This exploratory qualitative study of 11 social work faculty identified the
benefits and risks of faculty-student collaboration. Benefits articulated include
helping students learn to write for publication, learning the publication process, getting
innovative student material published, and enriching the project through
shared problem-solving. The benefits, however, must be weighed against the risks of
exploitation of the student collaborator. Successful faculty-student collaboration in
this dual relationship demands that faculty take responsibility for safeguarding
boundaries, following the NASW Code of Ethics, and openly negotiating roles, tasks,
workload, and order of authorship with the student.
