Ethics Approval & Consent Forms: Templates for Dissertation Researchers

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Why You Need Ethics Approval (And What Happens Without It)

Before you can collect a single survey response, interview recording, or observation note, you need formal ethics approval from your university’s Research Ethics Committee (REC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB). This isn’t paperwork you can rush through at the end of your dissertation — it’s a gatekeeper requirement.

Here’s what most students don’t realize: ethics approval takes 4 to 12 weeks depending on your institution. If you’re conducting research with vulnerable populations (minors, patients, vulnerable adults), it can take even longer. Planning to collect data in September? Your ethics application should have been submitted in June or July.

Without approved ethics documentation, your dissertation risks being rejected outright. Committee members and supervisors will ask for the ethics approval letter before allowing you to distribute any research materials. In some universities, your final thesis must include a copy of the ethics approval letter as proof of compliance.

Ethics approval must be obtained before collecting any data — collecting data without approval can lead to dissertation rejection
Your consent form must include 8 required sections — from study identification to signature lines
Participant Information Sheets (PIS) are mandatory alongside the consent form
Common rejection reasons include language complexity, missing withdrawal statements, and pre-ticked checkboxes
Every university has its own template — always check your institution’s guidelines first

What Is an Ethics Approval Consent Form?

An ethics approval consent form (often called an informed consent form) is a document that your research participants sign to confirm they understand what your study involves and agree to participate voluntarily. It’s the primary mechanism for protecting participants from harm and ensuring they’re not coerced into research they don’t understand.

Alongside the consent form, you’ll also need a Participant Information Sheet (PIS) — a document that provides all the details about your study before participants decide whether to participate. Think of the PIS as the “before” and the consent form as the “after” — the information sheet educates participants, and the consent form documents their agreement.

Some universities combine these into a single document, while others require them separate. Always check your institution’s specific requirements.

Required Sections: What Every Ethics Consent Form Must Include

Based on guidance from University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, University of Bristol, University of Saskatchewan, and WHO Research Ethics guidelines, here are the core elements every consent form needs.

1. Study Identification and Researcher Information

Your consent form must clearly identify:

The official title of your research study
Your name and role (e.g., “MSc Candidate, School of Education”)
Your university and department
Your supervisor’s name and contact information

Example:

STUDY TITLE: The Impact of Remote Work on Graduate Student Mental Health: A Qualitative Study
RESEARCHER: [Your Name], MSc Candidate, School of Psychology, [University Name]
SUPERVISOR: Dr. [Name], [Your Name]@university.edu

What we recommend: Use your institutional email address, not a personal Gmail account. Ethics committees take seriously the professional affiliation of the researcher. If your institution requires a specific consent form ID number or ethics application number, include it prominently.

2. Study Purpose and Procedures

This section explains what participants will actually do. Be specific — vague descriptions like “participate in a discussion” won’t satisfy an ethics committee.

Required details:

The overall purpose of the research (in plain language)
Exactly what participation involves (e.g., “a 45-minute semi-structured interview”)
Duration and frequency of participation (e.g., “one session lasting approximately 45 minutes”)
Where the session will take place (e.g., “via Zoom,” “in person at the university library”)
Whether sessions will be audio or video recorded

Tip: Use second-person language throughout (“You will be asked to…”) rather than third-person (“The participant will be asked to…”). Both Manchester University templates and Liverpool guidelines emphasize that second-person language improves comprehension and reduces confusion.

3. Potential Risks and Benefits

This section is often the hardest to write honestly. Be transparent:

Risks to disclose:

Psychological distress (e.g., “Discussing your experiences with academic stress may be emotionally uncomfortable”)
Social risks (e.g., “Data could potentially be linked to your identity”)
Physical risks (rare in social science research, but include if relevant)
Time burden (how much of your participant’s time will this take?)

Benefits to disclose:

Direct benefits to participants (rarely applicable for dissertation research — don’t claim them if they don’t exist)
Indirect benefits to society or future research
Be honest if there are no direct benefits to participants. This is common in academic research.

What to avoid: Promising therapeutic benefits, suggesting the research will change their lives, or implying that participation will benefit them personally. This can constitute coercive language.

4. Voluntary Participation and Right to Withdraw

This is where most ethics committees scrutinize every word. Your consent form must include:

A clear statement that participation is entirely voluntary
Confirmation that declining to participate or withdrawing later carries no penalty
A specific timeframe within which participants can withdraw their data (e.g., “up to 2 weeks after your interview”)
How participants can contact you to withdraw (phone, email, office hours)

Example wording (adapted from University of Manchester templates):

Your participation in this research is entirely voluntary. You are free to decline to participate, and you may withdraw your consent at any time without providing a reason and without facing any penalty. If you wish to withdraw, you may do so up to two weeks after your interview date by contacting [supervisor email] or [your email]. Any data already collected from you up to the point of withdrawal will remain in the study unless you request its deletion.

