Obtaining consent

When a project involves human participants, it is important to obtain their consent. Consent may be obtained in writing, using a physical or electronic form, or orally.

For consent to be valid, it must be:

  • Voluntary (participants must not be subject to external constraints, such as a hierarchical or authority relationship, or offered compensation that is impossible to refuse);
  • Informed (participants must receive complete, detailed, clear, and understandable information about the project);
  • Explicit (participants must have given their consent unambiguously).

Obtaining consent creates a commitment between the researcher and the participant.

The process of obtaining consent, its use, quality, and purpose are crucial elements in the ethical assessment of a research project.

Legal Provisions

Laws may require researchers to comply with a number of principles when collecting and/or processing data, particularly personal or sensitive personal data.

Research projects falling within the scope of the Federal Act on Research involving Human Beings (Human Research Act, HRA) require authorization from the Cantonal Commission for Research Ethics (CCER).

Research projects involving human participants but falling outside the scope of the HRA are assessed by the University Research Ethics Commission of the University of Geneva (CUREG 2.0). Where sensitive personal data are collected, the LIPAD (Art. 41, paragraph f - in French) requires authorization from the Council of State. In such cases, the application should first be submitted to CUREG, followed by an application for authorization from the Council of State with the assistance of the Data Protection Officer (DPO) (see FAQ: What steps should I take if I collect sensitive personal data/personality profiles as defined by the LIPAD throughout the course of my research?).

In the context of research on human diseases, as well as on the structure and functioning of the human body, the Federal Act on Research involving Human Beings (Human Research Act, HRA) requires consent to be obtained when personal or sensitive personal data are collected and/or reused as part of a research project.

Art. 7 Consent

1 Research on human beings may only be carried out if the person concerned has given informed consent or if he or she has not exercised his or her right of objection after having been informed in accordance with this Law.

2 The person concerned may at any time refuse to participate in a research project or revoke his or her consent without having to justify his or her decision.

Art. 16 Informed consent

2 The following information must be provided to the data subject orally and in writing, in an understandable form:

a. the nature, purpose, duration and conduct of the research project;

b. the foreseeable risks and constraints;

 c. the expected benefit of the research project, in particular for itself or others;

 d. the measures to ensure the protection of his or her personal data;

Art. 17 Consent to further use for research

If the intention exists to make further use for research of biological material sampled or health-related personal data collected, the consent of the persons concerned must be obtained at the time of such sampling or collection, or they must be informed of their right to dissent.

In Geneva, the Law on Public Information, Access to Documents and the Protection of Personal Data aims to protect the fundamental rights of individuals. However, this law does not contain any specific provisions regarding consent.

Good Practices

It is important to:

  • Obtain the consent of participants before the research project begins (static consent). In some cases, however, consent may be requested during the course of the research or retrospectively (this is referred to as dynamic consent).
  • Provide participants with all the information they need to make an informed decision:
  1. The information about the research project must be sufficient to ensure that participants are not surprised by any aspect of the research protocol. It should describe the potential benefits and risks of participation.
  2. The information must be presented in a clear and appropriate manner.
  3. Participants must have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the project and must be given sufficient time to consider whether or not to provide their consent.
  • Anticipate the impact of a participant’s potential withdrawal and clarify the implications for the data collected up to that point.

Consent form

A good consent form should anticipate the collection, analysis, storage, and/or sharing of the data collected in order to ensure the integrity of the research and the protection of all parties involved (the researcher and the participant). Particular attention should therefore be paid to this document.

A consent form may take different forms depending on the type of data collected, the risk associated with disclosure, the level of confidentiality promised, the potential for anonymizing the collected data, and the population being surveyed. The more personal or sensitive the data, and the greater the risk in the event of disclosure, the longer and/or more formal the consent and information procedure should be.

Elements to Specify

  • Title of the research project;
  • Contact details of the Principal Investigator and/or project leader (first name, last name, institution, address, email address, telephone number). For research conducted by students, a responsible faculty member must also be identified;
  • Members of the research team (first name, last name, institution);
  • Contact person, if different from the project leader;
  • Summary of the research project and its objectives. If the actual objectives cannot be disclosed before data collection, they must be presented to participants in writing afterwards (for example, during the debriefing) as soon as possible. Participants must then be asked to confirm whether they agree to their data being used in light of this newly disclosed information;
  • Source of funding for the research project;
  • Duration of the research project.

