What is described as a participant's withdrawal from research?

The act of a participant withdrawing from research is best described as revocation of consent. When participants agree to be involved in a study, they do so based on the informed consent process, which outlines the research's purpose, procedures, risks, and their rights as participants. If at any point they choose to discontinue their involvement, they are essentially revoking the consent they previously provided. This emphasizes their autonomy, allowing them to exit the study if they feel uncomfortable or wish to stop for any reason.

Informed consent refers to the initial agreement given by participants, but it does not encompass their ability to withdraw later. Retraction of participation might seem relevant, but it isn't a commonly used term in research ethics. Involuntary dropout suggests a scenario where participants are removed from a study against their will, which is not applicable when discussing voluntary withdrawal. Thus, revocation of consent accurately captures the process by which a participant decides to cease their involvement in research.