5. Confidentiality and Data Management

This section should explain:

How data will be anonymized (not anonymized, pseudonymized, or de-identified)
Who will have access to raw data (e.g., researcher, supervisor, committee members)
Where and how data will be stored (encrypted USB drive, secure university server, password-protected cloud)
How long data will be retained (typically 3-5 years, but check your institutional policy)
How data will be destroyed at the end of the project

Critical distinction: Be careful about claiming “anonymity.” If you’re collecting names, signatures, or audio recordings of identifiable individuals, true anonymity does not exist — you should instead describe “confidentiality” procedures. Promising “total anonymity” for qualitative interviews is a common ethics committee rejection reason.

Manchester University guidance recommends including a privacy notice that explains how the institution’s data protection policies apply to your study. If your university provides a standard Research Privacy Notice, include it or link to it.

6. Specific Permissions (Optional Consent Checkboxes)

Modern consent forms use tick-boxes or signature sections for granular consent — separate permissions for different aspects of data use. These might include:

“I consent to audio recording of my interview”
“I consent to the use of direct quotes (anonymized) in my dissertation”
“I consent to my anonymized data being archived for future research”
“I consent to being contacted for follow-up questions”

Common mistakes to avoid:

Pre-ticked boxes — All boxes must be unticked. Pre-ticked opt-in or opt-out boxes are widely considered unethical. Manchester, Liverpool, and Bristol guidelines all emphasize active consent.
Bundling — Don’t make participants choose between participating and being quoted. Offer separate permission for each use.

7. Contact Information

Include both your contact details and your supervisor’s:

Institutional email addresses
Supervisor name and title
Phone numbers (if appropriate)
Name and contact details of the Research Ethics Committee chair or alternative contact for concerns

Example:

Researcher: [Your Name] — [your email]
Supervisor: Dr. [Name] — [supervisor email]
Research Ethics Committee: [Name/Contact] — [committee email]

8. Signature and Date Section

Your consent form must include a section where participants can:

Print their name
Sign their consent
Date their agreement

If using a verbal consent model (common for phone interviews), document the verbal consent process instead of a physical signature.

Participant Information Sheet (PIS): The Companion Document

The Participant Information Sheet sits alongside your consent form. While the consent form records agreement to participate, the PIS provides all the background information participants need to make an informed decision.

Required PIS sections (per Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol guidelines):

Introduction: “You are being invited to participate in a research study.” Explain the study’s purpose in accessible language.
Study procedures: What participation involves, time commitment, location.
Risks and benefits: Same disclosure as in the consent form.
Confidentiality: How data will be stored and who will access it.
Voluntary participation: Right to withdraw, withdrawal procedures.
Data usage: How results will be published or shared.
Contact information: As above.

Pro tip from Guelph University best practices: If conducting an anonymous online survey, you may combine the PIS and consent form into the opening of the survey page. In this case, a “continue” button effectively serves as consent — but you must still present the full information before the participant proceeds.

Templates: What Real University Consent Forms Look Like

Template 1: Standard Interview-Based Consent (Adapted from University of Liverpool and Manchester)

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Study Title: [Insert Title]
Researcher: [Your Name], [Your Degree Program], [University]
Supervisor: [Supervisor Name], [Department]

Purpose of this Study: [2-3 sentence plain-language description]

What Will You Do: [Your participation involves one 45-minute interview via Zoom. The interview will cover [brief description]. You may skip any question you don’t wish to answer.]

Recording: This interview will be audio recorded. The recording will be transcribed and stored securely. [Include optional checkbox: I consent to audio recording.]

Confidentiality: Your identity will be protected. Any names or identifying information will be removed from transcripts. Data will be stored on [location] and retained for [X years].

Your Rights: Your participation is voluntary. You may withdraw at any time up to [timeframe] by contacting [email].

Contacts: Researcher: [email] | Supervisor: [email] | Ethics Committee: [contact]

Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ______________

Template 2: Online Survey Consent (Adapted from Manchester University anonymous survey guidance)

PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH SURVEY

You are being asked to take part in a research study titled “[Study Title].”

What is the purpose: [Brief description of study]

What will I need to do: You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire taking approximately [X] minutes. The survey is anonymous and does not collect personally identifiable information.

