Informed consent is a process whereby individuals assess their willingness to voluntarily participate in a research project, based on their understanding of the purpose of the project. Participants analyze the risks and benefits of participation, and the policies and procedures of the project that will affect participants, and then sign an informed consent form. The informed consent process shouldn't be just a one-time event, however. It should be an ongoing discourse that lets an individual assess whether to participate, before the research begins, and whether to continue to participate, as the research progresses.

1. 1.Education (that's why you're going through this study guide!)
2. Assessment (that's why you'll take the PGP entrance exam)
3. Consent (the signing of the actual PGP consent form)
4. Continued reassessment of willingness to participate