Editorial

The publication of this Themed Issue of Australian Social Work (ASW) marks another milestone for this Journal. This Issue and a Special Issue planned for 2023, will bring together a range of articles reporting research, practice innovation, and policy critique, all of which have First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters and issues as their primary focus. All are—and will be in the Special Issue—authored by First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, academics, and practitioners. Most importantly, these articles will demonstrate the adoption of newly proposed Guidelines for the conduct and authoring of ethically appropriate research and commentary in Australian Social Work.

More than a decade ago, Calma and Priday (2011), in a Special Issue of ASW on Australian Indigenous Social Work and Social Policy–one of the most highly downloaded and well-read collections–stated that due to the impact of past harm and devastation “(m)any communities are really struggling; however, there is tangible evidence that they nonetheless hold the answers to their problems” (p. 150). Calma and Priday (2011) further remarked that it was “encouraging to see a growing number of Indigenous people entering the profession” (p. 154) and argued that “social work can support Indigenous communities in ways that are empowering, based on partnership and recognising culture to move forward” (p. 155). Bennett et al. (2011), in the same Special Issues collection, similarly argued that “experienced Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal social workers prioritise the development of relationships with their Aboriginal clients and communities, which are characterised by reciprocity, [and] the integration and valuing of Aboriginal and Western worldviews” (p. 20).

Authors in this current Themed Issue have detailed examples of honouring culture, building relationships, listening to and working respectfully in partnerships with First Nations colleagues, service users, students, and organisations, and advocating for increased rights of First Nations peoples. The proposed Special Issue for 2023 will extend this focus to showcase the many voices and strengths of First Nations peoples. The Keynote article by Bennett (2022) describes the new “Proposed Guidelines for Articles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authors and About Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues” in detail. However, their formulation is the outcome of many years of work and an ongoing commitment to their realisation. The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has been vocal and active over many years in expressing the profession’s commitment to reconciliation and the advancement of collaboration and partnership with First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (see, e.g., the Acknowledgement Statement to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2004), the AASW Code of Ethics (2020), and the AASW’s Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) (2015), updated April 2016, 2021). The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for 2020–2022 asserts that the AASW is committed to demonstrating appreciation and respect for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ways of doing, being and believing as embodied in First Nations’ cultures, beliefs, and relationships with the land. The RAP (2020–2022) notes in particular a commitment to “(i)ncreas(ing) contributions by, and promotion of, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander members in publications such as Australian Social Work journal, newsletters, websites and social media” (p. 10). However, translating these sentiments and espoused principles into concrete outcomes is often a challenge.

For this reason, the ASW Editorial Board was grateful when the AASW agreed to fund the research and publication of ethical guidelines relating to journal articles addressing issues relevant to First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Such Guidelines were sorely needed. Authors, researchers, and reviewers hitherto have lacked clarity and understanding of the specific ethical concerns of First Nations/ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with respect to the gathering of data, permissions, cultural protocols, and publishing findings when their peoples and communities are the subject—or object—of research. Such lack of understanding or perhaps ignorance is not acceptable, and is a source of pain and the perpetuation of colonising perspectives and practices.

The Guidelines have been prepared following research and consultation led by Dr Bindi Bennett. They are available in this Issue and online, and the ASW Editorial Board strongly encourages that they be read. More importantly, their adoption in every relevant article to be submitted to the Journal will form a baseline criterion for the acceptance of an article for review. From the point of view of the Editorial Team and the ASW Editorial Board, these Guidelines herald a new era for the Journal. Their existence demonstrates and ensures that the Journal is itself responsive and fully engaged with the ethical and cultural concerns of First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work academics, researchers, research participants, authors, reviewers, and readers. ASW is an international, peer-reviewed journal with an increasing impact factor: the existence and implementation by researchers and authors of these Guidelines signals to a national and global audience the great importance placed on them, and a response for which First Nations/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have waited too long to see. We remain enormously grateful to the contributors to the Guidelines for their patience, endurance, and extraordinary hard work in producing them.