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BJSW Advance Access first published online on March 6, 2008
This version published online on July 1, 2008
British Journal of Social Work, 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

Article

Ethics and Governance in Social Work Research in the UK

Lena Dominelli 1 * and Margaret Holloway 2

1 The University of Durham, Elvet Riverside II, New Elvet, Durham DH1 3JT, UK
2 Professor of Social Work at the University of Hull

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Lena Dominelli, 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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