Editing Informed consent (section)

==Valid elements==

For an individual to give valid informed consent, three components must be present: disclosure, capacity and voluntariness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Faden |first1=R. R. |last2=Beauchamp |first2=T. L. |title=A History and Theory of Informed Consent |url=https://archive.org/details/historytheoryofi0000fade |url-access=registration |year=1986 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-503686-2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Beauchamp |first1=Tom L. |last2=Childress |first2=James F. |title=Principles of Biomedical Ethics |year=1994 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |edition=Fourth |isbn=978-0-19-508536-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofbiom00beau }}</ref>

* ''Disclosure'' requires the researcher to supply each prospective subject with the information necessary to make an autonomous decision and also to ensure that the subject adequately understands the information provided. This latter requirement implies that a written consent form be written in lay language suited for the comprehension skills of subject population, as well as assessing the level of understanding through conversation (to be informed).
* ''Capacity'' pertains to the ability of the subject to both understand the information provided and form a reasonable judgment based on the potential consequences of his/her decision.
* ''Voluntariness'' refers to the subject's right to freely exercise his/her decision making without being subjected to external pressure such as coercion, manipulation, or undue influence.