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Policy Briefs and Why They Are Important

What is a policy brief.

A policy brief is a concise summary of information that helps readers understand and make decisions about policies, typically government policies. They usually provide an objective summary of relevant research, suggest possible policy actions, advocate for courses of action.

Why are they important?

Policy briefs help policymakers decide what to do and inform them of the problem and its impact. They summarize the best available evidence that supports why the policies need to change to effectively solve an issue.

**Adapted from Policy Briefs - the Writing Center, University of North Carolina.

Formatting a Policy Brief

Use evidence - Support the recommendations you are making with research (data, statistics, scholarly studies, government reports) to advocate for a policy change

Be concise - Use direct language, avoid jargon, and summarize the problem

Organize information - Clearly label sections of your brief, include images, charts, and graphics that will attract readers to the information and provide clarification

Examples of Policy Briefs

The Writing Center, Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill This handout, from the University of North Carolina, will offer tips for writing effective policy briefs.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations This handout identifies two types of policy briefs (advocacy and objective); and describes the characteristics of a policy brief.
Health Affairs Briefs Health Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research.
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Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 10:03 AM
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Grand Challenges for Social Work: Research, Practice, and Education

After four years of soliciting and refining big ideas, it’s finally official. Social work has set a 10-year course to make a significant impact on the pressing current social issues. The Grand Challenges of Social Work is a large-scale initiative to bring a focus and synergy between social work research, practice, and education to bear on a range of universal social, economic, political, environmental, and psychological problems. After fine-tuning and incorporating additional feedback from the preliminary rollout at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2015 Conference, the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare (AASWSW) officially announced the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work (GCSW) at the SSWR 2016 20th Anniversary Annual Conference in Washington, DC. I discussed the GCSW in an earlier editorial on the unification and defining of the profession ( Williams, 2015 ). I have decided to devote another editorial to GCSW, because their introduction truly has the potential to be a defining moment in the history of our profession.

Social workers are committed to advancing a strong scientific base for our profession that would provide solutions for positive transformation to several areas of need that social workers tackle daily ( AASWSW, 2015 ). GCSW focus on innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based programs that address social issues in a meaningful manner and can develop measurable progress for solving some of our most urgent social problems within a decade. As an honor society of distinguished scholars, practitioners, and leaders of the profession, AASWSW provided the perfect venue to coalesce a group of scholars, practitioners, and leaders to set a course to advance social work and social welfare ( AASWSW, 2015 ). GCSW are big, important, and compelling with some scientific evidence that supports the possibility that these challenges can be largely addressed in a meaningful and measurable way in a decade ( AASWSW, 2015 ).

At the 2016 SSWR conference in Washington, DC, the Executive Committee announced the first 12 preliminary GCSW for the coming decade. These Grand Challenges are a call to action and will serve as a focal point for social work and related disciplines to address several of the challenges affecting our quality of life. The following are the underlying problems, strategies, and goals of each of the 12 GCSW.

(1) Ensure healthy development for all youths. Millions of young people are currently treated for severe mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. A large body of literature shows us how to prevent many behavioral health problems before they emerge ( AASWSW, 2016g ; DeVylder, 2015 ; Hawkins et al., 2015 ; National Academy of Medicine, 2016 ). (2) Close the health gap. A significant proportion of Americans have inadequate access to basic health care. This population endures the lasting effects of discrimination, poverty, and adverse environments that increase rates of illness ( AASWSW, 2016d ; Begun, Clapp, & The Alcohol Misuse Grand Challenge Collective, 2015 ; Walters et al., 2016 ).

(3) Stop family violence. The rates of violence perpetrated in families, among intimate partners, and on children is a significant problem in our country. Proven interventions are available to prevent and break the cycle of violence ( AASWSW, 2016l ; Barth, Putnam-Hornstein, Shaw, & Dickinson, 2015 ; Edleson, Lindhorst, & Kanuha, 2015 ). (4) Advance long and productive lives . Provide fuller engagement in education and productive activities throughout the lifespan to support better health and well-being and greater security ( AASWSW, 2016b ; Morrow-Howell, Gonzales, Matz-Costa, & Greenfield, 2015 ).

(5) Eradicate social isolation. This challenge is to educate the public on the health and well-being hazards of social isolation and to promote effective interventions for social workers to address social isolation for people of all ages ( AASWSW, 2016h ; Lubben, Gironda, Sabbath, Kong, & Johnson, 2015 ). (6) End homelessness. The rates of homelessness among families and individuals continue to increase. Over the course of a year, it is estimated that more than 1 million Americans will experience homelessness for at least one night. The challenge is to identify and expand proven interventions to implement in communities and to adopt meaningful policies that promote affordable housing and basic income security ( AASWSW, 2016f ; Henwood et al., 2015 ).

