When the subject can readily refuse to participate by hanging up the phone, trashing the mailed survey, or walking away, the informed consent can be extremely brief (a sentence or two). Courtesy and professionalism require that the identity of the researcher and research institution be mentioned, along with the nature and general purpose of the research. However, if there are minimal risks, benefits or confidentiality issues involved, these topics and the right to refuse participation need not be explicitly mentioned when such details would be unreasonable. In general, the level of explicit detail should be commensurate with the nature of the research. These changes regularly would need to meet the criteria for waiver or alteration of the informed consent process or waiver of documentation of informed consent.
Detailed recitation of irrelevant information demeans the communication and is slightly insulting. People are capable of deciding whether to participate in surveys and ethnographic research.
Persons should be treated respectfully in accordance with their culture and circumstances. People who are functionally illiterate, who are suspicious of persons who proffer documents or require signatures, or from non-industrialized cultures should be approached in the style that is most comfortable to them. Protocols for research on such populations should show evidence that the researcher is informed about the culture of the intended research population and has arranged the informed consent and other research procedures accordingly.