ABSTRACT
Years ago in the 1960s, Howard Becker argued that all research, and particularly social research, is always conducted, reported, interpreted from someone's point of view, and is therefore partisan. He thought the most important question was 'whose side are we on?' (Becker, 1967). Impartiality is neither possible nor desirable; to claim impartiality is pretence. Researchers should declare their partiality openly, putting research to work in the interests of 'the underdog'. In other words, research is both a moral and a political activity, and taking sides is inevitable. The issue is particularly important at a time when social work is pushing to be accepted as a distinctive research-based discipline, competing for recognition and resources from government and the wider research community.
