This is a basic consent form and information letter for when you collect anonymous data. This form is used to confirm that participants are fully informed and are voluntarily and willingly taking part in your study.

This consent form and information letter can be used when collecting personal data, with public interest as a legal basis for processing.

You will need additional consent when processing special categories of personal data (i.e. ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation). Public interest remains the legal basis for processing, and if participants withdraw consent you are only required to remove the special categories.

This is a consent form and information letter for when you would like to use consent as a legal basis for the processing of personal data. You may wish to use consent as a legal basis, for instance when collecting data on sensitive topics.

 

There are also templates available for when you need to acquire parental consent.

When you plan on conducting research within a specific institution (such as a school), you must seek the cooperation of its management. To make an informed decision, the institution’s management needs to understand the design of your research along with various practical considerations. Concerning the processing of personal data, you must deal with the individual participants or their parents/guardians, not the institution. Therefore, this is a statement of agreement for management, rather than a declaration of consent.

Please note: Besides this information letter, you must also prepare a separate information letter for the participants.