Risks: There are no known physical risks. [If applicable: Some questions may ask about sensitive topics. If you feel uncomfortable, you can skip questions or close the survey.]

Benefits: There are no direct benefits to you from participating. However, your responses may help improve understanding of [topic].

Voluntary participation: Taking part is entirely optional. You may skip any question and close the survey at any time.

Confidentiality: No personally identifiable information is collected. Aggregate data will be stored securely and retained for [X years].

Questions: If you have questions, contact [researcher email].

[I HAVE READ THE ABOVE INFORMATION. I AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS RESEARCH.]

[YES, I AGREE TO PARTICIPATE] | [NO, I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE]

Template 3: Multi-Session Research Consent (Adapted from Bristol PHD guidelines)

INFORMED CONSENT FORM FOR LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Study Title: [Title]
Researcher: [Name]
Duration: This study consists of [number] sessions over [duration]. Each session lasts approximately [time].

What You Will Be Asked to Do: [Detailed description of all sessions, interviews, surveys, or activities]

Data Storage: Raw data from each session will be stored separately and linked using a participant ID code. The key linking codes to identities will be stored in [secure location].

Withdrawal: You may withdraw from any session at any time. If you withdraw completely, all data from your previous sessions will be retained unless you request deletion.

Audio/Video Recording: [Specify which sessions involve recordings and which do not]

Contact Information: [Researcher details, supervisor, ethics committee chair]

Signature and Date: ______________________________________

Participant ID: ______________

Common Ethics Committee Rejection Reasons (And How to Fix Them)

Universities reject or return consent applications frequently. Here are the most common issues identified by IRB audits and university ethics guides:

1. Language Too Complex

Problem: Consent forms written at or above a 12th-grade reading level. University of Guelph, University of Liverpool, and Cranfield University all emphasize that consent forms should be comprehensible to laypeople.

Fix: Aim for an 8th-grade reading level. Use plain language. Replace “anonymized data” with “data from which names and identifying information have been removed.” Avoid acronyms unless they’re defined.

2. Inconsistencies Between Documents

Problem: The consent form mentions audio recording, but the ethics application form doesn’t mention it. Or the withdrawal timeframe differs between the PIS and the consent form.

Fix: Every document must be internally consistent and consistent with your ethics application. Bristol’s OREMS system flags discrepancies during the review process. Cross-check all sections before submission.

3. Blanket Anonymity Claims

Problem: Promise of “total anonymity” for qualitative interviews with identifiable participants. University College Dublin’s common mistakes guide identifies this as a frequent error.

Fix: Use “confidentiality” language instead. Explain what specific protections you’ll use (pseudonyms, data de-identification, secure storage) rather than promising impossible guarantees.

4. Pre-Ticked or Defaulted Boxes

Problem: Consent checkboxes already marked, or terms that imply “by continuing, you agree.”

Fix: Every checkbox must start unticked. The participant must actively mark consent. This is required by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) guidelines and recognized as best practice globally.

5. Missing Withdrawal Timeframe

Problem: The consent form says participants can withdraw “at any time” but doesn’t specify a deadline for withdrawing data.

Fix: Include a concrete deadline (e.g., “up to 2 weeks after the interview”). This gives participants a window to reconsider and gives you a clear cut-off point for data handling.

6. Supervisor Contact Missing

Problem: Only the researcher’s email is provided, with no supervisor or ethics committee contact for concerns.

Fix: Always include your supervisor’s contact information and the ethics committee contact. This provides participants with an escalation pathway if they have concerns about their treatment in the study.

Discipline-Specific Considerations

Different research disciplines have unique consent requirements. Here’s what to consider:

Social Sciences and Education

Focus on voluntary participation and data confidentiality
Common concern: student participants may feel pressured to participate if recruited from their own classes
Recommendation: Explicitly state that non-participation will not affect grades or academic standing

Health Sciences and Clinical Research

May require additional regulatory approvals beyond university ethics
Often involves vulnerable populations (patients, children, elderly)
Requires: Assent forms for minors (University of Manchester provides templates for children aged 5-15)
Requires: Additional protocols for incidental findings and safeguarding

Natural Sciences and Fieldwork

Fieldwork risk assessments required (University of Manchester requires a signed risk assessment form)
Lone working policies may apply (Manchester’s Lone Working Policy must be acknowledged)
Site access approvals may be needed if conducting research on institutional premises

The Step-by-Step Ethics Approval Process

Step 1: Determine Your Ethics Level

Different universities categorize research by risk level (minimal, low, moderate, high). Most undergraduate and master’s dissertations fall into the “minimal risk” category. Doctoral students often require “full review” if their research involves vulnerable populations.

