SW PRACTICE WEEK 1 DISCUSSION

While engaging in your field agency, practice, or community setting, have you ever wished you could conduct research to determine the efficacy of a program? Or wondered about the evidence basis for a long-running practice? As an emerging researcher, you must be curious and you must critically notice . Noticing, in particular, is a skill that spans both research and practice. As a researcher, you observe practice problems or gaps, in much the same way that you observe a client and what they are communicating verbally and nonverbally.

In addition to skills of observation, research skills include accessing, understanding, and applying scholarly research articles; planning a research study based on an observed problem or gap; collecting and analyzing data; and interpreting findings. Which of these are you hoping to gain or strengthen in this course? 

• Reflect on your field agency (or other practice setting) and identify one or two programs or practices that might benefit from further research. 
• Consider the research skills you are hoping to strengthen by taking this course.
• Review the Kaltura Media Uploader area in the course navigation menu for information on recording and uploading media in this Discussion. Ensure that you have a quiet place to record without any distractions.
• Although this is not a professional presentation, consider appropriate attire, eye contact, and professional language use

In this opening Discussion, you introduce yourself to colleagues, consider the research skills you would like to hone, and analyze the importance of research in social work agencies.

• Thinking of your field agency or practice setting, identify one or two programs or practices that you believe would benefit from further research. Why might research be helpful in these situations? 
• Describe the research skills you are hoping to strengthen in this course.