Why Research?

Isaac Brown

Simmons University School of Social Work

SWO-441: Social Work Research

Dr. Peter Maramaldi

December 7, 2020

Reflection Paper

Your current understanding of how research informs the development of an evidence base for social work practice.

In the field of social work, research is fundamentally important for several reasons (Engel & Schutt, 2018). Take for example: a classroom with one teacher and 20 teenage students who look to the teacher for understanding in any specific course of study. The teacher may or may not be able to deliver the material to their students for any number of reasons. In seeking out how to effectively reach the students in the class, a teacher may ponder in their mind the best approach for reaching the students; or the teacher may conduct assessments using different mannerisms of teachings, and then analyzing the results to find the most effective method of instruction, based on student performance or test scores. If conducted with reasonable exception to factors affecting the student body, such as not having the attention of some students, or absences; or factors such as the teacher having distractions preventing her/him from implementing similar procedures with those different styles of teaching; the findings should be indicative of which method is the most effective. Simply pondering what is the best way to teach as opposed to having the research and activities recorded, and the results noted and showing what actual methods worked, gives us the foundation of why research is important in social work practice. If one decides to bake a specific type of cake from memory, or they follow a recipe with instructions known to produce the right product with proven accuracy; the person who wants the consistent product would use proven methods. This is the same with evidence-based practice in social work. Research is likened to the recipe that is known to produce the desired product. Consider for example the light bulb and Thomas Edison. It is known that Thomas Edison did not just come up with the idea of the light bulb, make it happen, and then there was light. Each failed attempt to have the light bulb operate consistently and effectively was not looked at as a failed attempt; but as evidence of what not to do for the next trial. Similarly, through social work practice, reviews of design studies that have been conducted in any given area provide evidence for further studies to be conducted with different components or factors that have not been tested and thought of. Therefore, research informs evidence-based practices in social work.

Identify whether your current perspective differs about research and evidence-based practice at all from the one you had when the course started and why.

Throughout this course I have read literature reviews that have given me insight into the actual formation of evidence that is found within reviews. Prior to my analyzation and understanding of design studies, I lacked a respect for understanding and relevance of research and evidence-based practice. As a person who has never been trusting of findings in medical practice, with valid reasonings such as the Tuskegee experiments; I was very skeptical of what a “study” found. Much of the African-America community to which I belong are readily reserved and cautious as a result. Having to read, read, and read more in this course left me with no option but to acknowledge the truth of the data. My thoughts as to what was relevant for my research question, and the formulation of my design study was fundamentally based on facts. These facts provided me with a clarity and charted a course that took on a life of its own. There was not any inference of misgivings or deceit that I found I needed to be cautious about. In fact, the opposite occurred. I found myself relying heavily on the evidence and studies, as they were proven. The only differences were that more factors were needed to add on to the data that I found through reading and understanding evidence-based practices, which were reduced to reviews which I read. Before the class I was skeptical (at best), of what relevance research had in certain areas of social work. Many studies were conducted by people who held biases, and therefore the studies were irrelevant for certain populations. There are more researchers and more diversity with which studies are being conducted today, which erases any bias I held before as regards to social work research.

Articulate what skills you think you’ve gained as you’ve gone through the course and how you might apply them in your own practice going forward.

Having taken this course I have developed several skills, the most important skill being that reading is essential to social work. It is imperative to conduct research to find out what other researchers have found. Another important skill is to learn how to develop a relevant research question when deciding to conduct research. Much research has likely been conducted on topics that are frequently discussed in the social work field. It is up to the researcher to find out this information. Balancing time, and measuring data are skills that I have learned as well. Most importantly, I have learned to seek the assistance of those who are proficient in research. Watching videos and listening to podcasts are not enough (Bloom et al., 2009). Someone who is an expert in research may be able to critique areas of my research that lack completeness. It is necessary to allow others to participate in your study, as diversity is needed to make the results of a study relevant. Cultural competence is also a skill that one will need to have. Understanding that it may be disrespectful to look an elder in the eye who is of Asian descent is an example. Not knowing these cultural differences may ultimately impede a person who lacks this cultural competency. All these skills must have a foundational basis.

Discuss how your understanding of the Code of Ethics impacts the way you think about your responsibility to incorporate research into your future practice.

In social work, the National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics is paramount in effectively addressing these skills (NASW, 2017). The code of ethics is the foundation which creates awareness of the responsibility that social workers must have when incorporating research into social work practice. Treating people with dignity and respect, along with making sure that permission and consent have been given, are skills that are necessary for any forward movement throughout the field of social work. Inside the NASW code, we explicitly see how cultural awareness is outlined as a requirement for diversity. Research cannot be conducted fairly without these statues in the code. Access to records, referral services, competence, education and training, continuing education and staff development, evaluation and research; are all specific points within the code which highlight the responsibility of the social work practitioner to incorporate research and study into their practice.

In conclusion, as I reflect on what I have learned in this class; research and competency are directly interwoven into the fabric of the social worker. Without the role of research, social work would not have validity and would at best be a movement of people who mean well, but may cause harm to people because there would be no knowledge base for which they are to foundationally operate from.

References

Bloom, M., Fischer, J., & Orme, J. (2009)

Evaluating Practice: Guidelines for the accountable professional (6th Ed.) Boston

MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Engel, R.J., & Schutt, R. K. (2018). The practice of research in social work (4th ed.).

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (P. 138).

National Association of Social Workers. (2017). NASW code of ethics. Retrieved

https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English