Last Updated on December 30, 2022 by Team TSW

An effort to create new knowledge or to upgrade existing knowledge either through observation, available facts, evidences or any other method, is research. We often make our mind or take decision, based on our observation about certain objects or phenomena. During whole process we remain unaware of our biases, we do not question them and we attribute our observations entirely to the object being observed. Though it is still possible to arrive at right decision on the basis of wrong reasons or vice versa. This whole thing questions the process of observation. Was the observation error-free? While observing are we aware of our limitations? Every method of observation has certain limitations. Important thing here is to take biases, the errors and limitations into consideration. Social work research is the application of research methods in the field of social work.

Concept

Purpose of social work research is to produce new knowledge or to increase already available knowledge in the field of social work. Social work research gives new dimensions to social work techniques and methods and provides new ways to deal with problems. Social work research attempts to highlight insights about what intervention or treatment is actually helpful in practice and bring the best result. It also throw light on what hinder the attainment of desired goal. It also look for answers to problems faced by practitioners.

Relevance of Research in Social Work

Social work research tries to find answers to questions faced by practitioners and to make existing intervention more effective. The problems are not only professional but personal too. Overall aim is to make existing social work methods and techniques better and more effective.

In social work research, we study the problems from the point of view of professional social work. The designing of research problems, data collection and its interpretation will have to be attempted in a manner as would be useful to professional social work. The process should add new knowledge to social work theory and practice and also to enhance the outcome of professional social workers.

Limitation of Scientific Research Method in Social Work

Social work primarily deals with human behaviour, which is by and large complex and dynamic in nature. This means that different humans tend to behave differently under the same circumstances. One person can be happy in given circumstances and the second may be sad and at the same time others may remain indifferent. So it can easily be deduced that data collected for humans is subjective in nature and means very little for scientific research. Therefore one can not investigate human behaviour under guided conditions as in natural science. This creates many problems for researchers. 

Social work will never realize the objective of research as completely as natural science does, but still social work does not completely diminish the importance of scientific research methods.

Scope

Social Work is a diverse profession and work almost at all level of social system. Possible broad research areas could be:-

1. Community health.
2. Community mental health.
3. Child welfare.
4. Women welfare.
5. Youth welfare.
6. Juvenile delinquency. 
7. Crime and correction.
8. Aged welfare.
9. Poverty alleviation.
10. Management of Social Welfare Department and Organization.
11. Disaster Management.
12. Industrial Social Work. 

These are the areas which are very frequently studied by Social workers. Researchers might focus on individuals, families, groups, community or broad social systems.

Conclusion

Facts, events, and evidence help acquire reliable knowledge about various aspects of human behaviour. To get that knowledge, the method of science is still the most commonly used method. Objectivity, replication, prediction and verifiability are the characteristics of scientific approach, which keeps the researchers at bay from their personal biases, beliefs, perceptions, values, attitudes and emotions. With all the limitations and characteristics, scientific research is the best method to arrive at generalization in the field of social work.