What distinguishes "voluntary participation" from "informed consent"?

Voluntary participation emphasizes that individuals must choose to engage in the research without any form of coercion or undue pressure. This principle ensures that participants have the right to make their own decisions regarding their involvement based solely on their willingness and interest, which is fundamental to ethical research practices.

Informed consent, on the other hand, refers to the requirement that participants receive comprehensive information about the study, including its purpose, risks, benefits, and their rights, allowing them to make an informed choice about their participation. While both concepts are critical to ethical research, the distinction lies in voluntary participation focusing specifically on the absence of coercion, while informed consent centers around the provision and understanding of information necessary for an informed decision.

The other options address aspects of research ethics but do not adequately capture the core distinction between voluntary participation and informed consent. For instance, ethical approval is a broader institutional requirement, not exclusive to the concept of voluntary participation or informed consent. Similarly, the timing of consent and understanding, as well as issues surrounding confidentiality and benefits, pertain to different aspects of research ethics that do not directly delineate the difference between these two key concepts.