Practice Research and Related Methodologies

Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model describes the array of research methods employed in practice research as a foundation for distinguishing this approach from other applied research frameworks. Chapter 9 builds upon the preceding chapters and provides a comparative analysis of the differences and similarities between practice research and the basic elements of participatory action research and program evaluation and intervention research. It describes and compares approaches to research question formulation, sources of literature and practice wisdom, data collection tools, data analysis and interpretation processes, research dissemination processes, and knowledge development processes. With these common components in mind, the analysis also addresses the key concepts of principles, process challenges, methodological challenges, and success factors that are associated with each of the frameworks.

Emerging Principles of Practice Research

Chapter 8 summarizes the core practice research principles identified in Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model. The first set of principles relates to learning from the experiences of others, and includes understanding the context of practice research, the role of persistent communications, and the process of disseminating results. The second set of principles focuses on knowing how to implement practice research by utilizing specialized skills, balancing the dynamics of practice and research, and engaging in collaborative teamwork. The third set of principles relates to managing complexities by coping with the tensions and ongoing change associated with practice research, responding to negative findings, and engaging service users. The last set of principles focuses on the process of sharing practice research with the practitioners who are most able to integrate it into their practice. The chapter concludes with a discussion of rigor, relevance, and theory in practice research.

Learning from the Managers of Human Service Organizations

Chapter 7 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model focuses on the experiences and perspectives of human service agency managers. It describes a multiphase study examining the experiences of public and nonprofit managers involved in human services contracting. The study aimed to further our understanding of the accountability and service coordination challenges that these cross-sectoral relationships pose for managers, especially in the context of increasingly complex human service delivery systems. This study integrated case studies, a multi-county survey, and review of contract documents. The chapter also describes a second study that sought to inform managerial practice by examining managerial perspectives and experiences related to evidence-informed practice, using a multi-county survey incorporating closed and open-ended questions. Principles for practice research relate to the study design process, recruitment of study participants, engagement of agency staff, and translation of implications into concrete practice recommendations.

Learning from Staff and Clients of Public Assistance Programs

Chapter 6 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model describes practice research efforts in the area of welfare-to-work services. One major project used semistructured interviews to investigate the perspectives of employers participating in county administered subsidized employment programs. A second project examined the Family Stabilization program, which provides intensive, whole-family focused services to participants in CalWORKs (California’s TANF [Temporary Aid to Needy Families] program) experiencing destabilizing crises. The Family Stabilization project involved three phases, using a combination of interviews and focus groups to examine: (1) policy implementation decisions and strategies, (2) client perspectives on service experiences, and (3) worker perspectives on program services and client engagement. The chapter concludes with practice research principles related to developing practice-relevant literature reviews, ensuring flexibility and timeliness with respect to study procedures and results, and strengthening dissemination and utilization among agency practitioners.

Learning from the Staff and Clients of Child Welfare Services

Chapter 5 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model focuses on studies of child welfare practice in county human service agencies. An early multi-county project explored the tensions that arise in interprofessional relationships within the juvenile dependency system, using interviews and focus groups with legal and child welfare professionals, as well as foster youth and caregivers. A second project developed innovative qualitative data mining methods to examine an array of practice issues that included parental substance use, child trauma, and skillful social work practice with youth, using the case record documents created by child welfare workers as the data source. Practice research principles derived from the projects relate to the essential role of communications throughout the research process, the contrasting time frames that operate in agency and academic research settings, and the need for awareness of the potential for political sensitivity surrounding study findings.

Learning from the Literature

Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model explains how freestanding literature reviews direct attention to existing literature in order to identify implications for agency practice and policymaking, reflecting a growing interest among human service agency leaders in monitoring the expanding knowledge base. Chapter 3 describes the process of developing a structured literature review that incorporates qualitative and quantitative studies that appear in peer-reviewed academic journals, as well as the “gray” literature, which includes reports published by government agencies and research institutes. Concrete steps are outlined, including: identifying topics of interest with the practice community, refining the focus of the literature search with practice partners, specifying search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria, conducting the online search process using the inclusion/exclusion criteria, synthesizing research evidence, conducting practice surveys, integrating research evidence with practice evidence, engaging practice partners in the interpretation of findings, developing the final report, and promoting dissemination and utilization.

Using Qualitative Data Mining for Practice Research in Child Welfare

As described previously in Chapter 5 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model, qualitative data mining represents a key example of an emerging practice research methodology using case records extracted from child welfare agency databases. Chapter 10 describes the social policy context of child welfare practice along with the role of the practice research platform described in Chapter 1. It provides a detailed discussion of the methodology, outlining seven major steps, including: (1) building on a university-agency partnership; (2) identifying mutual goals and developing practice research questions; (3) identifying practice and research concerns; (4) identifying qualitative data sources and assessing data; (5) secure data extraction, storage, and database creation; (6) analytical strategies; and (7) generating practice knowledge through dissemination of findings. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions for using this form of practice research.

Building Organizational Supports for Research-minded Practitioners

Chapter 11 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model discusses issues and strategies related to providing organizational supports for practitioners in order to facilitate their engagement in practice research. The chapter describes: (1) the emerging organizational context for evidence-informed practice and practice research; (2) an evolving definition of the elements of a research-minded practitioner, which include curiosity, critical reflection, and critical thinking; (3) a beginning framework for conceptualizing relevant organizational supports; and (4) case examples of organizational supports provided by national organizations in the United Kingdom. The chapter concludes with an emerging set of lessons learned and questions to guide future practice research efforts.

Learning from the Experiences of Practitioners

Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model emphasizes that learning directly from human service practitioners represents an important element of practice research. Interviewing individual practitioners to capture their organizationally based stories or narratives provides one approach for researchers to explore the past, current, and future dynamics of practice. Case studies can be used to develop individual teaching cases or as the basis for cross-case thematic analysis. Chapter 2 provides an overview of case study methods that include preparation, data collection, data analysis, and reporting. One set of illustrations relates to the career trajectories and organizational change experiences of individual nonprofit and county human services leaders. An additional example features the experiences of mid-level managers participating in a leadership training program, identifying the developmental stages of emerging, becoming, acting, and thriving.

What Is Practice Research and Why Is It Important

Chapter 1 of Practice Research in the Human Services: A University-Agency Partnership Model discusses the evolving definition of practice research. It highlights the need to identify ways to improve practice in the complex situations that characterize human services, by developing knowledge that emerges directly from everyday practice. Practice research often focuses on the relationships between service providers and service users, between service providers and their managers, between agency-based service providers and community advocacy and support groups, and between agency managers and policymakers. The chapter outlines the “practice” and “research” components of practice research, the role of theory, and the importance of local context in shaping specific approaches to practice research. It provides an overview of the university-agency partnership that provided the platform for carrying out the studies described in the volume, and offers perspectives on the related phenomena associated with learning organizations and evidence-informed practice.