Does the principle of informed consent apply to futures studies research?

Informed consent is a well-established practice in medical and behavioral research worldwide for both ethical and legal reasons (Faden & Beauchamp, 1986). Futures studies, while an eclectic multidisciplinary field, can reasonably be classified as primarily a social science and as such can involve human subjects in its research. Moreover much of the field is oriented toward applied, prescriptive pathways toward preferred futures that can involve influencing public policy and thus have significant social ramifications. This work investigates the extent to which futures studies research is involving human subjects, and, if so, whether informed consent practices are being applied to such futures studies research. The study proceeds to report the results of a poll of World Futures Studies Federation and Association of Professional Futurists members to gauge the nature of their research with emphasis on the use of human subjects and submission of proposed research to IRB evaluation. The piece concludes with a discussion on the expansion of the concept of informed consent to include engaging the public-at-large in the long-term effects of policy initiatives as a key element of the futures studies field and the representation of futures perspectives on institutional review boards particularly those involved in research on groups and communities.