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Table 3 Editors’ reports on their journals’ management of consent forms

From: Obtaining subjects’ consent to publish identifying personal information: current practices and identifying potential issues

Questions

Number of responses

Percentage

Time to submit signed consent forms

  

  When manuscript is submitted

18

78.3

  When manuscript is accepted

2

8.7

  After manuscript acceptance and before publication

1

4.3

  Other

2

8.7

Period of storage of signed consent forms

  

  Until the obtainment of consent is confirmed

2

8.7

  Until the manuscript is formally accepted or rejected

0

0.0

  Until the manuscript is published

2

8.7

  Until a certain period of time after publication*

6

26.1

  Indefinitely**

13

56.5

Reasons for requiring submission of consent forms (multiple answers possible)

  

  To confirm the receipt of written consent

21

 

  To confirm the contents of the consent form

11

 

  Other

3

 
  1. Note: Survey responses represented 23 journals.
  2. *Each of the following responses was given once: 1 year, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 10 years, no answer.
  3. **Four of these respondents said their journals stored electronic versions.