How to build a research participation form with consent workflow

Build a research-ready participation & consent workflow

This guide shows how to create a research participation form in Formaloo that includes informed consent, eligibility screening, and automated follow-ups. You’ll learn how to collect participant details securely, manage approvals, and route each submission through a simple consent-based workflow.
📘 Learn more: Getting started with Formaloo

Why this helps

A structured research participation form with consent tracking helps you:

• Collect personal data ethically using clear, trackable consent steps.
• Automate eligibility checks and follow-ups using Formaloo’s logic and “On Submit” automation.
• Streamline researcher tasks with automatic notifications and organized dashboards.
• Provide participants with a clear, transparent application and consent experience.
• One university client reduced manual screening time by 70% after adding automated consent-based rules.
  📘 Learn more: Why use workflows in Formaloo

Step 1 – Create your research participation form

Start by creating the form where participants provide details and give consent. You can start from scratch or use a template from our Template Gallery (e.g., Consent Form, Participant Intake Form). You can also use Magic Create with a prompt like “Create a research participation form with consent, eligibility screening, and contact details.”

In the Form Editor, add:

• Intro block — explain study purpose & data use.
• Personal information fields — name, email, age, contact number.
• Eligibility fields — age check, location, prior participation, special requirements.
• Consent section — description + Yes/No choice.
• Signature field — for participants who agree.
• Optional upload field — if supporting documents are required.

Each field plays a role in downstream workflow automation, for example, eligibility fields trigger logic and the consent field determines whether participants continue.
💡 Tip: Magic Create automatically generates complex section layouts—you can refine them afterward.
📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types

Step 2 – Add conditional logic

Open Settings → Advanced logic to personalize the form based on participant choices.

Add rules such as:

• If age < 18 → show “Parent/Guardian Consent” field
  This ensures minors provide legally required consent.
• If consent = No → go to ending page “Cannot Participate”
  This keeps the workflow compliant by stopping data collection.
• If eligibility = Not eligible → show custom message + hide further questions
  This avoids collecting unnecessary or sensitive data.

Keep logic modular so you can easily expand your workflow later.
💡 Tip: Simple, focused rules prevent conflicts and make audits of your consent process easier.
📘 Learn more: Add logic and calculations in Formaloo

Step 3 – Build workflow automation

Open Settings → Advanced logic → On Submit to automate the participation workflow.

Add automations like:

• Send confirmation email when a participant submits the form.
• Notify research team if a participant marked special requirements.
• Assign submission to a specific researcher if the study type equals Interview-based, Survey, etc.
• Assign records (e.g., “Consented,” “Declined,” “Pending Review”).

Use field IDs in your messages for personalization, such as:
“New participation request from @field_fullname for @field_study_type.”

One research team uses this workflow to auto-assign participants to reviewers and track consent status in real time.
💡 Tip: Use On Submit + status fields to keep internal tracking automatic and consistent.
📘 Learn more: Workflow automation in Formaloo

Step 4 – Automate communications

Consent workflows require timely communication.

• Send consent confirmation email if consent = Yes.
• Send rejection email if eligibility = No or consent = No.
• Send follow-up instructions (e.g., scheduling link) to eligible participants.

Use field IDs like @field_participant_name and @field_study_title to personalize each message.
💡 Tip: Personalized emails see significantly higher open rates, include participant name and key study details.
📘 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

Step 5 – Visualize participant data in dashboards

Open Results → Responses and build dashboards to manage recruitment.

Add views such as:

• Table view: all participant submissions with filters for eligibility + consent status.
• Kanban view: group by Status (New, Consented, Pending Review).
• Charts: distribution of age ranges, consent acceptance rate, eligible vs. ineligible applicants.
• Gallery view: if participants submit research-related uploads or documents.

Dashboards help research teams review submissions faster and improve compliance documentation.
📊 Tip: Use Kanban to track each participant from “Submitted” to “Completed Study.”
📘 Learn more: How to create a Kanban board in Formaloo

Step 6 – Share, publish, or build a secure participant portal

Choose how participants access your form:

• Public share link — for open studies.
• Embed on website — for organizations hosting research opportunities.
• Portal mode — require login and let participants access study materials, review consent, or update their information.

Update branding to add logos, colors, and a custom URL.
💡 Tip: Give each portal a clear URL and consistent theme to build trust with participants.
📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users’ access

Pro tips

• Add a linked table to store participation history across multiple studies.
  📘 Learn more: Working with tables & linked databases
• Use AI Analyze to generate instant summaries of participant motivations or demographic trends.
  📘 Learn more: What is Formaloo?
• Embed consent PDFs auto-generated from submissions for your research compliance archive.
  📘 Learn more: Custom PDF builder

Real-world example

A behavioral research institute needed a simple way to collect participant demographics, capture informed consent, and manage screenings. Using Formaloo:

• They created a multi-step form with age screening and consent requirement.
• On Submit, eligible participants were automatically assigned to research coordinators.
• A Kanban dashboard tracked participants across “New,” “Consented,” “Scheduled,” and “Completed.”
• Custom emails sent each participant a consent confirmation and next steps.

Result: 70% reduction in manual screening time and improved audit readiness.
📈 See more examples: Formaloo use cases

FAQ

1. How do I edit a form after it’s published?

Open your project anytime and update fields, logic, or workflows, the changes apply instantly.
❓ Learn more: How to edit forms and form responses

2. Can I customize the text on my forms?

Yes, add headings, instructions, or consent descriptions directly in the editor or settings.
📝 Learn more: How to customize the text in your form

3. How do I personalize notification emails?

Use field IDs to insert participant names, study titles, or consent notes into your automated messages.
📩 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

4. Can I change a form’s appearance and branding?

Absolutely, adjust logos, colors, backgrounds, and layout from the Design tabs.
🎨 Learn more: Customize your form/app layout and design

Build a fully compliant consent workflow today

You now have everything you need to build a complete research participation and consent workflow, from screening, to consent confirmation, to dashboards. Start customizing, add automations, and turn your form into a fully auditable research tool.
🎉 Learn more: Expand your workflow in Formaloo

Last updated November 2025

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