18 Ethical issues in the meaningful involvement of service users as co-researchers
-
Hugh McLaughlin
Abstract
This chapter seeks to identify and discuss ethical issues in the meaningful involvement of service users as co-researchers. Just because a researcher says that they are involving service users as co-researchers, it does not follow that this is how it is experienced by service users. It is also worth stating that I believe such involvement of service users will not only enhance the quality of the research but is more likely to lead to better outcomes for service users. While there is a growing evidence base for this (Brady, 2020; Lovell-Norton et al, 2020; Moulam et al, 2020), there are also examples of when such research set out with good intentions but became unstuck as the partnership between service users, practitioners and academics broke down (Natland, 2020).
All researchers, including service user co-researchers, possess a moral perspective about what is right and what is wrong. These views may be influenced by their life experiences and interactions with others, resulting in individualised moral beliefs set within a socio-historical context. While there is large amount of agreement about what is right and wrong, and in social work we would particularly point to principles like human rights and social justice, the application of such principles in particular situations is both contested and contestable. This chapter begins by identifying key ethical research frameworks, and then considers potential ethical issues that can arise during the research process.
Contemporary discussions on research ethics usually begin with the trial of Nazi doctors after the Second World War that led to the Nuremberg Code (1947), which identified ten ethical key principles including consent and avoidance of risk to research participants. However, the mere existence of ethical codes has not prevented further examples of unethical research.
Abstract
This chapter seeks to identify and discuss ethical issues in the meaningful involvement of service users as co-researchers. Just because a researcher says that they are involving service users as co-researchers, it does not follow that this is how it is experienced by service users. It is also worth stating that I believe such involvement of service users will not only enhance the quality of the research but is more likely to lead to better outcomes for service users. While there is a growing evidence base for this (Brady, 2020; Lovell-Norton et al, 2020; Moulam et al, 2020), there are also examples of when such research set out with good intentions but became unstuck as the partnership between service users, practitioners and academics broke down (Natland, 2020).
All researchers, including service user co-researchers, possess a moral perspective about what is right and what is wrong. These views may be influenced by their life experiences and interactions with others, resulting in individualised moral beliefs set within a socio-historical context. While there is large amount of agreement about what is right and wrong, and in social work we would particularly point to principles like human rights and social justice, the application of such principles in particular situations is both contested and contestable. This chapter begins by identifying key ethical research frameworks, and then considers potential ethical issues that can arise during the research process.
Contemporary discussions on research ethics usually begin with the trial of Nazi doctors after the Second World War that led to the Nuremberg Code (1947), which identified ten ethical key principles including consent and avoidance of risk to research participants. However, the mere existence of ethical codes has not prevented further examples of unethical research.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables ix
- Notes on contributors x
- Acknowledgements xix
- Introduction 1
-
Collaborative models in social work education
- The gap-mending concept: theory and practice 11
- Mending gaps in social work education in the UK 23
- Service users as tandem partners in social work education 35
- Service users as supervisors in social work education: mending the gap of power relations 49
- Involving students with mental health experience in social work education 61
- The Living Library in social work education 73
- Creating a platform together for the voice of the service user: inspiration for organising an event together with service users 85
- Reflections on inspiring conversations in social work education: the voices of Scottish experts by experience and Italian students 97
- Joint workshops with students and service users in social work education: experiences from Esslingen, Germany 109
- Service users, students and staff: co-producing creative educational activities on a social work programme in the UK 117
-
Collaborative models in research and policy
- The co-researcher role in the tension between recognition, co-option and tokenism 133
- Community of development: a model for inclusive learning, research and innovation 145
- Dialogue, skills and trust: some lessons learned from co-writing with service users 158
- Participatory pathways in social policymaking: between rhetoric and reality 170
- Experiential knowledge as a driver of change 183
-
Reflective chapters
- Experiences matter equally 199
- Ethical issues in the meaningful involvement of service users as co-researchers 209
- Involving service users in social work education and research: is this structural social work? 224
- Index 238
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables ix
- Notes on contributors x
- Acknowledgements xix
- Introduction 1
-
Collaborative models in social work education
- The gap-mending concept: theory and practice 11
- Mending gaps in social work education in the UK 23
- Service users as tandem partners in social work education 35
- Service users as supervisors in social work education: mending the gap of power relations 49
- Involving students with mental health experience in social work education 61
- The Living Library in social work education 73
- Creating a platform together for the voice of the service user: inspiration for organising an event together with service users 85
- Reflections on inspiring conversations in social work education: the voices of Scottish experts by experience and Italian students 97
- Joint workshops with students and service users in social work education: experiences from Esslingen, Germany 109
- Service users, students and staff: co-producing creative educational activities on a social work programme in the UK 117
-
Collaborative models in research and policy
- The co-researcher role in the tension between recognition, co-option and tokenism 133
- Community of development: a model for inclusive learning, research and innovation 145
- Dialogue, skills and trust: some lessons learned from co-writing with service users 158
- Participatory pathways in social policymaking: between rhetoric and reality 170
- Experiential knowledge as a driver of change 183
-
Reflective chapters
- Experiences matter equally 199
- Ethical issues in the meaningful involvement of service users as co-researchers 209
- Involving service users in social work education and research: is this structural social work? 224
- Index 238
