Data from: The appropriateness of language found in research consent form templates: a computational linguistic analysis

Background: To facilitate informed consent, consent forms should use language below the grade eight level. Research Ethics Boards (REBs) provide consent form templates to facilitate this goal. Templates with inappropriate language could promote consent forms that participants find difficult to understand. However, a linguistic analysis of templates is lacking. Methods: We reviewed the websites of 124 REBs for their templates. These included English language medical school REBs in Australia/New Zealand (n=23), Canada (n=14), South Africa (n=8), the United Kingdom (n=34), and a geographically-stratified sample from the United States (n=45). Template language was analyzed using Coh-Metrix linguistic software (v.3.0, Memphis, USA). We evaluated the proportion of REBs with five key linguistic outcomes at or below grade eight. Additionally, we compared quantitative readability to the REBs' own readability standards. To determine if the template's country of origin or the presence of a local REB readability standard influenced the linguistic variables, we used a MANOVA model. Results: Of the REBs who provided templates, 0/94 (0%, 95% CI=0-3.9%) provided templates with all linguistic variables at or below the grade eight level. Relaxing the standard to a grade 12 level did not increase this proportion. Further, only 2/22 (9.1%, 95% CI= 2.5-27.8) REBs met their own readability standard. The country of origin (DF= 20, 177.5, F=1.97, p=0.01), but not the presence of an REB-specific standard (DF=5, 84, F=0.73, p=0.60), influenced the linguistic variables. Conclusions: Inappropriate language in templates is an international problem. Templates use words that are long, abstract, and unfamiliar. This could undermine the validity of participant informed consent. REBs should set a policy of screening templates with linguistic software

Villafranca et al consent form template data Dryad

Raw data file with outputs from Coh-metrix and subsequent conversions of linguistic variables to grade levels. Conversion was done using the formulas described in the manuscript

The Appropriateness of Language Found in Research Consent Form Templates: A Computational Linguistic Analysis

<div><p>Background</p><p>To facilitate informed consent, consent forms should use language below the grade eight level. Research Ethics Boards (REBs) provide consent form templates to facilitate this goal. Templates with inappropriate language could promote consent forms that participants find difficult to understand. However, a linguistic analysis of templates is lacking.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We reviewed the websites of 124 REBs for their templates. These included English language medical school REBs in Australia/New Zealand (n = 23), Canada (n = 14), South Africa (n = 8), the United Kingdom (n = 34), and a geographically-stratified sample from the United States (n = 45). Template language was analyzed using Coh-Metrix linguistic software (v.3.0, Memphis, USA). We evaluated the proportion of REBs with five key linguistic outcomes at or below grade eight. Additionally, we compared quantitative readability to the REBs’ own readability standards. To determine if the template’s country of origin or the presence of a local REB readability standard influenced the linguistic variables, we used a MANOVA model.</p><p>Results</p><p>Of the REBs who provided templates, 0/94 (0%, 95% CI = 0–3.9%) provided templates with all linguistic variables at or below the grade eight level. Relaxing the standard to a grade 12 level did not increase this proportion. Further, only 2/22 (9.1%, 95% CI = 2.5–27.8) REBs met their own readability standard. The country of origin (DF = 20, 177.5, F = 1.97, p = 0.01), but not the presence of an REB-specific standard (DF = 5, 84, F = 0.73, p = 0.60), influenced the linguistic variables.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Inappropriate language in templates is an international problem. Templates use words that are long, abstract, and unfamiliar. This could undermine the validity of participant informed consent. REBs should set a policy of screening templates with linguistic software.</p></div

Average grade level equivalents for all language variables.

<p>Average grade level equivalents for all language variables.</p

Grade levels for quantitative readability and sentence length, stratified by country of origin.

<p>Grade levels for quantitative readability and sentence length, stratified by country of origin.</p

Inclusion of medical schools

<p>Inclusion of medical schools</p

The proportion of research ethics boards providing language variables equal or less than the grade eight standard.

<p>The proportion of research ethics boards providing language variables equal or less than the grade eight standard.</p

Regression equations to calculate language variable grade levels.

<p>Regression equations to calculate language variable grade levels.</p

Hierarchical Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsions Synthesized from Surfactant-Stabilized Emulsion Templates

In building construction, structural elements, such as lattice girders, are positioned specifically to support the mainframe of a building. This arrangement provides additional structural hierarchy, facilitating the transfer of load to its foundation while keeping the building weight down. We applied the same concept when synthesizing hierarchical open-celled macroporous polymers from high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templates stabilized by varying concentrations of a polymeric non-ionic surfactant from 0.75 to 20 w/vol %. These hierarchical poly­(merized)­HIPEs have multimodally distributed pores, which are efficiently arranged to enhance the load transfer mechanism in the polymer foam. As a result, hierarchical polyHIPEs produced from HIPEs stabilized by 5 vol % surfactant showed a 93% improvement in Young’s moduli compared to conventional polyHIPEs produced from HIPEs stabilized by 20 vol % of surfactant with the same porosity of 84%. The finite element method (FEM) was used to determine the effect of pore hierarchy on the mechanical performance of porous polymers under small periodic compressions. Results from the FEM showed a clear improvement in Young’s moduli for simulated hierarchical porous geometries. This methodology could be further adapted as a predictive tool to determine the influence of hierarchy on the mechanical properties of a range of porous materials