For Participants

Becoming a participant in research at Indiana University

Would you like to take part in a research study at IU?

Research is an important way for scientists to learn about and test new theories, equipment, procedures, and medical therapies. Many research projects require the help of volunteers who agree to offer their time and personal information to scientists. Research studies that involve human volunteers are conducted in many different disciplines and focus on human behavior, educational mechanisms, social issues, and diagnosis and treatment of disease, among other things.

A committee of individuals called an Institutional Review Board (IRB) must review all research that plans to involve human participants. The IRB ensures the safety of participants and ethical study design. IU has multiple IRBs that provide this review for all research conducted at IU and our affiliates.

The Oﬃce for Human Research Protections (OHRP), a federal oﬃce which works to protect the rights, welfare, and wellbeing of volunteers who participate in research, provides resources for the public to learn about participating in research and making informed decisions. These resources help potential participants understand how research works, what questions they should consider asking, and things to think about when deciding whether to participate in a study. To access these resources, please click "About Research Participation" below.

About Research Participation

Before you participate

Participating in research is voluntary, so before the research begins, you may have to agree to participate. This process of seeking your agreement is called “informed consent.” During the informed consent process, researchers educate potential research participants about the research project and ask whether they want to participate.

Informed consent can be a very simple process, such as reading a paragraph of information before taking a survey. It may also be more involved, depending on the research. For example, medical research projects often involve a face-to-face conversation with the research team before you agree to participate.

Here are some questions to ask before you agree to participate in a research project:

The purpose of the research
What will be done to you as part of the research
Whether or not you will benefit from participating in research
Whether the research might expose you to risk
How long the study will last
What the researchers will do with your information

For Information about your rights as a study volunteer, read the Participant Bill of Rights.

What You Need to Know Before Participating: Participant Bill of Rights

Anyone who is thinking about giving consent to participate in clinical research or on behalf of someone else has the following rights:

To be told the purpose of the clinical trial or study
To be told all the potential risks, side effects or discomforts
To be told of any potential benefits
To be told what will happen in the trial, including treatments they might get and what procedures might happen
To be told if any procedures, treatments, or devices are different than those that are used as standard medical treatment
To know how long a trial is expected to last
To be told about all options available and how they may be better or worse than being in a clinical trial
To ask any questions about the trial before giving consent and at any time during the trial
To be told of any medical treatments available if medical problems occur during the trial
To be told of any potential costs or payments
To bring a trusted friend of family member to meetings with trial staff
To receive materials in the language they prefer and to ask for an interpreter
To receive a signed and dated copy of the informed consent form
To refuse to participate, for any reason and at any time, before and after the trial starts
To take their time deciding whether or not to participate

The Participant Bill of Rights is provided courtesy of The Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP).

How to participate at IU

If you are interested in participating in research at IU, consider joining the registry of volunteers interested in health-related research at INresearch.org.

Research studies that need volunteers may also advertise around campus, on radio, television, or on social media. If you are a medical patient at IU or one of its affiliates, a care provider may tell you about a research study and ask if you are interested in participating.

You are never required to participate in research. Declining or withdrawing from research will never affect your relationship with your care provider.

Report a research participation concern

If you have any concerns about a research study you have been asked to participate in or have participated in, the IU Human Subjects Office can help resolve your issues or concerns related to research studies. You may reach us via email at irb@iu.edu or via phone at 800-696-2949.

If you prefer to report a research compliance concern to Indiana University anonymously, you may do so using an online EthicsPoint form or by calling 888-236-7542.

Contact

The Indiana University Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) provides administrative support to all IU campuses and maintains physical offices in two locations, Indianapolis and Bloomington.

Indianapolis (Main):

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)
Office for Research Compliance
Indiana University
986 Indiana Avenue, 5th Floor
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

Phone: (317) 274-8289
Email: irb@iu.edu

Bloomington:

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)
Office for Research Compliance
Indiana University
509 E. Third St.
Bloomington, Indiana 47401

Phone: (812) 856-4242
Email: irb@iu.edu

For Participants

Becoming a participant in research at Indiana University

Before you participate

For Information about your rights as a study volunteer, read the Participant Bill of Rights.

How to participate at IU

Report a research participation concern

Contact

Indianapolis (Main):

Bloomington:

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