Informed consent is a process by which permission is obtained from an individual prior to his or her participation in an event, such as a health care [Page 934]intervention, an interview for a research study, or publication of a written piece of work by a publisher. Informed consent is obtained according to guidelines established in research ethics. It is said to be given when a participant has a clear appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications, and future consequences of involvement in an event. The informed consent process involves three key steps. The first is disclosing to a potential research participant any and all the information needed for the participant to make a decision about whether or not to give his or her consent to ...