Non-English Speaking Participants

Stanford University is located in a very culturally diverse region of California.  Investigators are encouraged to recruit and include all segments of our community in research, including individuals whose primary language is not English.

Participants who do not speak English should be presented with a consent document written in a language understandable to them.

Written consent documents should embody, in language understandable to the participant, all the elements necessary for legally effective informed consent.  The Stanford HRPP and OHRP strongly encourage the use of a full consent form translated into the participant’s language whenever possible.
  
When all of the participants in a study (i.e., the target population) are anticipated to be non-English speaking, a full translated consent is necessary.

When research is being conducted in a language other than English, it is important that consent forms be translated accurately.

For further information, contact:

• Translation Services at Stanford Hospital and Clinics - (650) 723-6940 or (650) 721-7457
• Interpreter Services at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital - (650) 497-8371

Alternatively, federal regulations permit use of a Short Form Consent Process under certain circumstances, when approved by the IRB.