Which of the following describes broad consent as it relates to future research?

• A. Broad consent is for data collection only.
• B. Broad consent requires no restrictions on future research.
• C. Broad consent implies the storage and use of data and/or human biological materials for future unspecified research, subject to specific restrictions.
• D. Broad consent cannot be stored in repositories.

Answer: (C)

Broad consent is given for future research using data and/or human biological materials, even when the specific studies aren’t known at the time of consent. It includes information about the general kinds of future research that may be done and puts governance safeguards in place to protect participants—like de-identification, data security, and oversight by ethics boards or data access committees. It also allows the materials or data to be stored in repositories so they can be used for future, unspecified projects, but with specific restrictions chosen by participants or required by policy (for example, limits on certain types of research or on commercialization). This combination of future-use permission plus defined restrictions and governance is what makes it the best description. The other statements don’t fit: broad consent isn’t limited to data collection only, it isn’t without any restrictions, and it can be stored in repositories.