Bracketing is a method used in qualitative research to mitigate the potentially deleterious effects of preconceptions that may taint the research process. However, the processes through which bracketing takes place are poorly understood, in part as a result of a shift away from its phenomenological origins. The current article examines the historical and philosophical roots of bracketing, and analyzes the tensions that have arisen since the inception of bracketing in terms of its definition, who brackets, methods of bracketing, and its timing in the research process. We propose a conceptual framework to advance dialogue around bracketing and to enhance its implementation.

Objectives: To evaluate an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Adapted for Social Work in a lab course and examine the degree to which it predicts competence in the practicum. Methods: 125 Masters students participated in a one-scenario OSCE and wrote responses to standardized reflection questions. OSCE performance and reflections were rated on previously standardized scales, competence in field was evaluated using the Online Practice-Based Evaluation. Results: A wide range of scores on OSCE scales indicate that differences in student competencies were captured. Correlational analyses revealed an association between OSCE scales and field final evaluations. Nevertheless, a number of students who performed poorly on the OSCE did well in the practicum. Conclusions: The OSCE method of evaluation warrants cautious optimism and requires further replication and adaptation for social work educational outcomes assessment.

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This study explored professional caregiving from the perspective of people diagnosed with schizophrenia to develop proposed professional competencies for promoting recovery. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 40 people diagnosed with schizophrenia to explore their experiences of caregiving. Interview segments related to professional caregiving were analyzed to derive categories and themes that described aspects of caregiving that clients believed contributed to their recovery. The proposed competencies derived from the interviews overlap with hypothesized competencies identified in the literature, but also suggest other areas of skill and attitude that relate to promoting recovery, including use of time, talk, and teamwork. The significance participants attach to time and talk suggests that services play an important role in recovery by creating the space for service users and service providers to engage in recovery-promoting practices.

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