Conceptualization and Research: Two Unsolved Dilemmas

A History of Australian Social Work Practice Research

“…Although the newfound interestin researchthathad emerged in the 1950s continued into the 1960s, practiceresearchremainedof littleinterestto Australiansocial workers. In her analysisof articlespublishedin the Australian Journal ofSocial Work (as Forum was nowknown) between 1963and 1970, Brotherton (1972) notes that just one of the 103 articles published in this period was experimental, and even then, the tables were consigned to an appendix ratherthanpresentedaspartof themainreport.A further14articles involved reportsof survey researchandotherstudies,butof thisgroup,6 contained data, and Brotherton notes that several lacked the rigor required by most other refereedjournals.…”

“…This research, which involved the retrospective comparison of the case file data of juveniles who had stolencars,the so-called "experimental group," witha so-called"control group"ofjuvenileoffenders whoseoffenses did notincludecar stealing, was certainly not an experiment and the scientific languagewas inappropriately applied. Brotherton's (1972) findings concerning the lack of empirical research aboutpracticeare reflected in published listingsof social workresearchduringthe 1960s. Theselists,whichwerepublishedduring 1964and 1965in the Australian Journal ofSocialWork, included mention of all researchprojects conducted by Australian social workers as well as researchdirectlypertaining to the profession carriedout by non-social workers, which were identified through appeals to subscribers.…”

“…'s 1976 sample)held postgraduate qualifications. This, in turn, reflecteda paucity of postgraduateresearch facilities in social work up until the early 1970s (Brotherton, 1972) and the fact that few of the social worktheses written in this period were concerned withevaluating practice ("Thesesin SocialWork," 1973.Educational curriculathat alignedresearchwithsocialpolicyratherthan integralto direct practice (Baker, Campbell, & Picton, 1976) presumably also contributed to the lack of research skills among social work practitioners.…”