Social work research and the quest for effective practice

This article reports a study assessing the contribution of current social work journal publications to a cumulative body of research that is capable of informing interventions. Thirteen journals published from 1993 to mid-1997 were reviewed. Analysis was guided by the view that the focus and design...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social work research 1999-03, Vol.23 (1), p.4-14
Main Authors: Rosen, Aaron, Proctor, Enola K., Staudt, Marlys M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Caseworker Approach
Child Abuse
Depression (Psychology)
Empirical Methods
Evaluation
Experimental design
functions of knowledge
Health outcomes
Intervention
intervention research
Knowledge bases
knowledge for practice
Medical practice
Mental Disorders
Observational research
Operant conditioning
Periodicals
Practice
Program Evaluation
Relationship
Research Applications
Research Design
Research methods
research purpose
Research studies
Social research
Social Science Research
Social sciences
Social services
Social Work
Theory Practice Relationship
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Summary:This article reports a study assessing the contribution of current social work journal publications to a cumulative body of research that is capable of informing interventions. Thirteen journals published from 1993 to mid-1997 were reviewed. Analysis was guided by the view that the focus and design of studies should correspond to and supply the knowledge needed to perform different practice tasks. Accordingly, journal research articles were classified by their potential contribution to practice decisions requiring descriptive, explanatory, or control knowledge. Research aiming at control knowledge, informing the selection and implementation of interventions, was further evaluated by whether the interventions and outcomes studied were sufficiently specified to permit reliable research replication and application in practice. Very few of the published articles were found to report research on interventions, and even fewer used designs that enable replication. Factors affecting the rate and quality of research and interventions are also discussed.
ISSN:1070-5309
1545-6838
DOI:10.1093/swr/23.1.4