Photo by Lukas: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pie-graph-illustration-669621/
Come back on Thursday for a practice question related to this topic!
The Code of Ethics states that social workers have a responsibility to research participants that includes respecting the dignity and welfare of participants in research and are aware of federal and state laws and regulations and professional standards governing the conduct of research.
When appropriate, you should obtain voluntary and written informed consent from your participants
(a) without any suggested or actual deprivation or penalty if they refuse to participate;
(b) without unreasonable inducement to participate; and
(c) with due regard for the participants’ well-being, privacy, and dignity.
When seeking such informed consent, you should
(a) provide information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation requested, and (b) disclose the risks and benefits associated with participating in the research.
When evaluation or research participants are incapable of giving informed consent, you should (a) provide an appropriate explanation to them,
(b) to the extent possible, obtain their assent to participate, and (c) get written consent from an appropriate proxy.
When evaluating services, you should discuss collected information only for professional reasons and only with individuals professionally concerned with the information.
When you engage in evaluation or research, you should ensure the anonymity or confidentiality of participants and the data you and other staff obtain from them.
You should not design or conduct evaluation or research that does not require consent procedures (e.g., some forms of naturalistic observation and archival research) unless
(a) a rigorous and responsible review of the research has found it to be justified due to its potential scientific, educational, or applied value; and
(b) equally effective alternative procedures that do not involve a waiver of consent are unavailable.
You should notify your participants of their right to withdraw from evaluation and research at any time without penalty.