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Research

Languages Other Than English

Consent Form Requirements for Languages Other Than English

The purpose of the consent form is to ensure that participants fully understand the purpose of the study and any risks associated with participation in your project. Therefore, it is essential that anyone giving consent for themselves or a minor can read the consent form. That makes it imperative that you first determine whether anyone giving consent will need the form translated into a language other than English. If any member of your study population requires a translation, it is your responsibility to provide the consent form in a version that these individuals will understand.  This can be accomplished through a verbal explanation in front of a witness with the consenter signing a very basic and easy to understand consent form.  Or, the researcher can provide a consent form in the consenter’s primary language.

If a consent form is provided in another language, the IRB recommends that you first have your IRB application and English-language consent form approved by the IRB.  This will ensure that you will have the document translated from an approved English-language form.  

Because most translations will be to Spanish, we provide a translator to verify translations instead of requesting the Verification of Translation form.  Alternatively, the Spanish translation verifier can translate the document for a fee. 

For verification of the translation for languages other than Spanish, the researcher must provide a Verification of Translation form signed by any CSUSM instructor who is reading and writing fluent in the other language.  This instructor is not responsible for translating or correcting the translated document.  They are only verifying that the translation you provide is accurate.  Please use the Verification of Translation form posted on the IRB website.  

Once the IRB has received the verification, the translated form will be stamped with IRB approval.  You must use the stamped, approved consent form for obtaining consent.