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Interview Consent Form

Q: What is an interview consent form?

An interview consent form is a written document signed by a participant before an interview begins. It confirms that the participant has been fully informed about the purpose of the interview, how their responses will be used, whether the session will be recorded, and their rights — including the right to withdraw at any time without penalty. It protects both the interviewer and the participant and is required by most IRBs for academic research.

Q: Can I use this form for any type of interview?

Yes. This general interview consent form covers the core elements required for most interview types. For specialised contexts — such as IRB academic research, journalism, podcasting, UX research, or dissertation interviews — we recommend using the specific template for your use case, as each has tailored clauses for recording rights, data storage, publication, and attribution.

Q: Does the participant need to sign before the interview starts?

Yes. The consent form must always be signed before the interview begins — not after. For in-person interviews, provide a printed copy for signing on the day. For online or email-based interviews, send the PDF in advance and request a signed scan or digital signature before the session starts.

Q: What if a participant withdraws after signing?

Participants retain the right to withdraw consent at any time — before, during, or after the interview, up to the withdrawal deadline stated on the form. If a participant withdraws, you must stop collecting data from them and, if they request it, delete all data already collected. This right cannot be waived on the consent form.

Q: Can I email the consent form to participants?

Yes. You can email the consent form as a PDF or Word document for the participant to sign and return. A scanned signature or digital signature is generally acceptable for research and media interviews. For IRB-regulated research, check whether your institution requires a wet signature or accepts digital consent. For online interviews conducted over Zoom or Skype, an email confirmation of consent before recording is widely accepted.

Create and download a free interview consent form. Fill in your details online — participant name, study purpose, recording consent — and download as PDF or Word instantly. No account required.

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✏️ Fill Out Your Interview Consent Form

Participant Full Name Study / Interview Purpose Researcher / Interviewer Name Institution / Organisation Interview Date Estimated Duration Recording consent Confidentiality level Researcher Contact Email

PREVIEW

PARTICIPANT NAME

Enter participant name above

STUDY / INTERVIEW PURPOSE

Enter study purpose above

RESEARCHER / INSTITUTION

Enter researcher and institution above

DATE & DURATION

Select date above

PURPOSE: You are invited to participate in an interview. The purpose is [ study purpose ].

VOLUNTARY: Participation is completely voluntary. You may withdraw at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.

RECORDING: This interview will be audio and video recorded.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Your responses will be kept fully anonymous.

YOUR RIGHTS: You may decline any question. You may request deletion of your data after this interview.

PARTICIPANT SIGNATURE: ___________________________ Date: __________

RESEARCHER SIGNATURE: ___________________________ Date: __________

What Is an Interview Consent Form and When Do You Need One?

An interview consent form is a written document signed by a participant before an interview begins. It confirms that the interviewee has been fully informed about the purpose of the session, how their responses and any recordings will be used, and their rights — including the right to decline any question and to withdraw participation at any time without penalty. The form creates a documented record of voluntary, informed consent that protects both the interviewer and the participant.

Interview consent forms are required in a wide range of professional contexts. For academic research, the HHS Common Rule (45 CFR 46) and equivalent national regulations require a signed informed consent form before any interview involving human subjects. Most universities’ Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) will not approve a research study unless the consent form is reviewed and approved alongside the study protocol. For journalism, consent forms protect reporters from disputes over on-record versus off-record agreements. For podcasting and broadcast media, they document recording rights, publication permission, and syndication consent. For UX research, they cover screen recording, session replay, and internal data use.

This general-purpose form covers the core elements required for most interview types: study purpose, participant rights, recording consent, confidentiality, and signature lines. It works for research interviews, student project interviews, qualitative and semi-structured interviews, and any interview where you need a signed record of participation. For specialised use cases — where the form needs additional clauses for IRB compliance, broadcast rights, or GDPR data management — see the “Which form do I need?” guide below.

If you want to see what a completed form looks like before customising your own, browse our interview consent form samples and examples which include five filled-in forms across different use cases. To download a blank template you can edit in Word or Google Docs, see the interview consent form template page where three variants are available: Basic, IRB-compliant, and Word-formatted. For a step-by-step walkthrough of what to write in each section, see our guide on how to write an interview consent form.

