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From November 2001 NASW NEWS Stronger Partnership on Research Emerges
"We all recognize the importance of research to the social work profession." By Corinna Vallianatos, NEWS Staff A new and stronger partnership between the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR) and NASW, based on a mutual regard for social work research as a tool to bring increased substance and stature to the profession, emerged during IASWR's board meeting in late September. At no time during the six-hour meeting was that point made as clearly as during a discussion of IASWR's strategic plan. Joan Zlotnik, the institute's executive director, said she believes that NASW President Terry Mizrahi and Executive Director Elizabeth Clark "are really committed to working collaboratively. We all recognize the importance to the social work profession of research and evidence based practice." Zlotnik labeled the goal of IASWR as three-pronged: developing research, bridging research and practice, and informing policymaking with research. IASWR board members stressed their commitment to the promotion of research that relates to the everyday life of the practitioner, while acknowledging that the number of studies that currently do so are minimal. Clark pointed to NASW's Program, Policy and Practice Updates as a model of highly relevant research-based information that the association packages for practitioners. "Practitioners can look at them and say, 'Yes, this fits with what I do,'" she said. Other ways to bridge the gap between research and practice, according to the IASWR board, are to disseminate findings from social work research through publications, both electronic and paper, and to enhance NASW members' awareness of and appreciation for evidence-based practice. The board's discussion also ranged to the federal money that is available to universities and how IASWR should help social work students tap into that resource. Mizrahi said that IASWR should broaden its focus to include agencies beyond the National Institutes of Health. "To the extent that we can, we would want to move to additional agencies [for funding]," she said. Zlotnik also stressed the need for a database to track definitively what kinds of research social workers are engaged in. The mission of IASWR is to advance the scientific knowledge base of social work practice by building the research capacity of the profession, by increasing support and opportunities for social work research and by promoting linkages among the social work practice, research and education communities. Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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