User Research & Ethnography — Interview Screener & Consent Form

Overview

This template package includes a concise participant screener you can copy and adapt, a plain-language consent form for one-to-one interviews and field sessions (remote or in-person), and practical guidance for recruitment, facilitation, and ethical handling of data. Use these as starting points—tailor language, eligibility criteria, incentives, and retention periods to your context and any applicable regulations.

Screener Template (copy & adapt)

Purpose: Quickly determine whether a candidate fits your target participant profile while keeping the initial contact short and respectful.

Header / Contact

• Study name: [Project]
• Recruiter: [Name / Team]
• Estimated session length: [e.g., 45–60 minutes]
• Incentive: [amount / type] (paid after participation)

Eligibility / Screening Criteria (examples)

• Inclusion: Age 18+, uses [product/service] at least X times per week, or has purchased within last Y months.
• Exclusion: Works for a direct competitor, participated in a similar study in the last 3 months, or is a close relative of an employee on the project team.
• Accessibility: Require any accommodations? (Yes / No — specify)

Phone / Email Screener Questions (recommended flow)

1. Confirm contact details and availability for a [45–60] minute session and preferred times.
2. Short relationship question: "Can you briefly describe how you last used [product/service] or how you solve [problem]?" (1–2 sentence answer)
3. Frequency / recency: "How often do you do [task] related to X?" (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely)
4. Role / context: "Who else is involved when you do this? Where does it typically happen?"
5. Device & environment: "Do you usually use a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other device for this?"
6. Availability & logistics: Confirm language, ability to be recorded, and any accessibility needs.
7. Prior research: "Have you participated in a research interview or test in the last 3 months?"
8. Incentive confirmation and preferred delivery method (e.g., electronic gift card, bank transfer).

Soft qualifiers and red flags

• Look for brief concrete examples of usage—those who can describe a recent task are stronger candidates.
• Avoid accepting people who give only hypothetical answers or who strongly self-identify as ‘experts’ unless experts are your target.

Consent Form Template (short, plain language)

Use the following as the script and written consent. Read it aloud at the start of the session and capture verbal or written consent according to your organization's rules.

Title: [Project name] — Participant Consent

Thank you for considering participation in our research. Please read the information below and ask any questions before the session begins.

Purpose

We are conducting research to better understand how people [describe task/problem in plain language]. Your insights will help us improve [product/service/process].

What will happen

If you agree, we will ask you to take part in a [45–60] minute interview / field session. We will ask questions about your experiences and may ask you to show or demonstrate how you do the task. There are no right or wrong answers.

Recording and notes

With your permission we will audio / video record the session and take notes. Recordings help us accurately capture what you say. Recordings and notes will be stored securely and accessed only by the research team.

Confidentiality and data use

Your name and contact details will be kept separate from the research notes. When we share findings, we will anonymize quotes and remove identifiable information unless you explicitly agree otherwise. Data (recordings, transcripts, notes) will be kept for up to [X months/years] and then securely deleted. If you prefer we can delete your recording earlier—just tell us.

Risks and benefits

There are minimal risks associated with participation. You may find questions about your experiences a little personal or inconvenient. There is no direct benefit to you, but your feedback may improve services for people like you.

Voluntary participation

Your participation is voluntary. You can decline to answer any question and can stop the session at any time without penalty. If you withdraw, let us know whether you want your data deleted.

Compensation

As a thank-you, you will receive: [incentive details].

Contact

If you have questions about the study or your rights, contact: [Researcher name, email, phone]. For concerns about research ethics contact: [Ethics office / IRB contact if applicable].

Consent statement (scripted)

"Do you agree to participate in this research under the terms described above?"

• Participant verbal consent: "Yes / No" (recorded)
• Written consent (optional): Participant name: __________ Date: ________
• Recording permission: "I agree / I do not agree" to being audio/video recorded.

Special notes: For remote sessions, capture verbal consent on the recording at the session start. For minors, do not proceed without signed parental/guardian consent and follow local legal requirements.

