Receiving Consent in today’s society is a huge deal and that’s why it’s important that companies seek user licence before doing anything with their data. Defined as an agreement to do something or for something to happen, consent letter and approval is an integral part of the everyday environment.

There are three ways in which consent can be obtained; Explicit Consent, Implicit Consent and Opt-out Consent;

  • Explicit Consent

Explicit consent often commonly referred to as direct consent means that the respondent is presented with a clear option on whether they agree or disagree with disclosing their personal information. Explicit consent is usually required when the nature of the information to be collected is sensitive.

  • Implicit Consent

Implicit or indirect consent is expressed as consent drawn from the respondents actions. implict con could come in two forms: whether the respondent consents to giving personal information or providing information of a body/organisation in a way that it directly benefits you.

A ready example is providing references on you resume to your new employers which infers that your referees have given their consent to be contacted by your prospective employers.

  • Opt-out Consent

Opt-out consent is simply giving the respondent a chance to decline consent. A failure to do so by the respondent means that they gave granted permission. Businesses are fond of using this way of receiving consent because they realize customers do not take the pains to read the end user agreements before signing up.

For clarity sake, the key features of these three ways are; Explicit consent is an express direct concession to a thing, Implicit consent also referred to as implied consent is consent inferred from your actions and current circumstance while opt-out consent underlines the art of giving consent by not declining to give consent to a thing or an agreement.

Sign up on Formplus to create your customised online consent form with our easy-to-use form builder.

What is a Consent Letter?

A consent letter is simply a letter written to request for permission from a person or a group of people. While the respondent gives you their consent, you must also be transparent about the purpose for which you are requesting a consent. The information offered via your consent form or consent letter must be used solely for its intended purpose.

 How to Write a Consent Letter

  • Consent Letter Content/Descriptions

The consent form should contain a heading. For instance a Parental Consent Form seeking consent from a parent to allow their wards to participate in a project. It could come with a preview explaining all that is expected of the respondent.

  • Duration of Participation

The duration under which the participant is expected to make themselves available as provided in the form should be clearly spelt out. e.g Date of commencement of field trip and expected date of return. 

  • Names of Parties Involved  

A consent form should contain the names, addresses and details of both parties involved. In the case of a photography consent form, the details of the photographer are a necessity.

  • Compensation/ Contract/Rules Agreement

The contract/rules of engagement should be spelt out in easy to understand language. Any inconvenience or risk to be experienced during the duration of the project the consent is being issued on should be clearly spelt out to the recipient. In the same light, all compensations and benefits accrued should also be mentioned.

  • Signature

The most important detail on consent forms. The respondent indicates their consent by submitting their signatures to the online approval. Collecting electronic signatures via online forms is made easy with Formplus.

What is a Consent Form? 

A consent form is a form that provides content or evidence that a procedure was agreed to. The main purpose of the informed consent process is to protect the interests of the individual drawing the form. 

The consent form provides answers for all possible questions that pertain to a procedure and clearly state that the respondent has the option to not participate. This Form provides evidence of a participant’s agreement to be involved in a project.

For any topic for research, it is the responsibility of the researcher to educate participants on the purpose, procedures, risks and benefits of a study before going ahead to obtain their consent. Participants are to be kept in the loop of things.

Why Use An Online Consent Form

An online consent form can be used for a variety of reasons: for generating leads, distributing surveys, collecting payments amongst others. The model consent form includes personal information of clients as well as other key details.

Advantages of Receiving Consent forms online

There are several perks to receiving consent forms online. Here’s why you should prioritize online forms over its offline counterpart.

  • Electronic forms are easier to fill out that on paper as such your forms are completed in record time.
  • Because of the ease of filling them out, response rates improve in leaps and bounds.
  • Editing the received forms can be done easily without extra cost.
  • Questions can also be added to the existing forms with relative ease and re-submitted.
  • Online consent forms are more secure with the introduction of passwords and encryption.
  • Online forms increase helps in the ease and effectiveness of data collection.

TYPES OF CONSENT FORMS

There are various types of consent forms and in this discourse, we’ll be delving into a few of them to broaden your understanding of how forms work. Most other forms stem from these four.

  • Parental Consent Form

A parental consent form basically covers the legal notification parents/guardians give so that their minors/wards can participate in certain activities. In a scenario where a minor is to undergo treatment, get a piercing or even get married, the parent/guardian must give consent through a parental consent form. The parent/guardian also exercises the right to approve or disapprove certain curricula in the education of a minor. Parental consent forms have backing by law and are essentially why they are used without fail.

  • Medical Consent Form

A medical consent form is a form used in the industry of medicine to obtain consent for a medical procedure. Contained in a medical form must be the information carefully stated on the risks of procedures relating solely to research as well as full disclosure.

