Deep in Ethical Waters

Abstract

Given the commitment expressed by the social work community towards the furtherance of social justice as reflected not only in their ethical codes, but also in their historical legacy and current statements of purpose, the question of how research can contribute to the enhancement of human rights and social change is particularly relevant for the ethical conduct of qualitative social work research. Based on literature from ethics and social work research and the Handbook of Social Research Ethics (Mertens and Ginsberg, forthcoming), the intersection of advocacy and research is examined from a transformative stance, revealing that strict adherence to the codes and/or regulations as defined by governments, professional associations, and ethics boards are fraught with tensions with regard to such issues as informed consent, confidentiality, and beneficence. In order to investigate topics that are controversial (e.g. pedophilia, drug use) and involve participants who may be stigmatized, the researcher's role may need to be reframed as a member of a team, with differential responsibilities assumed by each team member. This article examines potential ethical alternatives in which the researcher can partner with communities for collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.