Promoting Harmony Where There Is Commonly Conflict: Evidence-Informed Practice as an Integrative Strategy

Abstract

This article identifies dualisms in the continuing and sometimes acrimonious discourse concerning the relationship between social work practice and research. In so doing, it describes the epistemological assumptions of and differences between evidence-based practice, research-based practice, practice-based research, and reflective practice. In the spirit of the Hong Kong conference, the author extends McNeill's concept of "evidence-informed practice" to suggest a more inclusive and harmonious conception of practice-research integration. The article concludes by considering what such a model might look like.

The Writing Series Project: A Model for Supporting Social Work Clinicians in Health Settings to Disseminate Practice Knowledge

“…It acknowledges the importance of considering contextual factors when making practice decisions. It also promotes practice-based research and the synthesis and critical evaluation of all research (Gray, Plath, & Webb, 2009;Plath, 2006; see also Epstein, 2009;Gilgun, 2005;Marks, 2002;Nevo & Slonim-Nevo, 2011;van de Luitgaarden, 2009;Zayas, Drake, & Jonson-Reid, 2010). This approach enabled us to draw on a range of evidence to promote writing, including qualitative and descriptive journal articles, previous experience, and knowledge of other practice models.…”

What evidence is good evidence? A Masterclass in critical appraisal

“…11,12 iii) It should be viewed very much as a complementary process. 13,14 To reflect this, the term evidence-informed practice is being used increasingly to highlight the need to use both evidence and individual clinician experience. 14 However, the terms are becoming used interchangeably as they are becoming more commonly used, and their distinctions are becoming less apparent.…”

Advancing Social Work Practice Research Education – An Innovative, Experiential Pedagogical Approach

“…Social workers often bring a different perspective to research and are expected to integrate their understanding of practice modalities with their appreciation of research methods and to integrate the service user in research process (Austin & Isokuortti, 2016). Given the continuing interest in preparing future practitioners to integrate practice and research in order to become more research minded, and for researchers to become more practice minded (Austin, 2012, Epstein, 2009Shaw, Lee, & Wulczyn, 2012), practitioners will learn to become applied researchers.…”

“…The goal to integrate research and practice in social work is to engage practitioners in their own efforts to produce practice-relevant knowledge (Epstein, 2009). Practice-based research was considered as "a practice-knowledgegenerating strategy that unobtrusively applies research concepts, methods, and analogs within current forms of practice" (Epsetein, 2009, p. 219).…”