Definition. Deception is the intentional misleading of subjects or the withholding of full information about the nature of a research experiment or procedure. Please note that if you are conducting research involving deception, you must also request an alteration of informed consent.An Alteration of Consent is required in order to use deception or incomplete disclosure in research. Research can qualify for an exemption if it is no more than minimal risk and all of the research procedures fit within one or more of the exemption categories. Deception can be used if it is necessary for a study's objectives and if the risks to participants are minimized as much as possible. After the initial submission:. The use of deception and incomplete disclosure are valuable research techniques used to answer scientific inquiries in human subjects research. Removes signature requirement only. Common in online consent and sensitive research where a signature is the primary risk of breach of confidentiality. Criteria for Approval: The IRB can approve the deception only if the study meets specific criteria laid out in 45 CFR 46.116.d.