The Downside of Cyberspace

This article explores the actual and potential misuses of the World Wide Web in regard to access to “paper mills” and other information sources that make plagiarism relatively easy. The authors describe their experience accessing such paper mill products and present results of a quasi-experiment in which participants graded three papers: one an actual student submission and two purchased off the Internet. Findings suggest reason for concern about student misuse of the World Wide Web. The authors argue that different strategies for the design of class assignments must be considered by all educational programs to diminish enhanced opportunities for “cybercheating.”     

The trend toward multiple authorship in social work: A British and US comparison

This article provides a comparative analysis of publication trends in social work in the US and Great Britain. This exploratory effort seeks to identify possible explanations for the phenomenon of multiple authorship, the implications of multi-authored scholarship, and some of the potential ethical questions that may arise from such collaborations in regard to what constitutes legitimate contributions to a scholarly article or book. To the extent that common trends are emerging across international boundaries, the incentive for heightened communication and collaboration may be increased in an effort to identify implications and derive solutions to common problems.     

The credibility of nonprofit boards: a view from the 1990s and beyond

The wrongdoings of nonprofit organizations have become grist for the media mill. The authors explore five of the more recently publicized cases of nonprofits gone wrong: the United Way of America, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Foundation for New Era Philanthropy, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, and Upsala College, and their significance in regard to the role and functioning of the board. Discussion focuses on the implications of these cases in regard to nonprofits' credibility and strategic options for enhancing accountability. Unless governing boards address some of their deficiencies, tighter government regulations, increased donor skepticism, and greater demands and expectations upon them will result.     

Should We Have Faith in Faith‐Based Social Services? Rhetoric Versus Realistic Expectations

Early in his administration, President George W. Bush set forth his Faith‐Based Initiative, which would authorize and encourage religious groups to compete for and provide publicly funded social services. This article analyzes the arguments made by supporters of faith‐based social services in regard to their underlying values and premises. This analysis forms the basis for examining the managerial track record of faith‐based organizations in the delivery of social services. To identify issues and trends within this category of service providers, the authors analyzed press reports of instances of wrong doing in faith‐based groups from 1995 to 2001. Findings reveal that faith‐based groups appear to be as susceptible to managerial and accountability inadequacies, if not outright wrongdoing, as are nonsectarian service providers. The authors identify implications regarding the credibility of faith‐based groups and public trust as they pertain to an enhanced role in the less regulated service system that the president envisions.     

Scientific Misconduct in Social Welfare Research: Preventive Lessons from Other Fields

This article examines instances of scientific misconduct which have occurred in recent years from an international perspective and explores their implications for the burgeoning social work research enterprise. Although the majority of cases of scientific misconduct which have received international publicity are confined to the hard sciences, there are important implications to be derived for the growing productivity in social welfare research. A comprehensive search was conducted of press reports for the time frame of 1995–2002 for both US and international stories about research misconduct. Using qualitative analysis, themes related to scientific conduct were identified. These cases reveal serious consequences to individual researchers and to their employing institutions. The motivating factors for the wrongdoing are applicable to researchers of any discipline and include perceived pressure to document positive outcomes and the rush to publish findings. The authors urge development of standards of research conduct specific to social work and social welfare and increased dialogue about the issues involved.     

The private practice of social work: Current trends and projected scenarios in a managed care environment

This article reviews the status of the social work labor force engaged in the private practice of social work based on data drawn from the full membership of the National Association of Social Workers. The demographics, areas of practice, income, and career development patterns of this sub-set of social workers are explored. These trends and issues are then discussed within the context of the realities of actual and potential changes in the mental health system of care in this society and their implications for private practice. Despite clear patterns which show a consistent upward trend in the proportion of social workers engaged in the private practice of social work, the current political and economic environment raises substantial questions about the nature and breadth of this component of social work practice in the future.     

Teaching to teach: An ethnographic exploration of a course in social work education

A large proportion of social work doctoral students are interested in pursuing a career in academe. Despite this career aspiration, few have any notion of what is involved in teaching. This article presents a dialogue about the experiences of both a teacher and preparing teacher/student during a doctoral course in social work education. Using an ethnographic approach, the article is written as a set of observations about a shared experience. Its aim is to highlight the process of learning to teach, the struggles of students to learn a new role, the perceptions of the teacher and student about how well the role is learned, and the learning opportunities this type of course affords to would-be educators and even an experienced educator. Codification of these experiences in preparing future educators for their role provides a basis for curriculum protocols that may be used by other social work education programs.     

The Nonprofit Sector and Gender Discrimination

This article reports the results of an exploratory study of a cross section of nonprofit human service organizations that examined whether and to what extent a glass ceiling exists for women in this sector. The findings substantiate the existence of the glass ceiling phenomenon among the agencies studied. Men are disproportionately represented in management, particularly upper‐level management, and they earn higher salaries than women at all hierarchical levels of the organization.