(7) Create social responses to a changing environment. Environmental changes negatively affect health, and the changing global environment requires social and policy responses, innovative partnerships, community engagement, and human security interventions to strengthen individuals and communities ( AASWSW, 2016e ; Kemp et al., 2015 ). (8) Harness technology for social good. New technologies present opportunities for social and human services to reach more people and make better decisions. Harnessing technology will allow for more effective service development, planning, and delivery ( ASWSW, 2016i ; Berzin, Singer, & Chan, 2015 ; Coulton, Goerge, Putnam-Hornstein, & de Haan, 2015 ).

(9) Promote smart decarceration. The United States incarcerates more individuals than any other country ( Cherlin, 2010 ; Schmitt, Warner, & Gupta, 2010 ). There are high levels of inequities and disparities nested within these high rates of incarceration. The challenge of our profession is to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the number of people who are imprisoned and embrace a more effective approach to public safety ( AASWSW, 2016j ; Pettus-Davis & Epperson, 2015 ). (10) Reduce extreme economic inequality. The extreme disparities in wealth in the United States affect the social, emotional, and economic well-being of both children and families. Reducing economic inequalities will require innovative strategies and policies ( AASWSW, 2016k ; Lein, Romich, & Sherraden, 2015 ).

(11) Build financial capability for all. A significant percentage of U.S. households are without adequate savings to meet basic living expenses for three months. Economic hardship can be reduced by implementing social policies that support income generation and providing financial literacy and access to quality affordable financial services ( AASWSW, 2016c ; Sherraden et al., 2015 ). (12) Achieve equal opportunity and justice. The history of injustices in this country affects education and employment; addressing racial and social injustices and dismantling inequalities will advance human well-being ( AASWSW, 2016a ; Calvo et al., 2015 ; Goldbach, Amaro, Vega, & Walter, 2015 ).

These challenges are large in scope and invite scholars, researchers, practitioners, and educators to embrace and promote them. The success of GCSW is very much dependent on all members of our profession incorporating these challenges into their work (that is, research, practice, and education). There are multiple ways that the profession can move forward with GCSW. Schools of social work can develop GCSW modules in MSW, BSW, and PhD curricula, lecture series at schools on the GCSW, national and regional conference themes supporting GCSW, national research consortia with specific foci on GCSW, and policy initiatives and advocacy on the various challenges. These are just a few examples.

The GCSW initiative is a vibrant social agenda to change the social fabric for a more just society. The tag line for GCSW is “Social Progress Powered by Science.” There is a strong emphasis on continuing to conduct high-quality research that brings effective change and that we use evidence in practice ( Anastas, 2013 ; Brekke, 2012 ; Shaw, 2014 ). It would be very safe to conclude that as the profession monitors the overall impact of GCSW, successful outcomes of this initiative will depend on the growth and quality of our scholarship, our ability to collaborate with allied disciplines, and the ability for translation and implementation of research to practice and education.

In guiding the process, AASWSW has created a national forum and opportunities for social work researchers and practitioners to collaborate within our discipline and across other disciplines (for example, health care, criminal justice, education, legal studies, technology, and environmental science). Each of the 12 Grand Challenges are large in scope, important for the social fabric of the country, compelling, and we have scientific evidence and measurable progress indicating that these challenges could be solved. GCSW allow us to build bridges within and beyond social work.

