EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE: INFUSION OF PRACTICE AND THEORY IN SOCIAL WORK
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Evidence-Based Practice
A. Systematic Practice
B. Validity
III. Importance of Research
A. Quantitative
B. Qualitative
IV. Empirically Based Practice
A. Grey Literature
B. Boolean operators
V. Conclusion
VI. References
I. Introduction
The integration of theory and practice has always been the holy grail of any professional field. The actual application of the sciences learned in the four corners of the classroom has incessantly encountered failure as it is implemented in the practical setting. In the field of social work, a new approach has been publicised as the process that will be able to realise this long standing chasm between science and practice. This process is coined as the evidence based practice. This paper will be discussing the elements surrounding the approach by relating it to the process done in the completion of a group project. Basically, the group is tasked to carry out a research project that seeks to establish whether group assertive training serves better outcomes as opposed the therapeutic one-on-one approaches. In any case, the focus of this paper is to be greatly acquainted with the evidence-based practice approach and establish a clear understanding of the process. For clarity and coherence of the discussions, the researcher will be consulting scholarly articles and academic journals on social work to provide clear arguments and observations on the implementation of evidence-based practice.
II. Evidence-Based Practice
As indicated in the introduction of the paper, evidence-based practice is considered as “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and client values.” ( 2005, ) The following discussions will provide an analysis of the approach with reference to its systematic practice and validity.
A. Systematic Practice
The evidence-based approach is considered as a systematic practice as indicated in the recent works. Specifically, (2005, ) indicated that the approach is held through a series of steps before realising its ultimate goal. Some of these steps include “locating empirical evidence about an intervention, carefully appraising the validity and utility of this evidence, and applying the results of such an appraisal in an ethical fashion.” () However, this does not indicate that the process is limited to that set of pre-determined steps alone. For instance, the group project that the researcher and the group worked on was unable to acquire data from government institutions which thus limited the group to web research. Specifically, the group have made full use of Google and Questia.com to acquire the necessary literature.
B. Validity
Moreover, given that the approach is considerably reliant on the use of data, one of the most important elements is the validity of the said information. As indicated in the work of (2005, ), for the approach to be effective, the practitioners should have “an adequate knowledge base about the efficacy of interventions for selected client populations and problems.” This is the reason why the group has chosen to answer a comparative question regarding the group assertiveness training and 1:1 therapeutic approach. The problem in this regard is that studies have continually maintained that the “full adoption and implementation of EBP by social work practitioners remains elusive.” (, , , , 2006, ) This means that in the realm of social work, barriers to the effective implementation of evidence based practice is still in existence. For instance, the same study has recognized the difficulty encountered by the approach in organising and disseminating new data into manageable units for its potential users. In the same regard, , , , , (2006, ) also realised that there is scant material that social workers could actually use in practicing this evidence based approach. In the group project, the group was unable to acquire a quantitative data that confirms the effectiveness of group assertive training or counselling. This shows that potential users of the evidence based practice model would constantly, more often than not, encounter the same set of problems.
III. Importance of Research
As indicated in the previous part of this paper, previous research is imperative in a successful evidence based practice. Specifically, valid and pertinent data is deemed crucial in this juncture. There are two types of research which the social worker could consult in making vital analyses and decisions using the evidence based approach: quantitative and qualitative research. In the case of the project, the group have to consider both qualitative and quantitative research to address the research question. With the numerous search outcomes, the group have to manually consider whether a particular search result is relevant or valid for the study. At a certain point, the group have limited the relevant data from five sources: two academic journals, one book, and two state reports.
A. Quantitative
Quantitative research is normally used in sciences to effectively measure and test a particular hypothesis. Researchers have constantly employed this approach because “quantitative data can be analyzed statistically, it is possible to examine complicated theoretical problems.” ( 1992, ) This indicates that the data presented in these types of research could be considered as free from any form of bias as the data are treated mathematically and through statistical tools for interpretation.
B. Qualitative
Qualitative research, in its simplest explanation, is a mode of research that attempts to explain the behaviours that lies behind every phenomenon. As indicated in the study of and (2005, ), the purpose of qualitative is mainly to establish a clear and unambiguous understanding of specific phenomenon and not to create models and theories based on tested hypothesis.
IV. Empirically Based Practice
A closely related model to evidence-based practice is empirically-based practice. This model basically compels the field of social work to operate based on scientific evidence. ( and 2005, ) In this type of model, reliance to data is imperative in as much as it is required in the context of evidence based practice. The following parts are examples on which practitioners of empirical based approach could acquire information.
A. Grey Literature
This type of information comes from documents like white papers and other texts made by the state or any cause-oriented organisation. ( 2004, ) Basically, the key characteristic of this source of information is its limited distribution. In relation to the group project, there were two pieces of grey literature acquired in the search process, both of which came from US government authorities containing statistical information pertaining to the rate, incidence, and frequency of domestic violence and infliction of harm from an intimate partner.
B. Boolean operators
Another source of information is through the web. The use of search engines and online libraries, like what the group employed, has been quite the trend among researchers as the web offers vast sources of information. It is in this data acquisition method that Boolean operators come in. Examples of these operators include AND and OR which serve different purposes in the search process. ( and 2000, ) For instance, the insertion of AND in between keywords gives sites that have the exact keywords placed in the search. On the other hand, the use of OR essentially makes the search broader. This means that the search outcomes will provide sites that contain any, but not all, of the inscribed keywords in the search.
V. Conclusion
The group project have given us lessons aside from actually learning on whether group activeness training or 1:1 therapeutic sessions would be more beneficial for the victims of domestic violence. More importantly, the group have been given the chance to be acquainted with the specific aspects of the evidence based practice in social work. Essentially, the study made the group realised that doing research before taking on interventions could provide a higher level of success for the social workers. Basically, employing the evidence based model significantly reduces the level of uncertainty that every social worker encounter in every case he/she handles. Overall, the infusion of both theory and practice in the form of the evidence based practice allows the individual social worker to improve the welfare of those who badly needs assistance in society.
VI. References
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