ORAL CONSENT SCRIPTS

Guidance
The following is a general guide to writing an oral consent script and provides
some suggested text and points to cover within such a script. 1

You should submit a simple, adapted oral consent script as part of your CUREC
application if you intend to use an oral consent process in your project. In
practice, participants will not see this script. You can use it to confirm the terms
of the research contract to them and obtain their oral consent to participate.

An oral consent process can be

Type 1) a written information sheet to be read at information stage, plus

an oral script to gain consent from the participant, or
Type 2) a full oral script which captures both the information and consent
stages.

How you arrange your oral process depends on how you will encounter your
participants (eg email, phone, an on-the-street-meeting by chance). Between
information and consent stage the participant should ideally be given at least
24 hours to think about whether to consent if possible, though this depends on
the project design.

Please note:

o It is highly unlikely that oral consent processes will be permissible when

applying to the Medical Sciences IDREC. If in doubt, please contact the
Medical Sciences IDREC for advice.
o The recommended script wording is recommended for use in research
involving competent adult participants or competent youths only.
For children under 16, please see the Assent form in Approved Procedure
25 instead.

Further information on written and oral Informed Consent is available at

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/curec/resources/informed-consent/

All sections which require amendment and/or additional information are

highlighted yellow.

1 The informed consent templates may not be appropriate for all types of
research, e.g. ethnographic research, or where consent is obtained in an
emergency setting or with elite interviewing. You should still follow relevant
guidance from Professional Associations, our Best Practice Guidance and provide
details in your CUREC application as to how you will obtain consent as
appropriate from participants in the research.

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Optional statements are highlighted turquoise delete if not applicable to your
study.

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 Type 1: Oral Consent only

[Where separate written participant information sheet has already been

read by the participant, ideally at least 24 hours before oral consent is sought if
possible.
Record this consent process using a digital recorder (if participant has consented
to this) or by using a Record of Consent Form.]

Hello again, Im [name] from the University of Oxford and I wanted to talk to you
about the project I gave you an information sheet about before. To recap, the
broad aims of my project are [x].

Are you still interested in taking part in the project? [Await confirmation]. Now Id
like to confirm some of the details of the project to make sure you understand
whats involved for you:

Its a project about [x] and its being used for my [undergraduate project / my
postgraduate project / a paper Im writing].
If you take part, Ill need you to [describe task/survey/interview] lasting
approximately [x minutes / hours] at [location]. [I may also contact you for
follow-up interviews.]
The following risks are involved in taking part: [list risks and how you will
mitigate these.]
You may find aspects of this interview distressing as Ill be asking for your
opinions about [sensitive issues].
You dont have to say yes to taking part; you can ask me any questions you
want before or throughout; you can also withdraw at any stage without giving
a reason and without any negative consequences.
You are aware that an Oxford University Research Ethics committee has
approved this research project and how to contact me (in the first instance) or
the committee in case of any concerns or complaints. I have given you the
projects ethics reference number and relevant contact details. To reiterate:
their contact details are ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk [for SSH IDREC studies]/
oxtrec@admin.ox.ac.uk [for OxTREC studies].
[I wont keep any of your details for longer than necessary / I wont use your
name next to data you provide, unless you insist on the opposite / I will ask
your permission for quoting you directly in research publications]
I will safely store your data [explain how/add location] and will keep the
research data for a minimum of (x) years.2
I will [audio record you / take photographs of you / video you] unless you say
that I cant.
Youre aware that my written work will be published online [for doctoral
students or other qualifications or research where a thesis, dissertation or
other research output will be published in the Oxford Research Archive].
The project may/will be/will not be published in a(n) [academic journal/ book /
website].

2 This should be a minimum of three years after publication according to

University Policy, or longer depending on funder requirements.

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 [If collecting sensitive personal data]: Are you happy for me to collect [detail
sensitive personal data]?
Are you still willing to take part? Do you give your permission for me to re-
contact you to clarify information?

[Await confirmation] So if youre happy with all of that, and have no more
questions, lets start.

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Type 2: Full Oral Information Giving and Consent Seeking Process

Record this consent process using a digital recorder (if participant has consented
to this) or by using a Record of Consent Form.]

[Oral information giving stage]

Hello, my name is [x]. Im doing some research and I wondered if youd be

interested in being involved. Im currently [doing my first degree (undergrad) /a
DPhil /Masters student / a researcher] at the University of Oxford in
[Department/Faculty]. My research is on [describe project briefly]. Can I tell you
more about the study? [Await confirmation]

In my study, I want to investigate [project aims]. Im interested in [describe topic

and type of person or persons which make up planned research population]. If
you choose to be a part of this project, here is what will happen:

[For interviews/surveys/ tasks:] I will [have a conversation with you/ give you a
survey / task [add length, location, any follow-up interviews] where I will ask a
whole range of questions about [insert range of questions].

The [answers / data] you give will form the basis of my [undergraduate essay/
DPhil thesis / research publication]. The personal information you will share with
me will not be passed to any third party. [Add by whom and how anonymised
research data will be handled, describing confidentiality/anonymity
arrangements.]

This research is anonymous, which means that in any publications, your name
will not be used, unless you insist on the opposite. [Or: I will use your name in
my publications is that ok with you?]

The following risks are involved in taking part [list risks, e.g. an interview could
cover sensitive issues.] In order to mitigate any potential risks, I will [add how
you will mitigate risks].

Taking part is completely voluntary and we can stop any time you like without
giving a reason and without any negative consequences.

With your permission, I would like to make an audio recording of our discussion
to make sure Im getting an accurate record of your thoughts. Alternatively, I can
take notes in my notebook. Which would you prefer? I may want to re-contact
you to clarify information you gave me in your interview. In that case, I will ask
you if you have time to answer some more questions.

If you agree to take part in this project, the research will be written up as a
[thesis / dissertation/ article / book].

[For doctoral students or other qualifications or research where a thesis,

dissertation or other research output will be published in the Oxford Research

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Archive]: On successful submission of the [thesis / dissertation], it will be
deposited both in print and online in the University archives, to facilitate its use
in future research.3

The research may/will also be published in academic journals / online / books.

If you have any complaints or concerns please feel free to contact me in the first
instance. My mobile is [mobile number give local number if available]. You can
also reach me at [Oxford University email address].

This research project has been reviewed and approved by an Oxford University
ethics committee. If, after contacting me with any concern, you remain unhappy
and wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the ethics committee. Their
email is ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk. I will also give you their postal address and this
projects ethics reference number. [For applications reviewed by the Oxford
Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC), please insert the contact details
for the local ethics committee which has reviewed your study].

Do you have any questions?

[Oral consent seeking stage, after participant has had sufficient time to
think about whether s/he wants to take part]

Do you give your permission for me to [interview you/ take your photo/ video
you? Do you give me permission to audio record you?] Do you give your
permission for me to re-contact you to clarify information?

[If collecting sensitive personal data]: Are you happy for me to collect [detail
sensitive personal data]?

Are you happy to take part?

Ok, thanks, in which case lets start.

3 Oxford students following D.Phil., M.Litt. and M.Sc. (by Research) courses
should refer to http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ora/oxford_etheses.

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