In the past several years court cases have established that simply putting information before a person prior to or simultaneously with a request for consent to participate is not sufficient to assure that the person truly understands the gravity of the situation. This is particularly the case where scientific terminology is used and may not be fully comprehended by the potential or the participating subject. When subjects are under certain kinds of stresses or inhibiting conditions, such as childbirth labor, the aftermath of major disease discovery, or death of parents, spouse, or children, they may be presumed to be competent, but not fully comprehending.
Accordingly, the courts have held that the researcher is under an obligation to be certain that potential or participating subjects truly comprehend what is being explained to them. This is accomplished interactively by asking open-ended questions the subjects' responses to which indicate their understanding, albeit in their own words. Where taping of these responses is not practicable, subjects may be asked to take short written quizzes on the information provided them. The quizzes serve as records of the verification of thorough informing processes.
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