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Sources of Knowledge for Social Workers

Social workers make decisions in practice settings based on different sources of knowledge, including their intuition, personal experiences, tradition, authority, and theories and research evidence. These sources of knowledge can be used together to contribute to decisions. Which source(s) of knowledge do you rely on? What are the strengths and limitations of each source of knowledge, and how will they affect your social work practice? For example, think about the sources of knowledge you used when you made decisions in your field experience. In this Assignment, you consider the sources of knowledge that inform your practice decisions.

To Prepare

• Complete the “Situations 1 and 2: Making Decisions About Interventions” handout. (Note: You do not need to upload the handout with your Assignment.)
• Reflect on your thought process in your handout and apply it the prompts below.

THEN:

• Explain how and why your choices differed in Situations 1 and 2.
• Explain why it is important to use research and evidence to support your practice decisions.
• Explain when using theories and research evidence is most appropriate for making clinical decisions. Provide an illustration of this from your fieldwork experience, from something learned in previous coursework, or from a case study you have encountered.

Situations 1 and 2: Making Decisions About Interventions*

Situation 1

Think back to a client (individual, family, group, agency, or community) with whom you have worked. Place a check mark next to each criterion you used to make your practice decision. If you have not yet worked with a client, think of the criteria on which you would probably rely.

1.     Your intuition (gut feeling) about what will be effective

2.     What you have heard from other professionals in informal exchanges

3.     Your experience with a few cases

4.     Your demonstrated track record of success based on data you have gathered systematically and regularly

5.     What fits your personal style

6.     What was usually offered at your agency

7.     Self-reports of other clients about what was helpful

8.     Results of controlled experimental studies (data that show a method is helpful)

9.     What you are most familiar with

10.  What you know by critically reading professional literature

Situation 2

Imagine you have a potentially serious medical problem, and you seek help from a physician to examine treatment options. Place a check mark next to each criterion you would like your physician to rely on when they make recommendations about your treatment.

1. The physician’s intuition (gut feeling) that a method will work
2. What they have heard from other physicians in informal exchanges
3. The physician’s experience with a few cases
4.  The physician’s demonstrated track record of success based on data they have gathered systematically and regularly
5. What fits their personal style
6. What is usually offered at the clinic
7. Self-reports of patients about what was helpful
8. Results of controlled experimental studies (data that show a method is helpful)
9.  What the physician is most familiar with
10. What the physician has learned by critically reading professional literature