On Research-Minded Practitioners: A Response to McBeath and Austin. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yaffe, Joanne
• Other Names: Parrish Danielle E. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Research on social work practice. Volume 25:Number 4(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 460
• Page End: 462
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: evidence-based practice -- methodological article; Social service -- Periodicals; 361.3205
• DOI: 10.1177/1049731514536232
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-7315

Abstract

McBeath and Austin define the concept of research-minded practitioners, describe the organizational contexts, structures, and strategies for supporting this type of practitioner. Further, the authors propose a research agenda to establish effective organizational development strategies to support research-minded practitioners, align their efforts with organizational improvement processes, and culminate in new directions for practice research. This response to McBeath and Austin disagrees with their characterization of evidence-based practice, their definition of practice research, and their conceptualization of the research-minded practitioner as something different from an evidence-based practitioner. While McBeath and Austin are commended on their analysis of organizational barriers to research-minded practice, the redundancy of the concept of research-minded practice is questioned by reiterating commonly held definitions of evidence-based practice.