I'm trying to put together a research participation sheet for recruiting subjects for my research. The thing is, there's quite a few parts to it that involve different methods for different types of data collection, and will involve different subjects - it's mixed methods. To make matters worse, I have to make sure I reach the standards necessary for NHS ethics approval, so I need to be dead on the dot with things. I feel that more than one patient information sheet is necessary, but I've been told that I should be able to fit it all on one information sheet and tell prospective subjects which parts are relevant. I'm personally not sure of this because the patient information sheet will become too busy and confusing, as there'll be so many slightly different issues to consider for each technique and it'll become confusing. Does anyone else have any insight, opinions or experience with this?

If you are using different ways of collecting your information I would have thought that your sheet should be specific for each one. For example the information for someone filling in a questionnaire would probably not be the same as the info you would want to give to those in an interview situation. I assume you have made sure you have addressed all the issues mentioned in the NHS ethics. Talking to other people who are researching in your field - it can apply to education too, but mine doesn't involve children so the rules are a bit different - they have all made sure that there is a structure in place so that their participants can be debriefed, and that they have information about where they can go for further help if they feel they need it.

I tried to put all my information in one info sheet when I went for NHS ethics, and got told it was confusing and needed changing. For my resubmission I ended up splitting the info sheet so that I have three different ones and this was accepted.

Thanks very much for your advice, Catlinbond and Joyce. I contacted NHS ethics about it and they've basically told me what you've both told me. I was thinking to myself it would have been to difficult and confusing for patients to have it all on one sheet. :-)