IRB: Ethics & Human Research

The Many Ways of Saying Yes and No: Reflections on the Research Coordinator’s Role in Recruiting Research Participants and Obtaining Informed Consent

Although essential elements of the informed consent process rest on the practical skills of the research coordinators who solicit potential research participants, little attention has been paid to the practical and interpersonal aspects of research subject recruitment.  This case report is a reflection by a research coordinator and principal investigator of minimal risk research on two aspects of the day-to-day process of soliciting informed consent to research, the various ways potential subjects can say “yes” or “no” to participation, and the practical uses of the consent form.

Key words/concepts: informed consent, recruitment, research coordinator, minimal risk, consent document