Research involving children should be conducted in compliance with section 9.13 of MTU HRPP Policies and Procedures. Note that the legal age of majority varies somewhat across US states as well as internationally, and that some younger individuals may be legally emancipated from their parents or guardians.
Children may lack the experience, education, and/or cognitive capacity to meaningfully give informed consent to participate in a project. Researchers must therefore follow specific procedures, both for gaining their willing assent to participate, and for gaining the permission/consent of their parents or legally authorized representative.
Gaining Child Assent
The child assent form/script will usually include the same elements as a regular informed consent script. However, it should be easy to understand, using language appropriate to the child's age, maturity, and psychological state (see the discussion of consent procedures).
Note that assent requires positive agreement, not just the absence of objection. Furthermore, a child’s refusal to participate should not be overruled by the parents unless participation is critical to the health of the child.
Gaining Parental Permission/Consent
The parental permission form/script should include all the elements necessary for regular informed consent, but with the language changed to reflect the fact that people are giving permission for their child to take part (see the discussion of consent procedures). The number of parents required to give consent for a child depends on the situation: see section 9.13.2 of the HRPP Policies and Procedures document for details.
If your project involves either (a) wards of the state or any other agency/institution/entity, or (b) a reason why parental permission cannot or should not be sought, please contact the HRPP office: irb@mtu.edu (906) 487-1799.