American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2015). “Grand Challenges for Social Work” identify 12 top social problems facing America . Retrieved from http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/grand-challenges-for-social-work-identify-12-top-social-problems-facing-america-2088068.htm
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016a). Achieve equal opportunity and justice . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/achieve-equal-opportunity-and-justice
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016b). Advance long and productive lives . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/advance-long-and-productive-lives
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016c). Build financial capability for all . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/build-financial-capability-for-all
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016d). Close the health gap . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/close-the-health-gap
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016e). Create social responses to a changing environment . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/create-social-responses-to-a-changing-environment
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016f). End homelessness . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/end-homelessness
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016g). Ensure healthy development for all youth . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/ensure-healthy-development-for-all-youth
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016h). Eradicate social isolation . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/eradicate-social-isolation
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016i). Harness technology for social good . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/harness-technology-for-social-good
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016j). Promote smart decarceration . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/promote-smart-decarceration
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016k). Reduce extreme economic inequality . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/reduce-extreme-economic-inequality
American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. (2016l). Stop family violence . Retrieved from http://aaswsw.org/grand-challenges-initiative/12-challenges/stop-family-violence
Anastas, J. (2013). Can practitioners help shape a science of social work? NASW News , 58 (8). Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2013/09/science-of-social-work.asp .
Barth R. P., Putnam-Hornstein E., Shaw T. V., Dickinson N. S. (2015). Safe children: Reducing severe and fatal maltreatment (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 17) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Begun A. L., Clapp J. D., & The Alcohol Misuse Grand Challenge Collective. (2015). Preventing and reducing alcohol misuse and its consequences: A grand challenge for social work (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 14) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Berzin S. C., Singer J., Chan C. (2015). Practice innovation through technology in the digital age: A grand challenge for social work (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 12) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare [ Google Scholar ]
Brekke J. S. (2012). Shaping a science of social work . Research on Social Work Practice , 22 , 455–464. [ Google Scholar ]
Calvo R., Ortiz L., Padilla Y. C., Waters M. C., Lubben J., Egmont W. et al. (2015). Achieving equal opportunity and justice: The integration of Latino/a immigrants into American society (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 20) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Cherlin A. J. (2010). Demographic trends in the United States: A review of research in the 2000s . Journal of Marriage and Family , 72 , 403–419. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
Coulton C. J., Goerge R., Putnam-Hornstein E., de Haan B. (2015). Harnessing big data for social good: A grand challenge for social work (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 11) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
DeVylder J. E. (2015). Prevention of schizophrenia and severe mental illness (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 6) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Edleson J. L., Lindhorst T., Kanuha V. K. (2015). Ending gender-based violence: A grand challenge for social work (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 15) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Goldbach J. T., Amaro H., Vega W., Walter M. D. (2015). The grand challenge of promoting equality by addressing social stigma (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 18) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Hawkins J. D., Jenson J. M., Catalano R. F., Fraser M. W., Botvin G. J., Shapiro V. et al. (2015). Unleashing the power of prevention (Grand Challenge for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 10) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Henwood B. F., Wenzel S., Mangano P. F., Hombs M., Padgett D., Byrne T. et al. (2015). The grand challenge of ending homelessness (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 9) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Kemp S. P., Palinkas L. A., Wong M., Wagner K., Reyes Mason L., Chi I. et al. (2015). Strengthening the social response to the human impacts of environmental change (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 5) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Lein L., Romich J. L., Sherraden M. (2015). Reversing extreme inequality (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 16) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Lubben J., Gironda M., Sabbath E., Kong J., Johnson C. (2015). Social isolation presents a grand challenge for social work (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 7) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Morrow-Howell N., Gonzales E., Matz-Costa C., Greenfield E. A. (2015). Increasing productive engagement in later life (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 8) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
National Academy of Medicine. (2016). Unleashing the power of prevention . Retrieved from http://nam.edu/perspectives-2015-unleashing-the-power-of-prevention
Pettus-Davis C., Epperson M. W. (2015). From mass incarceration to smart decarceration (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 4) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare [ Google Scholar ]
Schmitt J., Warner K., Gupta S. (2010, June). The high budgetary cost of incarceration . Washington, DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research; Retrieved from http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
Shaw I. (2014). A science of social work? Response to John Brekke . Research on Social Work Practice , 24 , 524–526. [ Google Scholar ]
Sherraden M. S., Huang J., Frey J. J., Birkenmaier J., Callahan C., Clancy M. M., Sherraden M. (2015). Financial capability and asset building for all (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 13) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Walters K. L., Spencer M. S., Smukler M., Allen H. L., Andrews C., Browne T. et al. (2016). Health equity: Eradicating health inequalities for future generations (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper No. 19) Cleveland: American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. [ Google Scholar ]
Williams J. H. (2015). Unification, crafting imperatives, and defining a profession [Editorial] . Social Work Research , 39 , 67–69. [ Google Scholar ]

The link between social work research and practice

When thinking about social work, some may consider the field to solely focus on clinical interventions with individuals or groups.

There may be a mistaken impression that research is not a part of the social work profession. This is completely false. Rather, the two have been and will continue to need to be intertwined.

This guide covers why social workers should care about research, how both social work practice and social work research influence and guide each other, how to build research skills both as a student and as a professional working in the field, and the benefits of being a social worker with strong research skills.

