Joyce Lee Publishes ETHICS Framework to Guide Ethical AI Use in Social Work Research
Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Lee whose article, “ETHICS: An Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Social Work Research,” was recently published in the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. Appearing in the journal’s special series on Artificial Intelligence & Social Work, Lee’s work is consistent with Ohio State’s initiative to expand AI research and education across disciplines and strengthen the university’s position as a national and global leader in AI-driven discovery and societal impact.
Lee’s manuscript is based on a project that developed an ethical framework for AI use in social work research. The framework, ETHICS, introduces six ethical principles—Equity, Transparency, Human-centeredness, Integrity, Collaboration, and Safety—to guide social work researchers’ responsible use and integration of AI in their work. It was conducted in collaboration with Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) leadership, social work data science experts, Ohio State colleagues such as the college’s Dr. Smitha Rao and doctoral candidate, Hunmin Cha.
Lee served on a JSSWR panel where she introduced ETHICS for the first time at the 2026 SSWR Conference. Additional authors on the JSSWR article include Garrett Pace (University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Social Work), Hunmin Cha, Smitha Rao, Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm (Boston University School of Social Work), Ruopeng An (New York University Silver School of Social Work), and Ramona Denby-Brinson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work).
“The ETHICS framework is a timely contribution to social work research, offering guidance on how to adopt and use AI tools in ethically grounded ways,” says Lee. “ Rooted in social work values such as the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, the framework aims to advance social justice, promote equity, and safeguard the well-being of historically marginalized populations. I hope ETHICS will serve as a practical resource for faculty, students, and community partners committed to the responsible use of AI in social work & social science research. Many thanks to my co-authors for their valuable contributions and JSSWR for publishing this timely work!”
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