Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work

Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work

Introduction

Social work can be defined as a professional discipline which aims to improve the life quality and wellbeing of individuals, groups, and communities. However, this goal is achieved by intervening through crisis intervention, research, policy, community organizing, teaching and direct practice for the citizens affected by poverty or any perceived or real social violations and injustices of their human rights and civil liberties. Nonetheless, the need of legally, ethically and socially complied welfare practices requires implementation a perfect research systems based on truth and facts. Therefore, the application of Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work is one of the most discussed areas in the 21st century.

Discussion

Organizing Principles of the Evidenced-Based Theory (EBT)

The fundamental upon which EBT is based upon includes the requirement that all the practical decisions made must fulfill two requirements. Firstly, they must be based upon the research studies. Secondly, the research studies must be selected and interpreted in accordance with particular EBP's norms characteristic (Webb, 2001). Conventionally, such norms disapprove qualitative studies and theoretical studies and consider the quantitative studies in accordance with narrow criteria set of what can be considered as evidence.

Relation of EBT to Social Work

The basic factor or element that relates the EBT with the Social work is the use of research available and implementing the most suitable research into practice. It is important to note that the Social work can basically regarded to be a complex, ambiguous and uncertain field in terms of its major strengths that includes its ability to improve the dialogue, understanding, interpretation and implication of the scenarios in the society and their impact upon individuals, groups and communities (Nutley, Davies & Smith, 2000). Therefore, the Social work and the social workers up to a major extent, rely upon the researches and studies for practical implication and intervention within the society.

However, the benefit that EBT offer the field of social work is the research is solely based upon concrete facts and figures. The quantitative analysis that the EBT majorly focuses renders an opportunity to the Social workers of extracting the most reliable information. This information will in turn ensure that the social programs and interventions applied within the society are well complied with the society needs and requirements along with the legal, social and ethical rules, regulations and conducts that the society observes (Rosen, 2003).

Influence of EBT Principles on the Direction of Social Work Research and Practice

The EBT principles have a significant impact upon the direction that Social work research takes. For instance, over the years it has been observed that the experimental researches are more useful for extracting the necessary information required for the actual implementation of social and welfare programs (McNeece & Thyer, 2004). In experimental researches, quality of conceptualizations, quality of measures, clarity and specificity of the treatments used, quality of the samples studied and completeness of the collected data are regarded to be the sound and fully sufficient when used to find out "what ...