School-based research: problems of access and consent

Public schools are enticing yet intimidating places to conduct research on children and adolescents. A public school provides a large potential subject pool; however, obtaining access to that subject pool can seem impossible with all the layers of permissions that must be obtained. If the study is federally funded, additional regulations apply. This article presents practical and proven approaches to obtaining access to and approval from schools or school systems, as well as parental consent, to conduct school-based research.