Interview consent form: free in Word, or sign it online

What the template includes

• Project, interviewer and date
• Purpose and length of the interview
• Voluntary participation and withdrawal
• Choice of audio, video or notes
• How the interview will be used
• Quotes, name or anonymity
• Storage, privacy and retention
• Compensation
• Contacts and ethics board reference
• Consent statement and signatures

What you fill in

How it gets signed

1. 1Choose «Use this template», fill in the fields and review the full interview consent form.
2. 2Send it by WhatsApp or email. The other party opens the link on their phone without an account.
3. 3They tap the brown bar at the bottom that says «Sign as …» and draw their signature once.
4. 4Everyone gets the signed PDF with its signature certificate. Anyone can check it at signsolu.com/verificar.

The signing screen tells each signer that signing means agreeing to sign electronically. It links to the electronic signature disclosure that the ESIGN Act asks for.

What you get once everyone signs

• The signed PDF. The final interview consent form with every drawn signature in place.
• The signature certificate. It lists each signer and the date and time of each signature.
• A record you can check. The folio on the certificate opens the document history at signsolu.com/verificar.
• Reminders. Turn them on and SignSolú reminds every signer who has not signed yet.

Your first ten documents are free and need no card.

What the law says

Recording laws vary by state. Some states require consent from everyone in a conversation to record it, and others require one party. A signed consent avoids the question.

Academic research with people usually needs ethics board review and informed consent. Federal rules for human subjects research allow electronic consent where the board approves it.

Using someone's voice or image to promote a product needs their permission. Clause 4 records what they agreed to.

The ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. 7001 gives an electronic signature the same legal effect as one on paper. A contract cannot be denied effect only because it was signed electronically.

Who uses an interview consent form

• Students and researchers doing qualitative interviews.
• Journalists recording long interviews.
• Podcasters with guests.
• Product and UX teams doing user interviews.
• HR teams doing exit or culture interviews.

Getting consent before a remote interview

Many interviews happen by video call. Send the consent form with the calendar invite.

The interviewee signs from the phone before the call. You start recording knowing consent is on file.

Repeat the key points at the start of the recording. Spoken confirmation plus a signed form is the safest combination.

Anonymity and quotes

Let people choose. Some are happy to be named, others only quoted, others want full anonymity.

Clause 4 records each choice. Follow it when you write up the results.

Common mistakes

Recording before consent. Get the signature first.

Unclear uses. «Research» does not cover a promotional video. List every use.

No withdrawal deadline. After publication, withdrawal is hard. Set a date.

Forgetting the interviewer's signature. When both sign, both keep the same record of the promises made.

Writing a clear purpose statement

People decide whether to take part based on clause 1. Write it in plain words, without jargon.

Say who will hear or read the interview. A thesis committee, a newspaper audience and a product team are very different audiences.

Give an honest time estimate. People who planned for 30 minutes resent a 90-minute call.

Interviews with minors and vulnerable people

Interviews with people under 18 need a parent or guardian's consent and, in research, the minor's own agreement.

Add a line for the parent or guardian, the same way the form has a line for the interviewee.

Ethics boards apply extra care to people in vulnerable situations. Follow their conditions and keep the approval number in clause 7.

Storing recordings safely

Recordings with names and voices are personal data. Store them in an access-restricted place, not on a shared drive.

Delete or anonymize them by the date in clause 5. Keep the signed consent forms for as long as you keep the material.

User research interviews at companies

Product teams interview customers to learn how they use a product. The same consent rules apply, even when the interview is short.

Say who will watch the recording, such as designers and engineers, and whether clips will be shared inside the company.

Offer a small thank-you, like a gift card, and write it in clause 6. Customers appreciate knowing it up front.

Send the form with the invite, and the session starts on time with consent already signed.

Before you sign

• Read every clause of the interview consent form with the other party before anyone signs. Change what does not fit your deal.
• Check how electronic signatures are recognized where you sign in the e-signature validity guide by country.
• Learn how anyone can confirm a signed document at signsolu.com/verificar.
• For a one-off letter or form, you can also sign it online for free from a PDF or a photo of the paper.

Other templates

• Model release form
• PDPA consent form
• Medical consent form
• Freelance contract
• Memorandum of understanding