Ethics and governance in social work research in the UK

Dominelli, Lena; Holloway, Margaret

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. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Citation

Dominelli, L., & Holloway, M. (2008). Ethics and governance in social work research in the UK. The British journal of social work, 38(5), 1009-1024 . https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm123

• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2007
• Online Publication Date: Dec 13, 2006
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: British journal of social work
• Print ISSN: 0045-3102
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-263X
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1009-1024
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm123
• Keywords: Social Sciences (miscellaneous); Health(social science)
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/460796
• Publisher URL: http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/5/1009
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in British journal of social work following peer review. The version of record -- Lena Dominelli and Margaret Holloway. Ethics and Governance in Social Work Research in the UK Br J Soc Work (2008) 38 (5): 1009-1024 -- is available online at: http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/5/1009 .