SAMPLE PARTICIPANT CONSENT LETTER: BUSINESS TRAINING SETTING
To:
Participants of the XYZ Training Program
From:
John Doe, Fraud Specialist and XYZ Trainer
Subject: Your Participation in a Research Study
Date:
I am currently doing graduate work in education at Alverno College and am preparing to begin work on an
action research project. This project is a requirement of my inquiry course and is under the supervision of
NAME TLA 750 INSTRUCTOR. My research focuses on the effectiveness of the XYZ Training Program in
increasing the use of the project management system. I am hoping that you will be willing to participate in this
study.
If you agree, you would complete a survey just before the XYZ training session starts, and again just after the
class has concluded. Then, 30 days from now, I would email you another survey. Each survey is 7–8
questions long and should take about ten minutes to complete. Your participation is completely voluntary. If
you don’t participate, it’s your choice—you won’t suffer any repercussions. Nobody but me will know who
is/isn’t participating. Further, you have the right to leave survey questions unanswered.
I will ask a few open-ended questions in the survey. I will probably include some quotes from some of the
participants’ responses in my written and oral research reports. If necessary, though, I will paraphrase
quotations or modify information in order to protect people’s identity. I’ll include other data from the surveys
in my written and oral research reports, which I will present to other students in my research course and to my
instructor, as well as to the public at an event in May 2010. In addition, I may present my research to
managers and other trainers at Company PPP, if the findings would help our company be more effective. I
assure you that I will not use your or any of the research participants’ names in any of my research
reports/presentations. I’ll fully protect your confidentiality—I’ll make sure that any of the information I
present from the surveys cannot be linked to you or any of the other research participants.
Your participation in this research will help me improve the XYZ Training Program. In addition, you’ll be
making valuable contributions to our shared goal of effectively implementing the new project management
system. If you have any questions about the research, you may reach me at PHONE NUMBER or at EMAIL
ADDRESS.
Please complete the information below. If you agree to participate, complete the attached survey and return it
and this signed letter to me. If you don’t want to participate, just sign below and give me this letter and the
blank survey. Keep one copy of this letter for your records.
Thanks for considering this request!
John Doe
 I agree to participate in the research described above
Home Address
City
State
Signature
Printed Name
Date
 I do not wish to participate in the research project
Signature
Printed Name
Date
Zip Code