A selection of social work research jobs are also discussed.

Social workers and research
Evidence-based practice
Practice and research
Research and practice
Build research skills
Social worker as researcher
Benefits of research skills
Research jobs

Why should social workers care about research?

Sometimes it may seem as though social work practice and social work research are two separate tracks running parallel to each other – they both seek to improve the lives of clients, families and communities, but they don’t interact. This is not the way it is supposed to work.

Research and practice should be intertwined, with each affecting the other and improving processes on both ends, so that it leads to better outcomes for the population we’re serving.

Section 5 of the NASW Social Work Code of Ethics is focused on social workers’ ethical responsibilities to the social work profession. There are two areas in which research is mentioned in upholding our ethical obligations: for the integrity of the profession (section 5.01) and for evaluation and research (section 5.02).

Some of the specific guidance provided around research and social work include:

5.01(b): …Social workers should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.
5.01(d): Social workers should contribute to the knowledge base of social work and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics…
5.02(a) Social workers should monitor and evaluate policies, the implementation of programs, and practice interventions.
5.02(b) Social workers should promote and facilitate evaluation and research to contribute to the development of knowledge.
5.02(c) Social workers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work and fully use evaluation and research evidence in their professional practice.
5.02(q) Social workers should educate themselves, their students, and their colleagues about responsible research practices.

Evidence-based practice and evidence-based treatment

In order to strengthen the profession and determine that the interventions we are providing are, in fact, effective, we must conduct research. When research and practice are intertwined, this leads practitioners to develop evidence-based practice (EBP) and evidence-based treatment (EBT).

Evidence-based practice is, according to The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) , a process involving creating an answerable question based on a client or organizational need, locating the best available evidence to answer the question, evaluating the quality of the evidence as well as its applicability, applying the evidence, and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution.

Evidence-based treatment is any practice that has been established as effective through scientific research according to a set of explicit criteria (Drake et al., 2001). These are interventions that, when applied consistently, routinely produce improved client outcomes.

For example, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was one of a variety of interventions for those with anxiety disorders. Researchers wondered if CBT was better than other intervention options in producing positive, consistent results for clients.

So research was conducted comparing multiple types of interventions, and the evidence (research results) demonstrated that CBT was the best intervention.

The anecdotal evidence from practice combined with research evidence determined that CBT should become the standard treatment for those diagnosed with anxiety. Now more social workers are getting trained in CBT methods in order to offer this as a treatment option to their clients.

How does social work practice affect research?

Social work practice provides the context and content for research. For example, agency staff was concerned about the lack of nutritional food in their service area, and heard from clients that it was too hard to get to a grocery store with a variety of foods, because they didn’t have transportation, or public transit took too long.

So the agency applied for and received a grant to start a farmer’s market in their community, an urban area that was considered a food desert. This program accepted their state’s version of food stamps as a payment option for the items sold at the farmer’s market.

The agency used their passenger van to provide free transportation to and from the farmer’s market for those living more than four blocks from the market location.

The local university also had a booth each week at the market with nursing and medical students checking blood pressure and providing referrals to community agencies that could assist with medical needs. The agency was excited to improve the health of its clients by offering this program.

But how does the granting foundation know if this was a good use of their money? This is where research and evaluation comes in. Research could gather data to answer a number of questions. Here is but a small sample:

How many community members visited each week and purchased fruits and vegetables?
How many took advantage of the transportation provided, and how many walked to the market?
How many took advantage of the blood pressure checks? Were improvements seen in those numbers for those having repeat blood pressure readings throughout the market season?
How much did the self-reported fruit and vegetable intake increase for customers?
What barriers did community members report in visiting and buying food from the market (prices too high? Inconvenient hours?)
Do community members want the program to continue next year?
Was the program cost-effective, or did it waste money by paying for a driver and for gasoline to offer free transportation that wasn’t utilized? What are areas where money could be saved without compromising the quality of the program?
What else needs to be included in this program to help improve the health of community members?

How does research affect social work practice?

Research can guide practice to implement proven strategies. It can also ask the ‘what if’ or ‘how about’ questions that can open doors for new, innovative interventions to be developed (and then research the effectiveness of those interventions).

