This is really how I feel right now about this literature review and the research paper. While the lady who went over the library indexes with us on Monday was very thorough, I am still just so overwhelmed by it. The one and only time I did a literature review was last semester and though it went well, I don’t remember much about it. I think I may have blacked out while finishing it. It’s not the work that really gets to me. I guess it’s just trying to make sure I have the right topic. One of my ideas feels way too broad and the other way too narrow. But I don’t know how to widen or narrow them down and for the life of me, I can’t think of any other topic that I could possibly research right now. Even if it was a life or death situation, there’s nothing that comes to mind. I don’t know why I keep drawing a blank. I did like that the indexes on our websites are broken down by different subjects of studies: nursing, criminal justice, social work, etc. I think that will help me figure out a proper topic. But that’s why I picked the Patrick meme because it’s so relatable right now. Minus the best friend tag thing.
Research is beneficial. I don’t think that needs to be reiterated. Everyone knows that research is an important component of any kind of field of interest. Social work especially because things and we (hoomans) are evolving all the time, so we need to keep up with new changes and trends. What may have once been crazy to think about may be totally normal now and vice versa. Things we didn’t think we ever had to worry about our now our number one problem/issue. So yeah, research is very much relevant in the social work field.
Research opens our eyes to things we didn’t think were possible. Research tells us what is working and what isn’t, who it is working for and who it isn’t. It gives up the opportunity to grow as social workers (or workers of whatever field you may be in) and to reach more people and help them in ways never thought imaginable. Research evolves our field and thought process. Without it, we would be stuck in the same way of thinking that our forefathers were, that Darwinism is real and the truth and that cold turkey is the best way to quit anything. We need research to grow and to learn and be the best version of social workers that social workers can be.
I don’t think there’s any one way that social workers “should look” at research. It’s just like with anyone else: some people like it, some people don’t. If you don’t like research (or the act of completing it) as a social worker, that’s totally fine, no one is forcing you to really do it. But you do have to acknowledge and respect the research when new information comes out. You can’t just push to the side research you don’t agree with or new research information just because you want to. As a social worker, you have to be able to take in all these new bits of useful information and use them properly. New techniques, new terms.
I don’t think social workers really have the option to choose between research and helping their clients, if they are an interactive social worker. As a social worker, you’re meeting new clients with different needs than their last so the way you help new clients is going to be totally different. If not, that’s fine but that’s pretty unlikely that you’ll find someone with the same story and the same needs. Research is there to help navigate and find those new ways of offering assistance so if you’re looking to be the best help for your client and be the best social worker that you can be, you are consistently going to be looking at research and gathering ideas on how to help your client. You can’t have one without the other. Your interactions with clients can also help improve research, either current or future. So I believe that research and helping clients are just different sides of the same coin.
Justyna Wolek 