We are conducting a online survey with an adult population, including 16-17 year olds. We were able to convince our ethics committee that 16-17 year olds would be able to give their own consent - especially since the survey involves questions about illicit drug taking which we could hardly expect participants to involve their parents. We used the following article in arguing the case: Sanci, L. A., Sawyer, S. M., Weller, P. J., Bond, L. M., & Patton, G. C. (2004). Youth health research ethics: Time for a mature-minor clause? Medical Journal of Australia, 180(7), 336-338. Regards Monica Monica Barratt PhD Student National Drug Research Institute Australia On 31/01/07, Denise Bortree <dbortree@bellsouth.net> wrote:

I'm planning to conduct an online survey of teen volunteers (ages 16-17), and I'm looking for suggestions on ways to secure parental consent. I would be interested to hear from those who have conducted online research with teens. What was your process for securing consent from both parent and teen?

My IRB has indicated openness to collecting consent online if a suitable process can be identified. I would love to hear suggestions.

Thanks. Denise Bortree Doctoral Candidate University of Florida dbortree@jou.ufl.edu

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My IRB has indicated openness to collecting consent online if a suitable process can be identified. I would love to hear suggestions.

Hi Denise, The AoIR ethical guidelines (www.aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf) include some suggestions - including protocols - from AoIR-ist Leslie Regan Shade (oriented towards the Canadian context) that should be useful to you. (Part VII. Addendum 3: Sample consent forms (courtesy, Leslie Regan Shade) for parents and children involved in Internet research. pp. 23f.) A number of U.S.-based AoIR-ists have written thoughtfully and perceptively about online research with adolescents as well. If they do not respond to your query over the next few days with some specific suggestions appropriate for a U.S.-based IRB, I'll contact them and request permission to forward to you offlist their names and email addresses. g'luck - and let us know what you find out! cheers, - charles Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies <http://www.drury.edu/gp21> Drury University 900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230 Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435 Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html Information Ethics Fellow, 2006-07, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, UW-Milwaukee <http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/ethics.html> Co-chair, CATaC conferences <www.catacconference.org> Vice-President, Association of Internet Researchers <www.aoir.org> Professor II, Globalization and Applied Ethics Programmes <http://www.anvendtetikk.ntnu.no/pres/bridgingcultures.php> Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23