Engel and Schutt (2017) describe four categories of research used in social work:

Descriptive research is research in which social phenomena are defined and described. A descriptive research question would be ‘How many homeless women with substance use disorder live in the metro area?’
Exploratory research seeks to find out how people get along in the setting under question, what meanings they give to their actions, and what issues concern them. An example research question would be ‘What are the barriers to homeless women with substance use disorder receiving treatment services?’
Explanatory research seeks to identify causes and effects of social phenomena. It can be used to rule out other explanations for findings and show how two events are related to each other. An explanatory research question would be ‘Why do women with substance use disorder become homeless?’
Evaluation research describes or identifies the impact of social programs and policies. This type of research question could be ‘How effective was XYZ treatment-first program that combined housing and required drug/alcohol abstinence in keeping women with substance use disorder in stable housing 2 years after the program ended?’

Each of the above types of research can answer important questions about the population, setting or intervention being provided. This can help practitioners determine which option is most effective or cost-efficient or that clients are most likely to adhere to. In turn, this data allows social workers to make informed choices on what to keep in their practice, and what needs changing.

How to build research skills while in school

There are a number of ways to build research skills while a student. BSW and MSW programs require a research course, but there are other ways to develop these skills beyond a single class:

Volunteer to help a professor working in an area of interest. Professors are often excited to share their knowledge and receive extra assistance from students with similar interests.
Participate in student research projects where you’re the subject. These are most often found in psychology departments. You can learn a lot about the informed consent process and how data is collected by volunteering as a research participant. Many of these studies also pay a small amount, so it’s an easy way to earn a bit of extra money while you’re on campus.
Create an independent study research project as an elective and work with a professor who is an expert in an area you’re interested in. You’d design a research study, collect the data, analyze it, and write a report or possibly even an article you can submit to an academic journal.
Some practicum programs will have you complete a small evaluation project or assist with a larger research project as part of your field education hours.
In MSW programs, some professors hire students to conduct interviews or enter data on their funded research projects. This could be a good part time job while in school.
Research assistant positions are more common in MSW programs, and these pay for some or all your tuition in exchange for working a set number of hours per week on a funded research project.

How to build research skills while working as a social worker

Social service agencies are often understaffed, with more projects to complete than there are people to complete them.

Taking the initiative to volunteer to survey clients about what they want and need, conduct an evaluation on a program, or seeing if there is data that has been previously collected but not analyzed and review that data and write up a report can help you stand out from your peers, be appreciated by management and other staff, and may even lead to a raise, a promotion, or even new job opportunities because of the skills you’ve developed.

Benefits of being a social worker with strong research skills

Social workers with strong research skills can have the opportunity to work on various projects, and at higher levels of responsibility.

Many can be promoted into administration level positions after demonstrating they understand how to conduct, interpret and report research findings and apply those findings to improving the agency and their programs.

There’s also a level of confidence knowing you’re implementing proven strategies with your clients.

Social work research jobs

There are a number of ways in which you can blend interests in social work and research. A quick search on Glassdoor.com and Indeed.com retrieved the following positions related to social work research:

Research Coordinator on a clinical trial offering psychosocial supportive interventions and non-addictive pain treatments to minimize opioid use for pain.
Senior Research Associate leading and overseeing research on a suite of projects offered in housing, mental health and corrections.
Research Fellow in a school of social work
Project Policy Analyst for large health organization
Health Educator/Research Specialist to implement and evaluate cancer prevention and screening programs for a health department
Research Interventionist providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia patients participating in a clinical trial
Research Associate for Child Care and Early Education
Social Services Data Researcher for an organization serving adults with disabilities.
Director of Community Health Equity Research Programs evaluating health disparities.

No matter your population or area of interest, you’d likely be able to find a position that integrated research and social work.

Social work practice and research are and should remain intertwined. This is the only way we can know what questions to ask about the programs and services we are providing, and ensure our interventions are effective.

There are many opportunities to develop research skills while in school and while working in the field, and these skills can lead to some interesting positions that can make a real difference to clients, families and communities.

Drake, R. E., Goldman, H., Leff, H. S., Lehman, A. F., Dixon, L., Mueser, K. T., et al. (2001). Implementing evidence-based practices in routine mental health service settings. Psychiatric Services, 52(2), 179-182.

Engel, R.J., & Schutt, R.K. (2017). The Practice of Research in Social Work. Sage.

National Association of Social Workers. (n.d). Evidence Based Practice. Retrieved from: https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Research-Data/Social-Work-Policy-Research/Evidence-Based-Practice

Social Work Research: Literature Reviews

Getting Started
Finding Scholarly Articles
Citation Searching
Evaluating Sources This link opens in a new window
Literature Reviews
Evidence-Based This link opens in a new window
Finding Instruments This link opens in a new window
Writing & Citing

Using A Literature Review

A literature review is a very practical part of the research process. It's how you build on other research in the field - identify best practices and tools and learn what doesn't work. The resources on the page are here to help you structure you literature review so it's as useful as possible.

