The Aalborg Statement of Practice Research in Social Work - Participation, Co-creation and Service Users’ Positions

The article presents the sixth statement on practice research. The tradition of statements is to present and reflect on discussions and presentations taking place at specific international conferences initiated by the international community of Practice Research in Social Work. This statement is based on the practice research conference hosted by Aalborg University, Denmark in 2023. The statement emphasizes elements that need more reflection and development. The focus of the statement is service users’ participation, positions, and roles in social work practice research and includes discussions of service user perspectives as driving forces, the human view, power relationships, the power of communication as well as empowerment and ethics. In addition, it describes the aim of the collaboration as producing knowledge in new and joint processes, to transform knowledge and finding into new and inspiring ways of doing social work, and to establish critical analysis of social work practice, theories, and methods.