Do I need an informed consent for an anonymous survey?

Ethically, consent preserves the autonomy of your subjects.  The consent statement tells the participant why you are asking the questions and what you will do with the information they are providing.

Sample consent statement for exempted research:

You are being asked to participate in a survey research project entitled “Project Title” which is being conducted by “Researcher Name”, a “faculty member/staff member/student” at Georgia Southern University for the purpose of scholarly presentation.  This survey is anonymous.  No one, including the researcher, will be able to associate your responses with your identity.  Your participation is voluntary.  You may choose not to take the survey, to stop responding at any time, or to skip any questions that you do not want to answer.   Your completion of the survey serves as your voluntary agreement to allow the anonymous data gathered to be used in this study and in future research.

Questions regarding the purpose or procedures of the research should be directed to “Researcher Name” at “phone number” or “email address”.  This study has been reviewed by the GU Institutional Review Board (IRB) under tracking number “Insert tracking number here” in accordance with Federal regulations.  

Last updated: 2/21/2023