Social Work Research Ethics: Dual Roles and Boundary Issues

This article reviews ethical issues and dilemmas that arise from the dual roles of the social work researcher: as scientist and as someone who cares for individuals and groups in distress while exercising social control. There is a fair amount of tension between the roles of social worker and social work researcher due to a lack of clear boundaries of the researcher's function. The ethical dilemmas may vary with the framework in which the research is conducted, the participants, and social work researchers themselves. The current article focuses on issues of informed consent, expectations, and anxieties of the research participants, and ethical dilemmas. It ends with suggestions for ethical social work research.