Research participant sign up form

A research sign-up form is an advertisement and a pre-filter. A volunteer signs up to be considered, you review submissions against your criteria (age, availability, time), and you select and contact the ones who fit your study. The form does not confirm participation — that happens when YOU reach out and they confirm. Consent is collected as a separate step under your research team's process, not in this form. Age range is self-reported; nothing is verified.

The form beside this text is live. Fill it in and submit it — it validates exactly as it would for a real respondent, and saves nothing.

Age range is self-reported, not verified

The form collects what they say their age is, not a government ID. You can use this to screen roughly by age group, but if age is critical to your study design you need to verify ID when they arrive for the session.

Consent is collected separately, not in this form

This form says "I want to hear about studies." Consent says "I agree to participate in this specific study knowing these risks and benefits." Both are necessary, but they are separate documents. Do not reuse this form as consent; your research team's IRB process is where consent lives.

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Research Participant Sign-Up Form

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How to build this form

5 steps in the editor. Nothing here needs a paid plan.

Add text and email fields for name and contact info. This is how you reach them if they are selected.
Add a required dropdown for age range. Use broad buckets (18–24, 25–34, etc.) that match your screening criteria.
Add an optional checkbox group for availability — weekday morning, weekday afternoon, weekends. This lets you filter by when they can participate.
Add an optional textarea for notes ("previous study experience", "fluent in X language", "own a Mac").
Export the sign-ups to CSV weekly. Your research team reviews and selects participants based on your study criteria.

Fields in this form

5 fields, using 5 of the 19 field types available.

Question	Field type	Required
Full name	Short text	Yes
Email	Email	Yes
Age range	Select	Yes
Which times could you make a session?	Checkboxes	Optional
Anything relevant to the study	Long text	Optional

What goes wrong with this form

Specific to a research participant sign up form, not general advice about forms.

Asking for consent in this form

A sign-up form is not where consent lives. Consent is a legal document your IRB reviewed, read to the participant before the session, and signed separately. Never combine consent with a recruitment form.

Using availability as required instead of optional

Some volunteers cannot predict availability weeks ahead. Leave it optional. Ask those who are selected "Can you make Tuesday 2pm?" when you call to confirm participation.

Asking for government ID or verification in the form

Do not ask for ID number, address or identification documents in this form. Verify identity (if needed) when they arrive for the session, not before. A sign-up form that asks for ID makes people hesitant.

Questions about this form

Do I need IRB approval before collecting sign-ups?

That depends on your institution and your study, so ask your IRB or ethics office before you recruit. This form is for collecting interest only; the actual consent process happens under your team's IRB protocol, with language and disclosures your IRB approved.

Should I ask what kind of product or devices they use?

Yes, if it matters to your study. Add a checkbox group ("Mac", "Windows", "iPhone", "Android") or a textarea where they list what they own. This helps you filter for the devices you are testing.

Can I ask for payment or compensation information?

No, not in the sign-up form. Compensation is set by your research team under your institution's rules and is handled outside this form. Nothing here collects or pays it.

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