The New York Statement on the Evolving Definition of Practice Research Designed for Continuing Dialogue

Abstract

This Statement on Practice Research is a work in progress. It emerges out of deliberations from three international conferences on defining and operationalizing practice research. It seeks to capture both a process and outcome in which practitioners, researchers, service users, and educators collectively engage in a negotiated process of inquiry. One of the goals of this form of research is to place equal emphasis on improving practice and improving services. Practice research also seeks to rebalance the power relations in terms of integrating the voices of service users, service providers, service researchers, and instructors preparing future and current service providers. This third statement emerges out of the most recent international conference in New York City (2012) and continues the construction of the social science and social philosophy foundation of practice research. It seeks to expand the dialogue on practice research to include more international voices while also searching for linkages with the evolving process of defining the mixed methods approach to evidence-informed practice. This Statement provides a platform for the

Looking Backwards to Look Forward: A Foreword

“…That special issue concludes with a "New York Statement" that describes the historic origins of the conference series generally and discusses dominant themes articulated at the New York conference in particular (Epstein et al, 2015). However, for those interested in the particular challenges and possibilities inherent in practice research pedagogy, this is the place to be.…”

Dialogues and debates in practice research

“…Practice research is critical research that describes, analyses and promotes practice in a process where the concerns of stakeholders such as policymakers, funders, researchers, practitioners and service users have equally important roles. A participatory and dialogue-based research process is often used for developing practice and validating expertise within such partnership (Epstein et al 2015). Concerning its methodology, practice research is not only based on academic standards.…”

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

“…Flyvbjerg (2001 argues that practice research focuses on practical activities that can generate knowledge about everyday practices and involves building upon case examples and their contexts. Practice research reflects and emphasizes the relationship and interactions between researchers, practitioners, and service users where persons with common understandings, different interests, and levels of influences are engaged in a collaborative process (Epstein et al, 2015;Julkunen & Uggerhoj, 2016). It is a participatory process aimed to develop practice while recognizing and respecting different types of expertise among the key stakeholders.…”

“…Epstein et al (2015) name several of these barriers including managerial interest in the role of practice research in producing evidence to improve practice, unequal relationship between practitioners and researchers in addressing practice improvement, and the perceived gap between evidence-based practice and evidence-informed practice. While both practice and research knowledge are valued, practice research is open and inclusive instead of closed and exclusive (Uggerhøj, 2011b).…”