[Air-l] electronic signatures

Andy Williamson & Ruth DeSouza andy at wairua.co.nz
Thu Feb 3 14:26:37 PST 2005


Hi Orianna

You might be looking at a 19th Century solution to a 21st Century problem!
Perhaps the real question you need to ask is how can respondents accurately
convey consent. There are obvious legal differences across jurisdictions,
but an electronic image of a signature attached to a document does not
necessarily comply anyway because it is not an original mark. And, as
already stated, this is about consent, not declaration.

It also presents a problem in that you are creating what could be quite a
serious barrier to participation. I would be majorly uncomfortable with
sending an electronic facsimile of my signature to an untrusted source if I
knew it could potentially be used fraudulently elsewhere (ie it has value). 

Other options are available. Simply asking for suffucient identifying
participant details and asking them to take an option that positvely affirms
their consent seems sufficient (I don't know what your project is, health
research might be more rigorously policed).

I wonder here if the problem is not technology but human. Not all ethics
committees are perhaps up to speed with online-based research and so these
issues are yet to be explored. Certainly, I can do all sorts of things
online (Purchase, vote etc etc) that don't require a signature but do
require affirmation of intent or consent (eg a contract to purchase). 

Regards
Andy

Wairua Consulting Limited
www.wairua.com


-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-aoir.org-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-aoir.org-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Oriana Solta
Gatta
Sent: Tuesday, 1 February 2005 13:51
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: [Air-l] electronic signatures

Hello,
I'm looking into using electronic signatures for my consent forms and was
wondering if anyone could make suggestions about where to go.  I've found a
few different sites, but others' experience with this would be very helpful.
Thanks
Oriana Gatta

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