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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on March 6, 2008
British Journal of Social Work 2008 38(5):1009-1024; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm123
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Ethics and Governance in Social Work Research in the UK

Lena Dominelli and Margaret Holloway

Lena Dominelli is Professor of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University with an extensive publications and research record. She has worked as a practitioner and educator for many years and is active in the international arena in the areas of social development, women and anti-racist initiatives.

Margaret Holloway is Professor of Social Work at the University of Hull. Her research interests are death dying and bereavement, especially the associated spiritual and philosophical issues, and service delivery at the health and social care interface, especially for older people and those with degenerative conditions. Lena and Margaret co-led the work on ethics and governance undertaken by the Social Work Research Strategy for Higher Education Steering Group.

Correspondence to Professor Lena Dominelli, SASS, The University of Durham, Elvet Riverside II, New Elvet, Durham DH1 3JT, UK. E-mail: Lena.Dominelli{at}durham.ac.uk


  Abstract

The application of formal research ethics and governance structures in social work research have lagged behind those applicable in health, although in the UK, social care has been deemed to be covered by those that were used in the NHS. Whilst this link is useful, it does not facilitate researcher involvement in the small-scale qualitative studies that feature in social work more than in health. Our exploration of the subject reveals that the dominance of the natural sciences paradigm in the social science is evident nationally, regionally and internationally. So, in this sense, the UK follows the usual paths that favour quantitative studies. In this article we explore the trajectory of governance structures in social work research in the UK to argue that social work needs its own ethics and governance structures, but that some agreement should be sought with other professions, particularly in those projects that cross professional and discipline boundaries so that social work research does not have to undergo dual processes for ethical approval. This implies a broader recognition of social work research ethics and governance structures than currently exist.

Keywords: professional practice, discourse, inter-professional working, social work and IT, professional identity


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[Abstract] [PDF]


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