Debriefing Statements:
“Debriefing” is a procedure that occurs at the conclusion of the human subject’s
participation in the study (although, in cases that warrant it, a full debriefing may occur
at the conclusion of the study), through which the subject is provided the opportunity
to discuss with the researcher the details of the research. Accordingly, a debriefing
statement is a statement that is given (or read) to the research participants at the
conclusion of their participation in the study. In cases in which revealing the purpose or
other details of the research may possibly compromise ongoing data collection,
researchers may debrief research subjects fully after the completion of the data
collection. Researchers debrief research participants to help ensure that the participants
are fully restored to the condition in which they were prior to their involvement in the
study, are informed of details they may not have known prior to participating in the
study (e.g., deception that may have been employed and why), and are provided with
appropriate resources and contact information.
Debriefing statements typically include the following (#2-6 stated in lay language):
1. Study title and the name(s) of the principal investigator(s).
2. The goals of the study/why the study was developed; any
predictions/hypotheses of the study; what the researcher(s) expect(s) to learn
from the study; the research questions being studied; etc. Included in this section,
as applicable, is explanation of any deception employed in the study and the
reasons for it.
3. Withdrawal procedures/information on the opportunity to withdraw.
4. If available, results of the study thus far.
5. Information on whether/how the participant can/will be informed of the results
of the study.
6. Additional resources for research participants, including
a. Contact information for IRB chair (for ethical concerns/information on
one’s rights as a research subject).
b. Additional useful resources and/or support services for the research
participant. For example, if a study may evoke distress in respondents,
researchers may provide contact information for relevant crisis hotlines
and mental health facilities and services; if a study is on food insecurity,
providing a list of local food banks or the website for SNAP might be
appropriate.
c. Researchers’ contact information to let research participants know to
whom and how they can direct questions related to the research in the
future.
d. Research references (e.g., one or two sources for those wanting to learn
more about the research subject).
7. A thank you to the subjects for their participation.