Also take a look at any literature reviews you find as you search for articles - in addition to content and further references they'll also provide helpful structural hints.

Social Work Literature Review Guidelines Literature reviews are designed to do two things: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and 2) demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study, in this case, social work.
Considerations in Writing a Literature Review This article will briefly outline key points for you to keep in mind when writing literature reviews for social work.
Undertaking a literature review: a step-by-step approach The purpose of this article is to present a step-by-step guide to facilitate understanding by presenting the critical elements of the literature review process. While reference is made to different types of literature reviews, the focus is on the traditional or narrative review that is undertaken, usually either as an academic assignment or part of the research process.

Conducting a Literature Review & Other Research Methods

What is a Literature Review?

"Literature reviews are systematic syntheses of previous work around a particular topic. Nearly all scholars have written literature reviews at some point; such reviews are common requirements for class projects or as part of theses, are often the first section of empirical papers, and are sometimes written to summarize a field of study. Given the increasing amount of literature in many fields, reviews are critical in synthesizing scientific knowledge." - Encyclopedia of Research Design

APA Style Sample Papers (seventh edition) by the APA
Sample APA Paper (lit. review begins page 3)
Dissertations and Theses Full-Text Global Search here for examples of literature reviews from masters and doctoral theses.

Thinking About A Literature Review

Structuring a literature review diagram, outlining taking each article and breaking it down by its main concepts

Literature Reviews: An Overview

Additional How-To Guides

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Post-release services for unaccompanied minors: current gaps and needed improvements, kerri evans & tatiana londoño, center on immigration and child welfare (august 2022).

This research brief by the CICW Research Workgroup provides background and highlights gaps in the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Post-Release Services program for unaccompanied minors and offers research-based recommendations for improvements.

Strengthening Border Families: Frontline Practitioner Perspectives – Research Brief

Megan finno-velasquez, sophia sepp, and vanessa mendoza; center on immigration and child welfare (july 2022).

This brief summaries the key findings and recommendations from the second phase of the Strengthening Border Families study, which elicited the perspectives of frontline practitioners who serve immigrant families across a variety of service settings in the community about the accessibility and quality of services for immigrant families with young children in the Doña Ana County. It is also available in Spanish here .

Strengthening Border Families: Community Leader Perspectives – Research Brief

Sophia sepp, megan-finno velasquez, & vanessa mendoza; center on immigration and child welfare (july 2021).

This brief highlights the findings and recommendations from a community-based participatory research study on the accessibility and quality of community services for immigrant families with young children in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. It is also available in Spanish here .

Why Do People Migrate?

Why do people migrate: the context of migration from central america and mexico to the united states, mary lehman held, skye allmang, jayleen galarza, jennifer scott, iván a. de la rosa; center on immigration and child welfare (october 2018).

This research brief explores some of the major push and pull factors for migration to the United States from Central America and Mexico.

The Impacts of Parental Incarceration on Children and Families

Julie poehlmann-tynan, university of wisconsin-madison; erin sugrue, augsburg university; jacquelynn duron, rutgers university; dianne ciro, san diego state university; amy messex, new mexico highlands university; scholars taking action for families (staff): a cicw workgroup (september 12, 2018).

This NEW CICW research brief summarizes recent findings on the negative consequences of parental incarceration on children and families, identifies the connection to detention of immigrant parents, and provides practice and policy recommendations.

How do Immigrant Children and Families Experience Immigrant Detention?

Thomas m. crea, boston college; laurie cook heffron, st. edwards university; catherine labrenz, university of texas at austin; and alejandra ros pilarz, university of wisconsin, madison; scholars taking action for families (staff): a cicw workgroup (september 12, 2018).

This CICW research brief reviews the existing literature on the impacts of immigration detention on children and families, and provides recommendations to support and promote their well-being.

Research Brief: Immigrants at a Loss

Immigrants at a loss: the need for services that promote child well-being among latino families with child welfare contact, megan finno-velasquez, phd and sophia sepp, center on immigration and child welfare (may 15, 2018).

This research brief highlights the central findings of a three-study dissertation that explored the needs of high-risk Latino families with child welfare contact and the barriers that exist in receiving services to meet those needs through a quantitative examination of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWII).

