Articles 6, 7, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 89), UK GDPR and US rules as dated
> examples, as of October 2026. Replace every `[bracketed]` value and every row marked *Example*.
> This is a documentation format, not legal advice: check the current official text with your
> privacy lead and a qualified professional. For clinical or health research, use
> science/informed-consent-form and your ethics committee's own forms instead.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Part A (information sheet) is given to the participant before the session, ideally a day or
  more ahead. Part B (consent form) is signed or ticked before the session starts. Part C is for
  the research team and is not shown to participants.
- Write in plain language at a reading level your participants are comfortable with. Offer the
  sheet in accessible formats and in the participant's language.
- Keep consent to take part separate from permission to record and from permission to reuse
  clips. A participant can take part without agreeing to every recording.
- Common pitfall: a form that says data is "kept securely for as long as needed". Give the
  storage place, who can see it and a deletion date or rule.
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: Version the form. If the study changes (new recording, new purpose), issue a new version and ask for fresh consent. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | [RCF-001] |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Status | [Draft / Approved by privacy lead / In use / Retired] |
| Owner (lead researcher) | [@researcher] |
| Reviewers | [@privacy-lead], [@legal or ethics contact] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Study plan | [design/ux-research-plan or design/usability-test-plan, document ID] |
| Languages and formats | [*Example:* English, Spanish; large print; screen-reader-friendly online form] |

### Revision history

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [@name] | First draft |
| 1.0 | YYYY-MM-DD | [@name] | Approved by privacy lead |

## Part A. Participant information sheet

<!-- Guidance: Answer the questions a participant would ask, in the order they would ask them. Use "we" and "you". Each answer is two to four sentences. -->

### A1. What is this study about?

[*Example:* Quillmere Libraries, a city library service, is improving its borrowing app. We want
to learn how people reserve and renew books. We are testing the app, not you, and there are no
right or wrong answers.]

### A2. Who is running it?

[Organisation name, team, and any agency or partner that will see your data.] [*Example:* The
Quillmere Libraries digital team runs the study. A recruitment agency, [agency name], schedules
sessions and pays the thank-you gift.]

### A3. What will I be asked to do?

[*Example:* A 60-minute video call from home. We will ask about how you use the library, then ask
you to try a few tasks on the app on your own phone while you think aloud, and finish with a
short questionnaire.]

### A4. What will be recorded?

You choose what we record in Part B. [*Example:* We would like to record the audio of the call
and your phone screen. We do not need your face on camera. A researcher will also take notes.]

### A5. How will my information be used?

[*Example:* The study team watches recordings to understand where the app is hard to use. We
write a report for the app team that uses a participant code (such as P04) instead of your name.
With your permission, quotes with your name removed may appear in reports, and short clips may be
shown to other staff at Quillmere Libraries. Clips show your screen and play your voice, so
people who know you might recognise you; we never show your name with them. We will not use your information for marketing and will not sell it.]

### A6. Who will see it and where is it kept?

| Information | Who can see it | Where it is kept | When it is deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
| [*Example:* Name, email, phone] | Research operations and the agency | Recruitment tool | 30 days after your thank-you gift is paid |
| [*Example:* Screen and audio recording] | Study team (5 people) | Encrypted research storage | 6 months after the study report is approved |
| [*Example:* Notes and quotes under a code] | App team | Research repository | Kept with the report for up to 3 years |
| [*Example:* Clips, if you agree] | Staff at Quillmere Libraries | Internal presentations | Removed when the report is retired |

[If any data is processed by a service provider or outside your region, say so here and name the safeguard.]

### A7. Do I have to take part? Can I change my mind?

Taking part is your choice. You can skip any question or task, take a break, or stop at any time
without giving a reason. You will still receive the thank-you gift. After the session you can
ask us to delete your recording and notes until [*Example:* the report is written on YYYY-MM-DD];
after that, anonymised findings in the report cannot be removed, but your recording and personal
details will still be deleted on request. To withdraw, contact [name, email or phone].

### A8. Are there any risks or benefits?

[*Example:* There are no expected risks beyond the time it takes. Some people find being recorded
uncomfortable; you can turn off recording at any point. There is no direct benefit to you, but
your views will help make the app easier to use.] If anything you share suggests a risk of
serious harm to you or someone else, [describe what the team would do and who it would tell].

### A9. Thank-you gift

[*Example:* A gift card of [amount and currency], sent within 10 working days. It does not depend
on what you say or how you do the tasks.]

