Document Type
Post-Print
Publication Date
2-1-2013
Subjects
Social service -- Research, Evidence-based practice in social work
Abstract
If some practitioners are more research minded than others, then promising approaches for bridging the research to practice gap may be developed by describing research-minded practitioners and examining how to locate and support them. This article follows this basic logic in providing an overview of organizational development and practitioner support models for increasing knowledge use in human service organizations. The article begins with a conceptual profile of research-minded practi- tioners—individuals with an affinity for empirical inquiry, critical thinking, and reflection allied with a commitment to data- driven organizational improvement—and the organizational settings needed to host research-minded practice. This is followed by a description of the challenges involved in promoting practitioner involvement in using, translating, and doing research and strategies to address these challenges. We conclude with implications for supporting research-minded practitioners and aligning their efforts with organizational improvement processes. The goal of the analysis is to identify the organizational contexts in which research-minded practitioners can thrive as well as new directions for practice research.
DOI
10.1177/1049731514536233
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/15696
Citation Details
McBeath, B., & Austin, M. J. (2014). The Organizational Context of Research-Minded Practitioners Challenges and Opportunities. Research on Social Work Practice, 1049731514536233.
Description
Copyright 2014 The Author(s).
Archived here with permissions.
Originally presented at Bridging the Research and Practice Gap: A Symposium on Critical Considerations, Successes, and Emerging Ideas. Subsequently published by Sage, the definitive version can be found on the publishers website.