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MEANING OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH communities on various levels of interaction or therapy as well as their natural
relationships and functioning within the organizational structure of social agencies.
In a very broad sense, social work research is the application of research methods to
solve problems that social workers confront in the practice of social work. It provides While on the theoretical side, social work research re-examines the special body of
information that can be taken into consideration by social workers prior to making knowledge; concepts and theories, where as in the area of social work practice it tries
decisions, that affect their clients, programmes or agencies such as use of alternative to evolve a systematic theory and valid concepts, to know the efficacy of different
intervention techniques or change or modification of programme/client/objectives and methods / interventions of social work as to search for alternate innovative
so forth. interventions and treatments.

Following are some of the situations which call for application of social work Social work research, therefore, concerns itself with the problems faced by social
research methods and techniques: workers. It encompasses those questions which are encountered in social work
practices or in planning or administering social work services which can be solved
A social caseworker is interested in assessing the nature and extent of the problem of through research and which are appropriate for investigation under social work
her client who has been facing marital maladjustment. She may be interested in auspices.
obtaining information about the actual or potential effectiveness of the client. She
may also be keen to know to what extent the intervention would be effective.
SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH: THE PROCESS
A group worker wishes to assess the extent to which the technique of role play is
It must be borne in mind that the process of social work research is not completely
more or less effective than group discussion in increasing knowledge of drug abuse
identical to social research. In fact, there are many similarities between this process
among school going children.
and the traditional research process. The process however, has some additional steps
designed to suit the objectives of social work research. By following the process
A community organiser wants to know the views of the community before he takes a
social work researchers are in a position to know precisely what intervention was
decision to change the programme objectives.
applied and how much effect was produced. The process also links research and
practice.
A director of special school for mentally retarded children wants to know whether
group therapy is as effective as individual therapy in increasing adaptability of
Social work research starts with problem identification and setting up of goals. This is
mentally retarded children.
followed by the process of assessment (or need assessment) of the client's problems.
During these initial stages, the researcher strives to obtain a clear and specific
A social work administrator is concerned about effectiveness of implementation of
understanding of the problem, using assessment tools such as interviewing (Monette,
new programme launched.
et. al., 1986).
Social Work Research: Definition
After the problem is identified and needs are assessed, the next step is to set up goals
to be achieved. The goals are required to be specific, precisely defined and
Social work research may be defined as systematic investigation into the problems in
measurable in some way. The third step in the process is to have a pre-intervention
the field of social work. The study of concepts, principles, theories underlying social
measurement, that is, measurement prior to intervention; the pre-intervention
work methods and skills are the major areas of social work research. It involves the
study of the relationship of social workers with their clients; individuals, groups or
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measurement is used as basis from which to compare the client's condition after the practice effectiveness. In other words social work research attempts to provide
intervention is introduced. knowledge about what interventions or treatments really help or hinder the attainment
of social work goals. In addition, it also helps in searching for answers to problems or
Next stage in the process is to introduce intervention. It is important here to note that difficulties faced by social work practitioners in the practice of their profession.
only a single, coherent intervention be applied during any intervention phase. In the Ultimately it helps building knowledge base for social work theory and practice.
last stage, we assess the effects of intervention by comparing the two measurements,
that is, pre-intervention measurement and measurements during intervention. Social work research also deals with problems faced by professional social workers,
social work agencies and community in its concern with social work functions. In
other words in social work research the problems to be investigated are always found
in the course of doing social work or planning to do it (Dasgupta, 1968).

It is obvious that in social work research the study of a problem is from the point of
view of social work and that of professional social work. The designing of research
problems, data collection and its interpretation will have to be attempted in a manner
as would be useful to professional social work which would add new knowledge to
the social work theory and practice and improve the efficiency of professional social
workers.

Social work research is regarded as the systematic use of research concepts, methods,
techniques and strategies to provide information related to the objectives of social
work programmes and practices. Thus the unit of analysis of social work research
could be individuals, groups, families or programme of the agency. That is, social
work research, typically focuses on assessment of practitioner's work with
individuals, groups, families, communities or appraisal of agencies or programmes
that involve the continued efforts of practitioners with many clients. As such, the
research design, data collection and analytic strategies in social work research
vary as a function of unit of analysis and programme of agencies of social work
practitioner.