### A10. Your data rights and contacts

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct or delete your information,
or to object to its use. To use them, or if you have questions or concerns, contact:

- Study contact: [name, role, email, phone]
- Data protection or privacy contact: [name or team, email]
- [Where relevant: the data protection authority where you live, or the ethics committee that reviewed the study, with contact details]

## Part B. Consent form

<!-- Guidance: One statement per line, each with its own yes or no. Never pre-tick. For remote sessions, an online form or a recorded verbal consent with a script are common; keep a record of what was agreed and when. -->

Participant code: [P__]  Study: [study title]  Form version: [1.0]

| # | Statement | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I have read the information sheet version [1.0] dated YYYY-MM-DD, or had it read to me, and had the chance to ask questions. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 2 | I understand that taking part is voluntary and that I can stop at any time without giving a reason and still receive the thank-you gift. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 3 | I agree to take part in this study. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 4 | I agree to the audio of the session being recorded. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 5 | I agree to my screen being recorded. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 6 | I agree to video of my face being recorded. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 7 | I agree that anonymised quotes may be used in reports. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 8 | I agree that short clips of my recording, in which my voice may be recognisable, may be shown to staff at [organisation], as described in A5 and A6. | [ ] | [ ] |
| 9 | I agree to be contacted about future studies. My details will be kept for this purpose until I ask to be removed. | [ ] | [ ] |

Statements 1 to 3 are needed to take part. Statements 4 to 9 are optional.

| | Name | Signature or recorded agreement | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participant | [ ] | [ ] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Researcher | [ ] | [ ] | YYYY-MM-DD |

Verbal confirmation at the start of the recording: "[Name of researcher] confirming that
participant [code] has agreed to statements [numbers] on form version [1.0]."

## Part C. Researcher checklist (not shown to participants)

<!-- Guidance: Settle these questions with your privacy lead before recruiting and record the answers. These are questions to ask, not answers; not legal advice. -->

Questions to settle (dated examples, as of October 2026; check the current official text):

- [ ] **Lawful basis (EU and UK GDPR, Article 6).** Is the processing based on consent or on
      another basis such as legitimate interests? Research consent (the ethical agreement to take
      part) and GDPR consent (a lawful basis) are different things; the ICO notes you do not have
      to rely on GDPR consent for research.
- [ ] **If GDPR consent is the basis (Article 7).** Can you show who consented, when and to what?
      Is withdrawal as easy as agreeing? Is consent separate from other terms?
- [ ] **Special category data (Article 9).** Could participants share health, disability,
      ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or similar information (for example assistive
      technology users describing a condition)? Which Article 9 condition applies, and can you
      avoid recording it?
- [ ] **Transparency (Article 13).** Does Part A cover the controller, contacts, purposes, basis,
      recipients, transfers, retention and rights?
- [ ] **Erasure and objection (Articles 17 and 21).** Is there a working process to find and
      delete one participant's data from recordings, notes and tools?
- [ ] **Research safeguards (Article 89).** If you rely on research exemptions, which safeguards
      such as pseudonymisation are in place?
- [ ] **UK.** UK GDPR has been amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and ICO guidance is
      under review: check the current ICO pages.
- [ ] **US.** Does a state privacy law such as the California Consumer Privacy Act apply to your
      organisation? Is the study conducted or funded in a way that requires review under the
      Common Rule (45 CFR part 46, informed consent elements in section 46.116)? Do the
      participants' state laws on recording calls require every party's agreement?
- [ ] **Assessment and records.** Is a data protection impact assessment needed (compliance/dpia)?
      Is the processing in the record of processing activities (compliance/gdpr-ropa)?
- [ ] **Minors and vulnerable participants.** If anyone under [18] or anyone who may lack capacity
      could take part, stop and use an approved procedure (science/research-ethics-application).

Official pages: GDPR, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng; ICO consent guidance,
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/consent/;
California CCPA, https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa; Common Rule, 45 CFR part 46,
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46

## Standard and licence note

Based on the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) Articles 6, 7, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 89, ICO consent
guidance (page checked October 2026, under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025), the
California Consumer Privacy Act (California Attorney General page updated 28 August 2026) and
the US Common Rule (45 CFR part 46), cited as dated examples, together with common user research
practice. The text is original and is not legal advice; check the current official text and a
qualified professional. Related: design/ux-research-plan, design/usability-test-plan,
design/research-interview-guide. Template licence: MIT.