Participant information clips: a role for digital video technologies to recruit, inform and debrief research participants and disseminate research findings

Although information communication technology (ICT) appears to be extending into many areas of research, this paper maintains that the potential of such technology to convey important information with ethical dimensions to potential participants has not been exploited. In this regard, the paper explores the development and the use of short movie clips labelled participant information clips (PICs) as a way of transmitting such information within a contextualised research example. The potentials and limitations of using PICs are considered in line with research ethics, risk and the need to constantly reflect on meaningful ways of gaining consent and keeping participants informed throughout the research process. We conclude that PICs are easily constructed and offer a valuable route to providing information.