Design Research Guide: Informed Consent for Adolescents

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“I had an aha moment. I realized these young people require special attention. And no one was paying attention to them. Honestly, this new focus — really listening to young people — has even helped me support my own young ones at home.” —Fatima Muhammad, Project Director A360, Society for Family Health (SFH)A short script used by our Ethiopia team to secure the full and informed consent of young study participants. Two versions of the script are included — one for ages 18–19 and one for ages 15–17.

Before asking any research questions, our team made sure young participants had agreed to collaborate with us. We used informed consent to ensure youth knew (1) the purpose of our study, (2) topics we’d discuss, (3) how we’d ensure their confidentiality, (4) that their participation was completely voluntary, and (5) who they can contact for more information. A guide to conducting design research with fathers and fathers-in-law of adolescent girls, including one-on-one and group conversations.