Editing Consent (section)

== Social science research ==
[[Social science|Social scientists]] are generally required to obtain informed consent from [[research participant]]s before asking interview questions or conducting an experiment. Federal law governs social science research that involves [[Human subject research|human subjects]], and tasks [[institutional review board]]s (IRBs) at universities, federal or state agencies, and tribal organizations to oversee social science research that involves human subjects and to make decisions about whether or not informed consent is necessary for a social scientific study to go forward.<ref>Protection of Human Subjects, 45 C.F.R. § 46 (2020). https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=58d96a013d3e34979d7d98ede819e917&mc=true&node=pt45.1.46&rgn=div5</ref> Informed consent in this context generally means explaining the study's purpose to research participants and obtaining a signed or verbal affirmation that the study participants understand the procedures to be used and to consent to participate in the study.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|51–55}}

Some types of social scientific research, such as psychological experiments, may use deception as part of the study; in these cases, researchers may not fully describe the procedures to participants, and thus participants are not fully informed. However, researchers are required to debrief participants immediately after the experiment is concluded. Certain populations are considered to be vulnerable, and in addition to informed consent, special protections must be made available to them. These include persons who are incarcerated, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and persons who have a mental disability. Children are considered unable to provide informed consent.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Making sense of the social world: methods of investigation|last1=Chambliss|first1=Daniel F.|last2=Schutt|first2=Russell K.|publisher=Sage|year=2016|isbn=9781483380612|edition=Fifth|location=Los Angeles|oclc=890179806}}</ref>{{Rp|51–55}}