govern-research-ethics

State the purpose, what is recorded, that participation is voluntary, the right to withdraw without losing payment, how data is used, and the deletion schedule, then wait for an explicit verbal yes on the recording. A signed form alone is not consent; consent is an ongoing process re-confirmed when topics turn sensitive.

No. An NDA protects the client's business confidentiality, not the participant's rights. Research consent, confidentiality of the client's secret, and any marketing release are three separate decisions that must never be bundled into one signature or tied to payment.

Set a deletion date at the moment of collection, not later. Delete raw audio and video within a defined number of days or weeks after writing up notes, de-identify transcripts, and keep only de-identified insights long-term so deletion-on-request stays possible.

Four principles apply: a lawful basis through freely given informed consent, data minimization at capture, the right to erasure so participants can request deletion, and purpose limitation so data is never reused for a new purpose like marketing without fresh consent.

Stop probing and pause the recording, attend to the person, remind them they are still paid, and do not counsel or diagnose. Signpost toward real support if appropriate, and treat the disclosure as the most sensitive data you hold or do not retain it at all.

The scrappy six-item gate is off the table for minors, participants in dependent relationships with the client, people with conditions affecting capacity, acute distress situations, and health-adjacent topics. Those cases require the full protocol with guardian consent, stricter minimization, and duty-of-care planning.