The activity that constitutes engagement in research is:

  • Obtaining informed consent and conducting research interviews.

In human-subjects research guidance, an individual or institution is considered engaged when they:

  • Intervene or interact with participants for research purposes (for example, conducting interviews or administering surveys).
  • Obtain informed consent directly from participants for a research study.

By contrast, activities such as merely informing people that a study exists, handing out written information prepared by others, or asking permission to pass their contact details to a research team are usually classified as recruitment or referral activities and often do not themselves count as engagement in research under typical IRB/ethics guidelines.