The Code of Ethics of the AASW, expresses the values and responsibilities that are integral to and characterise the social work profession. It is intended to assist all social workers, collectively and individually, to act in ethically accountable ways, in the pursuit of the profession’s aims.
Download the AASW Code of Ethics 2020
AASW Code of Ethics 2020 Information Webinar
The Code of Ethics Information Webinar took place on Thursday 10 December 2020. This webinar was an opportunity to hear from members of the Code of Ethics Expert Advisory Panel about their review of the Code of Ethics 2020 and participate in a Q&A session. The panel for this webinar included:
- Brooke Kooymans - Board Director and Chair – National Ethics Committee
- Dr Richard Hugman - Code of Ethics Expert Advisory Panel
- Ms Sue Vardon AO - Code of Ethics Expert Advisory Panel
- Dr Sofie Fabre - AASW - Manager, Professional Standards and Assessments
The Code of Ethics Expert Advisory Panel contributed to the review of the Code of Ethics 2020, which was presented at the 2020 Annual General Meeting and is now accessible here.
A recording of the webinar can be found below:
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| Book, one author: |
| Fussell, P. (1975). The Great War and modern memory. New York: Oxford University Press. |
| Chapter from book: |
| Marcus, J. (1989). The asylums of Antaeus: Women, war, and madness— is there a feminist fetishism? In H. A.Veeser (Ed.), The new historicism (pp. 132-151). New York: Routledge. |
| Journal article (print, microform, PDF), one author: |
| Mott, F. W. (1916). The effects of high explosives upon the central nervous system. The Lancet, 1, 331-338. |
| Journal article (print, microform, PDF), more than six authors: |
| Johnson, A.J., Wittenberg, E., Haigh, M., Wigley, S., Becker, J., Brown, K., et al. (2004). The process of relationship development and deterioration: Turning points in friendships that |
| Journal article (online from a library subscription database), two authors: |
| With DOI: Morio, H. & Buchholz, C. (2008). How anonymous are you online? Examining online social behaviors from a cross-cultural perspective. AI & Society, 23(2), 297-307. DOI:10.1007/s00146-007-0143-0 Without DOI: Longaretti, L. & Wilson, J. (2006). The Impact of Perceptions on Conflict Management. Educational Research Quarterly,29(4), 3-15. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from Academic Search Premiere database. |
| Journal article (online from an Internet-only journal), one author: |
| Fredrickson, B.L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved April 4, 2004, from //content.apa.org/journals/pre/3/1/1 |
| Newspaper article, one author: |
| Tommasini, A. (1998, October 27). Master teachers whose artistry glows in private. New York Times, p. B2. |
| Newspaper article, no known author: |
| Cigarette sales fall 30% as California tax rises. (1999, September 14). New York Times, p. A17. |
| Article from CQ Researcher (electronic version): |
| Hatch, D. (2003, June 6). Drug company ethics. The CQ Researcher Online, 13, 521-544. Retrieved July 4, 2003. //www.library.cqpress/cqresearcher |
| Web page with no known author and no known date: |
| GVU's 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2004, from //www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/user_surveys/survey-1997-10/ |
Citing the NASW Code of Ethics listed on the NASW Web site
In-Text: Social work professionals are held to a “constellation of core values” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008, preamble).
Reference entry: National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Preamble to the code of ethics. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from //www.socialworkers.org/pubs/ Code/code.asp (No period after the URL)
Author
It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.
If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.
Date
The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.
If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.
If there is no date provided, put the letters (n.d.) in round brackets where you'd normally put the date.
Retrieval Date
If the content of a website is likely to change over time (e.g. Wikis), you must provide the date you last visited the website.
Long URLs
If a URL is too long to fit onto one line, try to break it at a slash (/).
The National Association of Social Workers is a professional organization for individuals in the social work and counseling fields. Established in 1955, the NASW provides career development, standards of practice and ethical guidelines for its members. Always properly cite the NASW's official Code of Ethics in your publications, articles, reports and research.
Visit the NASW website at www.socialworkers.org.
Click on "Quick Links," then select "Code of Ethics" from the drop-down menu. The complete NASW Code of Ethics will be displayed on one page.
Cite the NASW Code of Ethics according to APA (American Psychological Association) style, as follows: Workers, N. A. (2008). NASW Code of Ethics (Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of Social Workers). Washington, DC: NASW.
Cite the code of ethics in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style as: Workers, National Association of Social. NASW Code of Ethics (Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of Social Workers). Washington, DC: NASW, 2008.
Use the Modern Language Association citation style: Workers, National Association of Social. NASW Code of Ethics (Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of Social Workers). Washington, DC: NASW, 2008. Print.
Refer to the Associated Press Stylebook entry for "composition titles" if citing the NASW Code of Ethics in articles written for most newspapers and many news magazines. Simply name the publication, without using quotation marks: NASW Code of Ethics.