Recruitment Plan Checklist

1. Define target segments and quotas for diversity (age, gender, tech access, geography, behavior patterns).
2. Set sample size target and contingency (e.g., 10–15 interviews per segment; recruit +30% to allow for no-shows).
3. Choose recruitment channels: customer list, social posts, community partners, market recruiters.
4. Create a short outreach message that includes purpose, time estimate, incentive, and confidentiality assurance.
5. Use the screener to qualify and record answers in a simple tracking sheet: Name, Contact, Segment, Screening Q answers, Availability, Status.
6. Schedule and send confirmation & reminder (48 hours and 24 hours before session) with joining instructions and consent summary.
7. Confirm logistics for in-person (location, travel reimbursements) or remote (link, required software, test connection) sessions.

Facilitation & Questioning Tips

• Start with a warm welcome and a short reminder of purpose, length, and consent/recording choices.
• Ask open-ended, behavior-focused questions: encourage participants to tell stories about specific recent incidents ("Tell me about the last time you...").
• Avoid leading questions. Instead of "Did you find feature X helpful?" try "How did feature X fit into what you were trying to do?"
• Use neutral probes: "Can you tell me more about that?" "What happened next?"
• BALANCE: Allow silence and thinking time; do not fill every pause with another question.
• For remote sessions, verify screen-sharing permissions and ask participant to describe what they see if screen-sharing is not possible.

Sample neutral vs leading phrasing

• Leading: "You find that feature confusing, right?" Neutral: "How would you describe your experience using that feature?"
• Leading: "Wouldn't you agree it's slow?" Neutral: "Can you describe the speed and responsiveness you experienced?"

Diversity & Avoiding Convenience Bias

Common trap: recruiting the easiest people (colleagues, friends, or overly enthusiastic customers) yields biased insights. Use purposeful quotas and multiple channels.

• Define key diversity axes for your study (e.g., skill level, frequency of use, device type, accessibility needs).
• Use screening quotas to ensure balance rather than pure convenience.
• Partner with community organizations to reach underrepresented groups and offer appropriate accommodations or increased incentives if needed.
• Translate materials and offer interpreters when relevant.

Synthesis & Repository Fields (quick kit)

Capture for each session:

• Participant ID (anonymized), segment, session date/time
• Recording file name, transcript file name
• Key quotes (verbatim), observed behaviors, pain points, unmet needs
• Tags / codes (task, motivation, constraint, device, environment)
• Priority insight statements and suggested next steps

Ethics, Legal & Practical Notes

• Consult your organization’s privacy officer or legal counsel for obligations under GDPR, CCPA, or other local regulations before collecting personal data.
• If your work requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval (academia / regulated research), secure it before recruiting.
• Limit personally identifying information to what you need; store contact data separately from research notes and apply role-based access to recordings/transcripts.
• Document retention policy: declare how long recordings and transcripts will be stored and how they will be destroyed.

How to Adapt & Use

Copy the screener and consent wording into your recruitment messages, scheduling flows, and session scripts. Keep screeners concise in initial outreach and use follow-up calls for longer qualification. Maintain a simple tracking sheet for status and quotas.

When to involve specialists

• Use a professional recruiter for hard-to-find populations.
• Engage an accessibility specialist when testing with participants who have disabilities.
• Consult an ethics reviewer for sensitive topics (health, finances, trauma).

Quick Copy Box (Plain Text Samples)

Recruit outreach (SMS / email): "Hi — we're studying how people [describe task]. Would you be willing to do a 45-minute interview for $[X]? If interested, reply and we’ll ask a few quick questions to see if you qualify."

Consent script (at session start): "Thank you. Before we begin, I’ll read a short consent statement. This session will be recorded for note-taking and analysis. You can stop at any time and skip any question. Do you agree to continue and be recorded?"

Capability Opportunities (how the platform could enhance this template)

Immediate improvement: copy this template into an interactive screener form (fields for name, contact, screening answers, availability, accessibility needs) so recruiters can submit candidate data directly into the platform's participant tracking table via the Content Data Submission capability.

Further enhancement possibilities: build a reusable recruitment tracker and scheduling integration (calendar invites, automated reminders), an e-consent interactive flow that records timestamped consent choices, and a participant database with anonymization flags and retention metadata.

Resources & References

• Local privacy and data protection guidance (GDPR, CCPA) — consult legal counsel.
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidance if applicable.
• Accessibility best practices — include accommodations in recruitment messaging.

Version & Tailoring Notes

Version: 1.0. Tailor the inclusion/exclusion criteria, retention period, and incentive amounts to your study and legal environment. Keep a changelog when you adapt templates for later audits or reuse.