Consent Management

Implementing informed consent within MQUAD surveys using specialized question types and signatures

MQUAD enables researchers to capture documented participant consent directly within surveys. While not a separate administrative module, consent is managed using powerful survey design features to ensure ethical compliance and data integrity.

To require consent before data collection, follow these design patterns in the Survey Designer:

Create a separate page or section at the beginning of your survey containing the consent information. Use the Note question type for the detailed text:

  • Study Purpose and Procedures
  • Risks and Benefits
  • Confidentiality and Data Protection
  • Voluntary Participation and Withdrawal Rights

2. Digital Signatures and Acknowledgement

Use specialized question types to capture the active agreement:

  • Acknowledge — A single checkbox for basic agreement (e.g., "I have read and understood the information above").
  • Signature — Captures a hand-drawn digital signature on mobile devices or tablets.
  • Text (Required) — Can be used for "Type your full name to consent" validation.

3. Skip Logic and Termination

Configure Skip Logic (Relevant conditions) to ensure that only participants who provide consent can proceed to the main survey.

  • If the consent question is not checked, the survey should skip to a "Termination" note or end the submission process.
  • This ensures no sensitive data is collected without documented agreement.

When using the Signature question type:

  • On mobile devices (via ODK Collect), the user can draw their signature using a stylus or finger.
  • In web forms, the user can draw using their mouse or touch screen.
  • Signatures are stored as image assets (PNG) and linked to the specific response for auditability.

Withdrawal and Data Handling

MQUAD supports the "Right to be Forgotten" through these mechanisms:

  • Response Deletion — Administrators with RESPONSE_DELETE permissions can permanently remove a participant's submission upon request.
  • Audit Trail — Every deletion or modification is logged in the system audit trail, providing a record of the withdrawal process.
  • Anonymization — For data exports, use the column selection feature to exclude personally identifiable information (PII) while retaining the core research data.

Best Practices

  • Version Your Forms — When your consent text changes, publish a new survey version to track which respondents agreed to which terms.
  • Include Contact Info — Always provide clear contact details for the Principal Investigator or Ethics Committee within the survey intro.
  • Test the Flow — Ensure that the "Decline" path correctly prevents data collection before launching your study.
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