Science of Social Work

Aims of Assignment
The overarching aim of Assignment 2 is to enhance your ability to effectively and efficiently locate and appraise information and knowledge relevant to specialized practice in your area of interest, consistent with your professional goals and aspirations. Specific aims of this assignment include the following:
1)To guide your exploration of different types and sources of information and knowledge relevant to your professional interests and practice knowledge needs.2)To enhance your ability to easily and quickly locate relevant practice information and knowledge—including theoretical, epidemiological, and empirical knowledge.3)To strengthen your capacity to:
a.critically appraise levels and sources of empirical research evidence;b.critically appraise the quality of empirical research evidence; and c.determine the applicability of empirical research evidence to your professional interests and practice questions.
4)To help you build your practice “library,” that is, your collection of professional information, publications, resources, and materials.
Format & Approach
Locating and using existing knowledge—especially empirical (i.e., research) knowledge—is an essential skill that you will need as a professional social worker in order to make ethical and research-informed practice decisions. In fact, almost every aspect of your work as a professional social worker can be enhanced by your ability to effectively and efficiently locate, appraise and use existing information and knowledge. This includes using existing information and knowledge to guide the following professional activities:
•Assessing your client’s strengths and needs; understanding and interpreting the meaning of your clients’ behavior; establishing intervention, treatment or case plan goals;•understanding how cultural factors (including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, immigrant status, gender, sexual orientation, class, [dis]ability status, and age) intersect with one another to affect your clients’ development, behavior, and outcomes;•determining the best interventions, services, and programs to address your client’s needs; •developing strategies for engaging your clients in interventions, services, and programs (and keeping them engaged); •determining how best to assess implementation and effectiveness of interventions, services, programs, and policies;•conducting organizational or community needs assessments;•developing program reports and grant proposals for funding; and •carrying out program evaluations or being involved in research studies. 



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