CSWE 2014

Overview This resource highlights key aspects of the mission of the Commission on Research and its goals for the next 5 years. It will then focus on two specific topics, the upcoming faculty scholarship/expertise survey and current CSWE resources available for responsible conduct of research.

Agenda Clarifying the Commission’s charge and vision. Resources currently available through CSWE for research. Overview of faculty survey related to scholarship and research on social work education. New directions and research opportunities. Feedback – we would like to hear from you.

Keys From the Commission’s Charge Advance rigor, relevance and high ethical standards in the teaching and conduct of research on social work education. Advocating for research supported policies, practices and programs within CSWE. Promoting innovation in social work education. Strengthening connections with other professional groups to promote social work education.

2020 Vision Support research on accreditation standards. Develop partnerships to enhance research critical to social work education. Strengthen the position of social work education research that includes preparation for global work. Recognizing innovative models, pedagogies and practices.

National Statement and Action Steps Defines research activity - as a systematic process of investigation and analysis that develops and promulgates generalizable knowledge to inform professional practice and social policy. Social work research – requires multi-disciplinary approaches and pluralistic strategies. NASW ethics and the Belmont Report are aligned.

Areas of Concerns in Human subjects and communities. 2. Mentor/Trainee responsibility. 3. Conflicts of interest. 4. Collaborative science. 5. Data acquisition, management, ownership. 6. Publication practices and responsible authorship. 7. Peer review. 8. Research misconduct. *** Get involved – join your Institutional Review Board

Remaining Steps from the Action Plan Increase educational opportunities on research ethics at CSWE and SSWR. Encourage more social work faculty to serve on their Institutional Review Boards. Connect the National Statement with other commissions. Write position papers for IRB. Develop research ethics educational modules specific to social work. Develop research mentoring program. Work with journal editors on issues. Revisit the National Statement.

Challenges and New Research Directions Community research partnerships focused on programmatic implementation. Accreditation requirements and evidence of excellence. Global learning, research, and practice – understanding the cultural context of research ethics. Research and the client relationship.

Faculty Survey Background CSWE surveys its accredited programs and faculty to inform research, program planning and faculty development Need for information on workforce characteristics and the transdisiplinary range and scholarly depth of social work faculty to assist CSWE in efforts to promote, lobby, and advocate for social work education Previous approaches to surveying faculty members has provided useful information but in depth information limited by access only to faculty population with individual membership in CSWE

Faculty Survey Background Improved sampling technique may enable CSWE to more fully describe faculty teaching and/or doing research in accredited social work programs within the United States, (CSWE does not have a complete listing of all faculty who are employed by accredited social work programs) Researchers at Simmons School of Social Work and Harvard School of Public Health have agreed to lead this effort Doctoral students at Simmons, in collaboration with faculty, designed and tested a pilot instrument which has now been revised for implementation.

Objectives To gain information on personal and employment characteristics of individual full time social work faculty members—who they are and what they do. To gain information about current faculty retirement plans, in order to assess the adequacy of faculty workforce in light of expanding degree programs and assess for possible faculty shortages. To gain information on the factors that influence faculty members’ career choice, employment characteristics, and retirement plans.

Population and Sample Study population: All faculty members who are employed by accredited social work programs. Recruitment: A survey invitation will be sent to each designated CSWE contact, requesting assistance to distribute the invitation by to all school faculty who are actively engaged in teaching or research on a full or part time basis. The invitation will contain a link to the survey. No IP addresses or other individual identifiers will be collected from respondents with the exception of the respondent’s institution (institutional data will aggregated into region or public private institution)

Survey Instrument A self-administered Internet based survey tool that includes five domains: demographics professional activities career perceptions and plans including retirement research activities work environment Questions were identified from published studies and also developed by the study team. The instrument was tested and revised based on respondent comments. The time to complete the survey is estimated at minutes per person.

CSWE Goals CSWE requires improved data from faculty teaching and/or doing research in accredited social work programs within the United States. Researchers at Simmons School of Social Work have agreed to lead this effort. Doctoral students at Simmons, in collaboration with faculty, designed and tested a pilot instrument which has now been revised for implementation.

We Would Like to Hear From You! What are challenges for research on social work education that your program is facing? Successes? Innovative ideas? Where do you see gaps in research on social work education? Where do you see gaps in social work research ethics or integrity? What would you prioritize in the National Action Steps?