Research for social work practice

In all fields of contemporary social work, practitioners need the skills to effectively understand, generate and integrate research knowledge, including valuing knowledge from other sources. In this unit you will develop your knowledge and understanding of research and the role it plays in the delivery of evidence-informed practice (EIP). 

You will learn to formulate practice-relevant research questions, and to find and critique relevant research. You will also learn to integrate the best available evidence with the social work context or setting, client culture, preferences, needs and circumstances, in order to inform social work decisions and responses. The unit will explore study design and ethical research methods, and you will also begin to develop your knowledge and skills around how to be a critically minded producer of research. You will learn the language and terminology of research, within a critical thinking framework.