In medical practice, consent for a person to be treated before the commencement of any medical procedures. The patient ultimately holds the cards on the final decision on whether or not they’d be treated or donate an organ, whichever the case may be. Except of course in extreme cases like when the patient is in a coma.

  • Consent Form for Research or Informed Consent

Also referred to as informed consent, it is best explained as a form used to express voluntary agreement to participate in research. The subjects used in the study must participate willingly and not under duress. Contained in the consent form is information on the rights of the subject, the procedures to be undergone, the purpose of the research, the risks as well as the benefits accrued to the subject at the expiration of the research.

  • Consent Form for Education

This form is used to record consent for the school to collect information to assist in determining the student’s eligibility for and participation in the educational procedures of an institution. The parent/guardian is privy to this form to determine on behalf of the minor whether they are fit to take certain classes. 

Top 12 Online Consent Form Templates

This is an all-purpose consent form template containing the personal details of the respondent as well as their signature and the activity for which they consent to. It is a minimalist form designed to collect exact details of the respondents as well as their consent.

For a property owner expecting a new tenant, there is a need for the intending tenant to present a guarantor. The name of the guarantor, their address as well as a declaration of their intention to stand as guarantor are the key components that form this template.

Let Parents or Guardians sign-off their approval for their under-18 kids to perform or do certain tasks that requires adult permission with this parental consent form template. The parent/guardian can give a medical history of the minor and more importantly make a declaration on the status of the minors participation in any activity.

This form is to be completed by individual (parent/guardian if individual is less than 16 years of age) before the photograph is taken. Details of the form include names and addresses of the individual as well as the photographers details.

Use the Model Release Form template if you are going to work with models, studios, media companies, or fashion brands. You can use this form template as a legal document (or use access) between you, the photographer or the person who owns the image right property. 

Use this customizable RSVP form template by Formplus to manage guests reservation. This RSVP form template can be used to collect Name, Email, Phone Number, collect more information about your guests and most importantly, confirm their attendance.

Receive customer inquiries, support requests, and more with this online contact form template. Start with this simple customer contact form template, and then customize it to fit your needs.

In addition to basic personal details such as names and addresses, the blood donation form template contains key fields such as blood group as well as if the applicant has had any diseases or allergies. It can be used by Nonprofits and clubs for Blood donation drives.

The enrollment form template collects important details from an applicant seeking to enrol. There are fields to input basic details such as the level of qualification attained by the applicant and any documents for identification. There is also a section where the applicant can provide the necessary references. 

This is a simple to use template designed to collect signatures from people who agree with your cause. It collects basic details such as names and addresses as well as the all important signature. There is also a field for respondents to leave their comments regarding the petition.

This application form template can be used by an individual with property available for lease. Key fields to be filled out contained in the form include; the ownership of a pet, if the prospective tenant has ever filed for bankruptcy and a document of identification to be uploaded. This template covers all the angles giving the property owner full information.

This template is useful for travel requests for school children. It contains key elements such as the name of the supervisor-in-charge, the reason for the trip, duration as well as estimated travel cost and exact destination. 

This online interview consent form template allows interviewee sign off their consent to use the interview data for research or report for journalist. With premium features like short text fields, upload, e-signature, etc., Formplus Builder is the perfect tool to create your preferred online consent forms without coding experience.

Can’t find your preferred consent form template? Sign up to Formplus to create your customised online consent form with our easy-to-use form builder.

Why use Formplus Builder to Create an Online Consent Form? 

  • Data Storage & Security 

Formplus currently provides an enviable data storage platform for all users. You can also store received data in your preferred cloud storage option. With unlimited file uploads, users can submit files, photos, or videos via your online forms without any restriction to the size or number of files that can be uploaded.

  • E-Signatures

Collecting electronic signatures via online forms is made easy with Formplus. The online signature field is very responsive and easy to use on any device – laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Users can sign and submit forms in minutes, without printing out paper forms.

  • Upload Fields

The Formplus builder lets you receive files (could be photos or video) via your consent forms.

  • Email Invitation/Social Sharing

On the Formplus builder, you get to select from our wide range of sharing options how best you want to reach your users. Forms can be filled from any device including mobile. Customize the confirmation emails sent to your respondents upon form submission on the Formplus Builder.

  • Private Forms

With the Formplus builder, you can make a form private to control who can submit entries to your form. Formplus forms are GDPR compliant and can be used to collect user consent and opt-ins.

  • Form Security and Encryption

All Formplus forms are SSL enabled, making sure that all connections between your web browser and our servers are secure 100% of the time. To add an extra layer of security in your forms, you can use CAPTCHA to keep your form data safe from spammers and bots.

The Formplus form builder is ideal for building powerful consent forms to help you collect the information you need. Build your consent form within minutes. Style it using various customisation options or leave it as default if you wish.


  • busayo.longe
  • on 11 min read

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