Live and Let Live

How Blogging Enhances Understanding of Social Work Research and Its Application In my previous posts, I discussed the incredible benefits of social work research. Today, I write a metablog, exploring how blogging can bridge the gap between social work research and its application, promoting growth in understanding and practice. Blogging has emerged as a powerful tool for knowledge dissemination, engagement, and collaboration in various fields, including social work. I'll dive into the ways in which blogging can enhance understanding of social work research and its practical application, contributing to the growth of the profession: Promoting Reflective Practice: Reflection is a critical component of social work practice, as it allows practitioners to continuously learn from their experiences and improve their practice. Blogging can serve as a platform for social workers to reflect on their practice in light of research findings. I have found how social workers can use blog pos...

I have been reading the all-time classic Rubin and Babbie text “Essential Research Methods for Social Work (2016)” and within it there is a long discussion on Ethical Research and Politics. Additionally, I have been reflecting on and critiquing the ethical considerations of various proposals in graduate Social Work. Good research is typically designed to produce valid and reliable results, but in some cases, the methods used to achieve these goals can raise ethical concerns, particularly when it comes to the use of placebos and deception. Deception can also be used in research to control for the placebo effect. However, it can be ethically problematic if it involves intentionally misleading participants or withholding information that may be important for their decision to participate in the study or to consent to particular procedures. To address these ethical concerns, research studies involving placebos or deception should be designed with careful consideration of the potential r...