Social work research is the use of the scientific method in the search of
knowledge, including knowledge of alternate practice and intervention techniques,
which would be of direct use to the social work profession and thus enhance the
RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH IN SOCIAL WORK practice of social work methods. Social work research focuses on or confines itself
to select aspects of behaviour and alternate models of behavior modifications.
Social work is a practice profession. As such, the major objective of social work Social work research helps to find ways and means to enhance social functioning
research is to search for answers to questions raised regarding interventions or at the individual, group, community and societal levels.
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Social work research lays special emphasis on evaluation. This is one of the 4) To list the efficacy of specific techniques of offering services.
reasons that social work research is also understood as evaluative research. Under 5) Studies in methodology of social work.
social work research, varieties of evaluative researches are undertaken. Some of
the researches are on impacts or effects, efficacy and effectiveness. Evaluation of Social work is a diverse profession, possible broad research
agencies and its projects and programmes are some of the specialized areas of areas could be: i) Community Development ii) Community
social work research. Health (Including Mental Health) iii) Child Welfare iv) Women
Welfare v) Youth Welfare vi) Aged Welfare
SCOPE OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH vii) Welfare of SC & ST Groups
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viii) Poverty Alleviation ix) Physical and Mental
Social work profession has a scientific base, which consists of a special body of Disabilities X) Juvenile Delinquency xi) Crime and Correction
knowledge; tested knowledge, hypothetical knowledge and assumptive etc. xii) Management of Social Welfare Department and
knowledge. Assumptive knowledge requires transformation into hypothetical Organisation xiii) Disaster Management xiv) Industrial Social
knowledge, which in turn needs transformation into tested knowledge. Social Work xv) Issues concerning Advocacy and Networking
work research has significant role in transforming the hypothetical and assumptive
The list is not exhaustive, it's only an exemplary list which enlists broad areas which
knowledge to tested knowledge (Khinduka,l965).
is very frequently studied by social workers. Again, within one or more problem areas
research might focus on individuals, families, groups, community organisations or
Not all concepts or theories that are used by professional social workers have been
broad social systems. It might deal with characteristics of a larger population, and the
tested and validated. Concerted efforts through social work research are very
services available to them.
much required to conceptually articulate and validate the concepts and theories,
which will in turn strengthen the scientific base of professional social work.
GOALS AND LIMITATIONS OF SOCIAL WORK
Identification of social work needs and resources, evaluation of programmes and RESEARCH
services of social work agencies are some of the areas in which social work
researches are undertaken. Social work research may be conducted to know the Social work research offers an opportunity for all social workers to make differences
problems faced by professional social workers in social work agencies and in their practice. There is no doubt about the fact that social worker will be more
communities in its concern with social work functions. Thus, social work research effective practitioner guided by the findings of social work research. Thus, social
embraces the entire gamut of social work profession; concepts, theories, methods, work research seeks to accomplish the same humanistic goals, as does a social work
programmes, services and the problems faced by social workers in their practice. method. Social work research deals with those methods and issues, which are useful
in evaluating social work programmes and practices. It explains the methodology of
The areas of social work research may be broadly categorized as follows: social research and illustrates its applications in social work settings.

1) Studies to establish, identify and measure the need A substantive part of social work practice is concerned with the micro-level practice,
for service. 2) To measure the services offered as they such as working with individuals, groups, or a community. Social work research has
relate to needs. to take into consideration the limitations of micro level design of study and
3) To test, gauge and evaluate results of social work intervention. techniques. Social work research is basically a practice based research ivhich mostly
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draws its inferences through inductive reasoning. That is, inferring something about a
whole group or a class of objects from the facts or knowledge of one or few members
of that group/class. Thus, in practice based research inductive reasoning carries us
from observation to theory through intervention/ assessment. Practitioners, for
example, may observe that delinquents tend to come from familv with low socio-
economic status. Based on the assumntion that the parent-child bond is weaker in low
socio-economic families and that such parents, therefore, have less control over their
children, the practitioners may inductively conclude that a weak parent-child bond
leads to delinquency.

A substantive part of social work practice is concerned with the micro-level practice,
such as working with individuals, groups, or a community. Practice based research
has to take into consideration the limitations of micro level practice. Accordingly,
practice based research has to have special design of study and techniques.