Practitioner Research, Ethics and Research Governance

Abstract

There is growing interest in the contribution of practitioner research towards bodies of knowledge and practice change. A practitioner or group of practitioners may carry out inquiry in order to better understand their own practice and client groups and to assess or improve service effectiveness. There is also increased interest in the place of ethical review (typically encapsulated within requirements to submit to a formal ethics committee) and broader processes of research governance. Drawing on the field of social work this paper seeks to explore how practitioner research should respond to calls for ethical review and greater formal consideration of research projects. We adopt a four-fold discussion. First, we explore the meaning of practitioner research and sketch its progress and the ethical implications thereof within social work; second, we trace the factors accounting for growing interest in ethics review and committees; third, we outline issues raised by practitioner research vis-à-vis ethical review, the role of ethics committees, and processes of research governance. Finally, we suggest how procedures and practices can ensure that ethical principles are considered whilst also fostering practitioner research developments.

Keywords:

• Practitioner Research
• Social Work
• Social Services
• Research Ethics
• Ethical Review

Notes

1. See Long's (2007) discussion of domains of governance as being: ethics, science, information, health & safety, and finance and intellectual property.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Neil Lunt

Neil Lunt, PhD, lectures in the public management programme at the University of York, UK. Between 1997 and 2006 he taught at Massey University (Auckland), New Zealand

Christa Fouché

Christa Fouché, PhD, is Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and a full member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers