When to seek consent

Discussing and obtaining consent for participation in research, for the use of information gathered for analyses, publications, and outputs, plus for sharing and the reusing of any personal data beyond the research, can be a one-off occurrence or an ongoing process.

One-off consent involves obtaining a single, initial agreement from participants at the start of a study or data collection process. Once participants have given their consent, it is generally understood to apply for the entire duration of the research, unless specified otherwise. This form of consent is commonly used in studies where ongoing or repeated involvement from participants is not anticipated after the initial agreement has been secured.

Ongoing consent involves obtaining participants’ consent at multiple stages throughout the research process. This is particularly important in longitudinal studies or when new data collection methods or changes to the study are introduced. Ongoing consent offers participants a clearer view of what participating in the research involves, and which information they contribute might be available. This is recommended in ESRC’s Research Ethics Framework and is important in a research design.

The choice of consent method depends on the specific context of the research, including the nature of the study, the level of participant involvement, and the duration of data collection.

Retrospective consent refers to obtaining consent from participants after the data has already been collected or the research has already occurred. Researchers seek permission from participants to use their previously collected data for a specific study. Retrospective consent is often required in situations where it was not feasible to obtain consent at the time the data was originally collected, but the data is still being used for legitimate research purposes.