What Every Interview Consent Form Must Include

Study / project title and purpose State the name and objective of the project in plain language so the participant understands exactly what they are consenting to. For academic research this must match your IRB protocol exactly.
Researcher / interviewer name and institutional affiliation Include full name, role, institution or media outlet, and contact email. For IRB research, also include the IRB protocol number and ethics board contact.
Description of participation and estimated duration Explain what the participant will be asked to do, how the interview will be conducted (in person, Zoom, telephone), and approximately how long it will take.
Recording consent — audio, video, or both Specify whether the interview will be audio recorded, video recorded, or notes only. Include separate checkboxes so participants can consent to one but not the other. Required by two-party consent laws in many US states.
How data will be stored, used, and protected State exactly where recordings and notes will be stored, who has access, how the data will be used (transcription only, publication, broadcast), and for how long it will be retained. Under GDPR, vague storage clauses are not acceptable.
Confidentiality and anonymity provisions Specify whether the participant will be fully anonymous, pseudonymous, or identified. This is a binding commitment — it must be honoured in all outputs. See participant interview consent form for confidentiality clause wording.
Voluntary participation statement and withdrawal rights Confirm that participation is entirely voluntary, that the participant can decline any question, and that they can withdraw at any time without penalty or consequence — including after the interview, up to a stated deadline.
Contact information for questions and concerns Provide a direct contact email and phone number for the researcher. For IRB-regulated studies, also include the IRB office contact so participants can raise concerns independently.
Signature lines for participant and researcher Both parties must sign and date the form before the interview begins. For online interviews, a digital signature or email confirmation of consent is widely accepted as legally valid.

Decision Guide

Which Interview Consent Form Do You Need?

The general form above covers most situations. For specialised use cases, use the tailored form that matches your context.

→ Find the right form for your interview type

Academic research with IRB oversight IRB Interview Consent Form + Informed Consent Form

Dissertation or thesis research Dissertation Interview Consent Form

Qualitative, semi-structured, or ethnographic interviews Qualitative Interview Consent Form

Focus groups or group research sessions Focus Group Interview Consent Form

Student project or AP research interview Student Interview Consent Form

Journalism, press, or on-the-record interview Journalism Interview Consent Form

Podcast guest or audio recording release Podcast Interview Consent Form

TV, documentary, street, or broadcast interview Media Interview Consent Form

Video or screen-recorded interview Video Interview Consent Form + Recording Consent Form

Remote, Zoom, Skype, or email interview Online Interview Consent Form

UX research or usability testing session UX Interview Consent Form

Quick one-page form for any general interview Simple Interview Consent Form

Want to see what a completed form looks like?

Our samples page shows five fully filled-in interview consent form examples across different use cases — research, journalism, UX, informed consent, and a detailed IRB-style example with real (fictional) participant data and institutional details.

Browse Interview Consent Form Samples →

Complete Library — 21 Form Types

Browse All Interview Consent Forms

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Templates, Guides & Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an interview consent form?

An interview consent form is a written document signed by a participant before an interview begins. It confirms that they have been informed about the purpose of the interview, how their responses will be used, whether the session will be recorded, and their rights — including the right to withdraw at any time without penalty. It protects both the interviewer and the participant and is required by most IRBs for academic research involving human subjects.

Is this interview consent form legally binding?

A properly completed interview consent form creates a documented record of informed, voluntary consent, which carries legal weight in most jurisdictions. It is not a contract in the commercial sense, but it is evidence that the participant was fully informed and agreed to take part. For high-stakes contexts — broadcast media, sensitive research, or legal proceedings — consult a legal professional. For journalistic interviews, see our journalism interview consent form for additional attribution clauses.

Can I use this form for any type of interview?

This general form covers the core elements for most interview types. For specialised contexts, use the dedicated form: IRB consent form for academic research, journalism form for press, podcast form for audio syndication, UX form for user research, or dissertation form for thesis research. See the “Which form do I need?” guide above for a full decision table.

Does the participant need to sign before the interview starts?

Yes — always before, never after. The consent form must be signed before the interview begins. For in-person interviews, bring a printed copy. For online or email interviews, send the PDF in advance and request a signed return before the session starts. For recorded interviews, recording must not start until written consent has been obtained.

What if a participant withdraws after signing?

Participants retain the right to withdraw at any time — before, during, or after the interview, up to the withdrawal deadline stated on your form. If a participant withdraws, stop collecting data from them and, if requested, delete all data already collected. This right cannot be waived on the consent form. Under GDPR, EU participants also have the right to erasure — their data must be deleted on request.

Can I email the consent form to participants?

Yes. Email the consent form as a PDF or Word document for the participant to sign and return. A scanned signature or digital signature is generally acceptable. For IRB-regulated research, check whether your institution requires a wet signature or accepts digital consent. For Zoom or Skype interviews, an email confirmation before recording is widely accepted. See our guide on writing interview consent forms for more detail on obtaining digital consent.