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9 The full cycle

Abstract

Can you remember where this journey started? In Chapter One we considered the question of why you do what you do. We discovered that the effectiveness of social work practice is a principal concern of the profession and cannot be ignored. In Chapter Two we contemplated the frustrations of knowing what to do to deliver an effective service but not being able to act on our insights for lack of authority or resources, or because of the challenges of professional boundaries, or for reasons of job security. We discussed the dynamics that we have to consider and the relationships to negotiate in order to make a difference in practice. Chapter Three challenged our beliefs in the value of relationships and our commitment to developing those for the purposes of social research, which often involves a focus on vulnerable or marginalised individuals or groups, and scarce organisational resources. Turning to Chapter Four, we explored what it is that we want to achieve when we ‘research’ and came to understand that a project will stand or fall by the way it is framed. We also considered the benefits of developing partnerships at this stage. Chapter Five queried the best ways to implement such a project, once properly framed. We focused on the many ways to investigate the multiplicity of issues in social work practice and the importance of recognising how these different paths and the choices we make at every stage of the research process may impact on ways of knowing. We carefully considered two popular designs for collaborative practice research.

Abstract

Can you remember where this journey started? In Chapter One we considered the question of why you do what you do. We discovered that the effectiveness of social work practice is a principal concern of the profession and cannot be ignored. In Chapter Two we contemplated the frustrations of knowing what to do to deliver an effective service but not being able to act on our insights for lack of authority or resources, or because of the challenges of professional boundaries, or for reasons of job security. We discussed the dynamics that we have to consider and the relationships to negotiate in order to make a difference in practice. Chapter Three challenged our beliefs in the value of relationships and our commitment to developing those for the purposes of social research, which often involves a focus on vulnerable or marginalised individuals or groups, and scarce organisational resources. Turning to Chapter Four, we explored what it is that we want to achieve when we ‘research’ and came to understand that a project will stand or fall by the way it is framed. We also considered the benefits of developing partnerships at this stage. Chapter Five queried the best ways to implement such a project, once properly framed. We focused on the many ways to investigate the multiplicity of issues in social work practice and the importance of recognising how these different paths and the choices we make at every stage of the research process may impact on ways of knowing. We carefully considered two popular designs for collaborative practice research.

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures and tables vi
  4. List of examples vii
  5. List of reflection exercises viii
  6. Glossary ix
  7. Introduction xii
  8. The relationship between practice and research
  9. The nature of practice research in social work 3
  10. The context of practice research 19
  11. Practice research relationships 39
  12. Designing practice research
  13. Framing the project 61
  14. Designing applied research 85
  15. Data collection and analysis in practice research 109
  16. Nurturing networks
  17. Dissemination and utilisation 139
  18. Research mentoring relationships 163
  19. The full cycle 177
  20. References 185
  21. Index 201
Practice Research Partnerships in Social Work
This chapter is in the book Practice Research Partnerships in Social Work
https://doi.org/10.56687/9781447320302-014

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures and tables vi
  4. List of examples vii
  5. List of reflection exercises viii
  6. Glossary ix
  7. Introduction xii
  8. The relationship between practice and research
  9. The nature of practice research in social work 3
  10. The context of practice research 19
  11. Practice research relationships 39
  12. Designing practice research
  13. Framing the project 61
  14. Designing applied research 85
  15. Data collection and analysis in practice research 109
  16. Nurturing networks
  17. Dissemination and utilisation 139
  18. Research mentoring relationships 163
  19. The full cycle 177
  20. References 185
  21. Index 201
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