Check your institution’s ethics classification system first. This determines whether your application gets a simple administrative check or a full committee review.

Step 2: Prepare Your Documents

Prepare the following before submitting:

Ethics application form (varies by institution)
Participant Information Sheet (PIS)
Consent form (multiple versions if different participant groups)
Assent form (if recruiting children or vulnerable participants)
Recruitment materials (flyers, emails, social media posts)
Research instruments (questionnaires, interview guides, surveys)
Data management plan
Risk assessment (if conducting fieldwork)
Distress policy (if covering sensitive topics)

Manchester University provides a comprehensive checklist in their Research Ethics Digital Handbook (sections 1-5 cover applications; sections 6-12 cover thematic guidance).

Step 3: Submit Your Application

Submit through your institution’s designated system. Most UK universities use an online ethics management system (Manchester uses ERM, Bristol uses OREMS). US universities typically use IRB portals. Submit early — even minimal-risk applications often take 4-8 weeks for approval.

Step 4: Wait for Approval

Do not begin data collection until you receive formal approval. Keep a copy of the approval letter — you’ll need to include it in your dissertation appendices and may need to show it to your supervisor.

Step 5: Submit Annual Progress Reports (If Required)

Some ethics approvals require annual progress reports for research extending over multiple years. Manchester’s templates include annual progress reporting forms and extension requests.

What to Put in Your Dissertation Appendices

Your approved ethics documents should appear in your dissertation appendices. Most universities require:

Copy of the ethics approval letter (or email)
Blank copy of the Participant Information Sheet
Blank copy of the Consent Form
Copy of the Consent Form with a participant’s signature (if applicable)
Copy of any assent forms (if applicable)
Copies of recruitment materials used

Manchester University’s example applications show excellent practice: include the actual documents, not just summaries. Keep the documents as close to what participants saw as possible.

Final Checklist Before Submission

Use this checklist to verify your consent documents before submitting to your ethics committee:

[ ] Study title clearly stated
[ ] Researcher and supervisor names and institutional affiliations included
[ ] Purpose described in plain language (8th-grade reading level)
[ ] Procedures described specifically (not vaguely)
[ ] Duration and time commitment clearly stated
[ ] Risks honestly disclosed (including if none exist)
[ ] Benefits honestly stated (including if none exist)
[ ] Voluntary participation statement included
[ ] Withdrawal rights with specific timeframe included
[ ] Confidentiality procedures detailed (not promising “anonymity”)
[ ] Data storage and retention period specified
[ ] Contact information for researcher, supervisor, and ethics committee included
[ ] Signature line or verbal consent procedure documented
[ ] No pre-ticked boxes
[ ] All versions of the consent form are internally consistent with each other
[ ] All versions are consistent with your ethics application form
[ ] Participant Information Sheet provided alongside consent form
[ ] Any additional discipline-specific protocols included (distress policy, safeguarding protocol, risk assessment)

Need Help With Your Ethics Application?

If you’re overwhelmed by the ethics approval process or worried about meeting all the requirements correctly, remember that you don’t have to navigate this alone. Whether you need guidance on structuring your research proposal, refining your consent forms, or completing a full dissertation chapter, expert academic writers can help you meet your ethics committee’s expectations and produce work that reflects well on your university.

Explore our dissertation writing services — our team of qualified researchers can help you craft ethics-compliant research documentation, write consent forms tailored to your discipline, or assist with the full dissertation process. With access to our 24/7 support and direct communication with your assigned writer, you’ll have guidance every step of the way.

Related Guides

References & Resources

University of Liverpool Research Ethics Templates: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/research-environment/ethics/policies-and-guidance/templates/
University of Manchester Research Ethics Digital Handbook: https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/rbe/ethics-integrity/ethics/app-prep/
University of Bristol Research Ethics Templates: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/research-enterprise-innovation/university-research-ethics/ethics-application-documents-and-templates/
WHO Research Ethics Templates: https://www.who.int/groups/research-ethics-review-committee/guidelines-on-submitting-research-proposals-for-ethics-review/templates-for-informed-consent-forms
University of Saskatchewan Consent Form Guidelines: https://vpresearch.usask.ca/documents/human-ethics/forms/beh/consent_form_template-guidelines-individual_participation1.docx
IIENSTITU: Research Ethics — 7 Consent Form Mistakes: https://www.iienstitu.com/en/blog/research-ethics-avoid-7-consent-form-mistakes-2026
5thPort: Common Informed Consent Form Mistakes on IRB Audits: https://www.5thport.com/the-8-common-informed-consent-form-mistakes-on-irb-audits/

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