Barriers to Support Service Use for Latino Immigrant Families Reported to Child Welfare: Implications for Policy and Practice

Megan finno-velasquez, msw, phd candidate, university of southern california school of social work (june 2014).

This brief highlights the findings of a study that explores the extent to which immigration status impacts referral to, and receipt of, concrete services by Latino families reported for child maltreatment. Data were drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II), a federally funded and nationally representative sample of families investigated by child welfare agencies for maltreatment between April 2008 and September 2009. The brief concludes with recommendations for policy and practice.

Latino Children of Immigrants in the Child Welfare System

Latino children of immigrants in the child welfare system: findings from the national survey of child and adolescent well-being (part ii), alan j. dettlaff, phd, and ilze earner, phd.

Findings from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW) on the characteristics, risk factors, and types of maltreatment in cases involving children of immigrants in the child welfare system. The findings reported in these briefs represent the first national data available on the presence of children of immigrants in the child welfare system. In addition, these findings identify significant differences in the presence of risk factors and types of maltreatment between children of immigrants and children of U.S.-born parents.

Children of Immigrants in the Child Welfare System

Children of immigrants in the child welfare system: findings from the national survey of child and adolescent well-being (part i).

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and Solution-Focused Therapy

Introduction.

Introductory Works
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Task-Centered Organization
Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy
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Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and Solution-Focused Therapy by Cynthia Franklin , Krystallynne Mikle LAST REVIEWED: 30 September 2013 LAST MODIFIED: 30 September 2013 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0188

Brief therapies serve as evidenced-based practices that place a strong emphasis on effective, time-limited treatments that aid in resolving clients’ presenting problems. The resources presented in this article summarize for professionals and educators the abundant literature evaluating brief therapies within social work practice. Brief therapies have appeared in many different schools of psychotherapy, and several approaches have also evolved within social work practice, but two approaches—the task-centered model and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)—stand out as being grounded in research and have also gained international acclaim as important interventions for implementation and further study. These two approaches are the focus of this bibliography. The task-centered model and SFBT were developed by social work practitioners and researchers for the purposes of making clinical practice more effective, and they share a common bond in hoping to improve the services delivered to clients. Since the development of the task-centered and solution-focused approaches, brief therapies have become essential to the work of all types of psychotherapists and clinicians, and many of the principles and practices of brief therapy that are a part of the task-centered and solution-focused approaches are now essential to psychotherapy training. Clinical social workers practicing from the perspective of the task-centered model and SFBT approaches work from several brief therapy assumptions. The first regards the client/therapist relationship. The best way to help clients is to work within a collaborative relationship to discover options for coping and new behavior that may also lead to specific tasks and solutions for change that are identified by the client. Second is the assumption that change can happen quickly and can be lasting. Third, focus on the past may not be as helpful to most clients as a focus on the present and the future. The fourth regards a pragmatic perspective about where the change occurs. The best approach to practice is pragmatic, and effective practitioners recognize that what happens in a client’s life is more important than what happens in a social worker’s office. The fifth assumption is that change can happen more quickly and be maintained when practitioners utilize the strengths and resources that exist within the client and his or her environment. The next assumption is that a small change made by clients may cause significant and major life changes. The seventh assumption is associated with creating goals. It is important to focus on small, concrete goal construction and helping the client move toward small steps to achieve those goals. The next regards change. Change is viewed as hard work and involves focused effort and commitment from the client and social worker. There will be homework assignments and following through on tasks. Also, it is assumed that it is important to establish and maintain a clear treatment focus (often considered the most important element in brief treatment). Parsimony is also considered to be a guiding principle (i.e., given two equally effective treatments, the one requiring less investment of time and energy is preferable). Last, it is assumed that without evidence to the contrary, the client’s stated problem is taken as the valid focus of treatment. The task-centered model and SFBT have developed a strong empirical base, and both approaches operate from a goal-oriented and strengths perspective. Both approaches have numerous applications and have successfully been used with many different types of clients and practice settings. Both approaches have also been expanded to applications in macro social work that focus on work within management- and community-based practices. For related Oxford Bibliographies entries, see Task-Centered Practice and Solution-Focused Therapy .

Task-Centered Model Literature

The task-centered model is an empirically grounded approach to social work practice that appeared in the mid-1960s at Columbia University and was developed in response to research reports that indicated social work was not effective with clients. William J. Reid was the chief researcher who helped develop this model, and he integrated many therapeutic perspectives to create the task-centered approach, including ideas from behavioral therapies. The task-centered model evolved out of the psychodynamic practice and uses a brief, problem-solving approach to help clients resolve presenting problems. The task-centered model is currently used in clinical social work and group work and may also be applied to other types of social work practice.