  • Activities required of participants;
  • Consequences of participation (duration of interviews, requirement to remain available, requirement to remain within the country, etc.);
  • Method of obtaining data (consent given once or consent requested several times — for example, if researchers need to withhold certain aspects of the project from participants in order not to influence their behaviour and responses and thereby avoid biasing the results. In such cases, the information not provided in the initial consent form is given during a written or oral debriefing. Participants then have the right to refuse, once they have been informed, to allow their data to be used);
  • Potential benefits of participation;
  • Potential risks associated with participation, and how these risks will be managed during the project;
  • Potential costs or compensation (reimbursement, gift voucher, etc.).

  • Data collection procedure (topics covered, tasks to be performed, types of questions that will be asked, etc.);
  • Nature of the data collected (if personal or sensitive personal data are collected, specify which ones);
  • Duration, number, and frequency of data collection (sessions, interviews, questionnaires, etc.);
  • Location of data collection (at the university, via Zoom, at home, etc.);
  • Method of data collection (online questionnaire, telephone interviews, in-person meetings, etc.) and data collection medium (handwritten or electronic notes, audio recordings, video recordings, etc.);
  • If the data will be encrypted, specify the techniques/software used.

  • Type of consent granted: specific (i.e. consent is given for a specific project and a defined purpose) or broad (i.e. consent is given in such a way that the data may be shared and reused in future, unspecified projects);
  • Location and method of data storage after use;
    ⚠️ See the recommended archiving solutions for personal or sensitive personal data;
  • Access management and control measures in place (see the DataTags system);
  • Sharing and use of data beyond the project for secondary analysis (if applicable, who will have access, under what conditions, and for what purposes?);
    ⚠️ See the Where to Share? page.

  • Access to the research results (if applicable, specify how);
  • Procedure for participants to access and/or correct their personal data;
  • Procedure to follow if a participant wishes to withdraw from the project.

  • Participation is voluntary; the participant has read and understood the information provided and has had the opportunity to ask questions;
  • The participant may withdraw from the study or withdraw their consent at any time without having to provide a reason;
  • The participant will receive a copy of the consent form;
  • Date and signature of the participant and the project leader. Where necessary, the signature of the legal representative should also be included;
  • If the consent form is electronic and a signature is not possible, participants confirm that they agree to participate in the study and that their data may be used.

  • Promising complete anonymity or the strictest confidentiality, as these measures can be technically difficult to implement;
  • Setting an expiration date for consent;
  • Committing to destroying the data after they have been used by the research team.

Retention of Consent Forms

It is the responsibility of the researcher to demonstrate that consent has been obtained from the participants.

Administrative documents are generally retained for 10 years after the completion of the project. However, it is recommended that consent forms be retained for as long as the data are stored and for as long as they may be useful (e.g., to demonstrate that the data were collected in accordance with applicable requirements).

Consent forms, whether physical or electronic, must be stored in a secure location, with access restricted to authorized individuals, such as researchers involved in the project or those responsible for data processing.

Example

SCAS (Swiss Center for Affective Sciences) has established a procedure for managing requests to archive consent-form files based on the following principle:

Sample Consent Forms

Oral Consent

When written consent is problematic or inappropriate, an information and consent procedure should be established instead of a written information and consent form.

Two options are possible:

  • Written + Oral

Participants receive an information sheet about the research (written document). They are then invited to ask questions about the research and their participation, and subsequently asked to provide their consent orally.

  • Entirely Oral

Participants are informed orally, invited to ask questions about the research and their participation, and then asked to provide their consent orally. Examples include individual oral information in the context of individual interviews, or oral information provided during group information sessions at the beginning of ethnographic fieldwork within a community.

The information and consent procedure must specify which option has been chosen and provide details of how it will be implemented.

See the CUREG FAQ.

To learn more

Ressources UNIGE

Screenshot 2026-07-27 at 11-39-33 Le consentement en recherche enjeux et modèles existants - Data Science for all - UNIGE.png

Capsule Data Science for All - Consent in research: issues and existing models
(video requiring a Mediaserver login)

Screenshot 2026-07-27 at 11-48-08 Le questionnaire au service de la récolte de données - Data Science for all - UNIGE.png

Capsule Data Science for all - The questionnaire as a data collection tool

Screenshot 2026-07-27 at 11-49-20 Mener un entretien ethnographique - Data Science for all - UNIGE.png

Capsule Data Science for all - Conducting an ethnographic interview

CUREG - FAQ

External resources

21 August 2026