Puerto Rico Confidentiality Agreement for Research Participants serves a crucial purpose in safeguarding the privacy and anonymity of individuals taking part in research studies conducted in Puerto Rico. This agreement is designed to establish a legally binding commitment between researchers and participants, ensuring that confidential information shared during the study remains secure and protected. The Puerto Rico Confidentiality Agreement for Research Participants encompasses various key aspects to ensure the highest level of confidentiality. It outlines the responsibilities of both the researchers and participants, emphasizing the importance of maintaining privacy throughout the research process. This agreement serves as a guarantee that any personal, sensitive, or identifiable information provided by participants will be handled with utmost care and used exclusively for research purposes. The agreement generally includes the following elements: 1. Definitions: Clearly defines the terms used throughout the agreement, such as "confidential information," "researcher," and "participant," to avoid any ambiguity or misunderstanding. 2. Scope of Confidentiality: Outlines the specific information that is considered confidential, which may include personal identifiers, medical history, contact details, audio or video recordings, and any other data directly related to the research study. 3. Purpose and Use of Data: States that any personal information collected will solely be used for research purposes and may not be disclosed or shared with any unauthorized third parties. It explicitly highlights that the data will be anonymized or disidentified whenever possible to further protect participants' privacy. 4. Access and Storage: Defines the procedures to securely store and restrict access to confidential data, ensuring that only authorized individuals involved in the research have permission to view or analyze the information. 5. Data Sharing and Publication: Clarifies how and when the research findings may be shared with other researchers or published, emphasizing the utmost care required to prevent the identification of individual participants. 6. Data Retention and Destruction: Outlines the duration for which the data will be retained after the study concludes and provides guidelines for its proper destruction or anonymization to prevent any future unauthorized use. Different types of Puerto Rico Confidentiality Agreements for Research Participants may exist depending on the nature of the research study or the sponsoring institution. For example, there might be specific agreements tailored for medical research, social sciences, psychology, or other fields, each encompassing unique considerations and requirements relevant to the respective discipline. In conclusion, the Puerto Rico Confidentiality Agreement for Research Participants is a critical legal document that ensures the protection of individuals' privacy and confidentiality in research studies conducted in Puerto Rico. By establishing clear guidelines and responsibilities, this agreement enables researchers to conduct their studies ethically while respecting the rights and privacy of the participants.
Para su conveniencia, debajo del texto en español le brindamos la versión completa de este formulario en inglés. For your convenience, the complete English version of this form is attached below the Spanish version.