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Article contents

The brief therapies.

Gilbert J. Greene Gilbert J. Greene College of Social Work, The Ohio State University
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.38
Published online: 11 June 2013
This version: 04 January 2016
Previous version

Research and meta-analysis of research on psychotherapy outcome has consistently supported the use of therapy that is planned from the beginning to be brief. In recent years several brief therapy approaches have been developed, often by social workers, and found to be effective. This article provides an overview of the research supporting the use of brief therapy and describes the basics of the major approaches to brief therapy such as the task-centered approach, the psychodynamic approaches, interpersonal therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, the strength-based approaches, couples and family therapy, and group therapy. It closes with the discussion of several future trends in brief therapy.

brief therapy
solution-focused therapy
narrative therapy
single-session therapy
motivational interviewing
strategic therapy

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Efforts to criminalize homelessness are ineffective and have compounding negative effects, says Amanda Aykanian.

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UB social work researcher signs amicus brief supporting rights of homeless

A ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of Grants Pass, Oregon, would make it possible for communities to criminally or civilly punish people sleeping outside when no other shelter is available.

By BERT GAMBINI

Published April 19, 2024

UB faculty member Amanda Aykanian has joined 56 other social scientists across the country in signing an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case that many observers are calling the most significant case in decades concerning the rights of people experiencing homelessness.

The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, will decide whether laws that either criminally or civilly punish people sleeping outside when no other shelter is available violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment.

The court will hear oral arguments on April 22.

“Criminalizing homelessness does nothing to end homelessness,” says Aykanian, assistant professor in the School of Social Work. “These efforts are not only ineffective, but have compounding negative effects on people’s health, safety and their ability to maintain access to other critical services.”

Aykanian is a leading expert on homelessness. Her research examines how social policies and programs affect unhoused people. She is the national co-leader for the Grand Challenge to End Homelessness, and is principal investigator for the National Homeless Services Workforce Study.

In 2018, the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, started issuing fines to people sleeping in public, even though the city lacked adequate homeless shelter space.

A case against the city was filed on behalf of Gloria Johnson and others.

In September 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, in Johnson’s favor.

If the Supreme Court upholds that decision, communities cannot punish people for sleeping outside when there is no available shelter, establishing the behavior as constitutionally protected under the Eighth Amendment. Ruling in favor of Grants Pass would make it possible for communities to criminally or civilly punish that behavior.

“Attempts to criminalize homelessness are as old as the nation, but over the last 20 years those efforts have intensified, with accompanying legal challenges,” says Aykanian. “Those efforts have been mostly local and focused on specific areas within a community.

“Overturning the original ruling could result in statewide efforts to criminalize sleeping outside.”

The amicus (friend of the court) brief Aykanian signed with the other researchers cites more than 50 peer-reviewed studies summarizing the latest scientific evidence on the laws affecting homelessness.

“Looking at all the briefs submitted for this case, we don’t see much research evidence supporting the other side,” says Aykanian. “A good reason for that is that the vast majority of the scientific evidence is in opposition to criminalization of homelessness.”

But Aykanian remains concerned.

The Supreme Court in 2018 refused to hear a similar case, Martin v. Boise, also decided by the same federal appeals court to rule in Grants Pass v. Johnson, that cities cannot enforce laws prohibiting sleeping outside if there aren’t enough homeless shelter beds.

“If the Supreme Court looks at previous cases in Grants Pass v. Johnson, there are plenty of precedents to uphold the earlier decision,” says Aykanian. “But the fact that the court has decided to hear this case does make me nervous about the possible outcome.”

Aykanian says there have been significant increases recently in homelessness rates, particularly unsheltered homelessness, as well as rising poverty rates and higher rates of food insecurity, factors that contribute to homelessness.

“Addressing that takes a lot,” she says. “And a place like Grants Pass — where the population has been steadily increasing, while their housing stock has not — faces big challenges.

“But let’s not punish the people when we can’t solve the problem.”

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and Solution-Focused Therapy

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Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and Solution-Focused Therapy by Cynthia Franklin , Krystallynne Mikle LAST REVIEWED: 30 September 2013 LAST MODIFIED: 30 September 2013 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0188

Task-Centered Model Literature

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