International Network of Social Work Research Centers Established 
Bridging the gap between practice and research in social work is a global concern.  As reported in the last issue of  Practice & Research, the Center has joined with a network of eight European and American social work research centers to exchange and document experiences in practice-oriented research and to discuss possible joint research projects.

•	Center for the Study of Social Work Practice (CSSWP), Columbia University and JBFCS, New York, NY, USA
•	Centre for Evaluation of Social Services, The National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden
•	Department of Sociological Studies, Sheffield University, Sheffield,England
•	Fin-Soc, STAKES, the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland
•	National Institute for Social Work, London, England
•	Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, England
•	Social Work Research Centre, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
•	Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Social Policy Research Unit
University of York Workshop
In October 1998, the Center participated in a workshop sponsored by the network and hosted by the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York,York, England. The aim of the workshop, “Formulating Research Problems in Practitioner-Researcher Relationships,” was to examine aspects of problem formulation by presenting and discussing completed or on-going studies conducted by the participating centers. This critical phase impacts the destiny of a project by determining its orientation and objectives.  A central issue considered was how to make questions raised by practitioners and other stakeholders researchable, as well as how researchers might formulate questions so as to influence practice.

Dr. Edward J. Mullen, the Center’s director, presented a paper, Problem formulation in practitioner & researcher partnerships: A decade of experience at the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice. This paper examined social work research problem formulation in the context of practitioner and researcher partnerships, drawing from a decade of experience at the Center. The paper described studies conducted at the Center with specific attention to how research problem formulation has been influenced by the university, the agency, and community partners.  Dr. Neil Guterman, a faculty affiliate of the Center, also delivered a paper, The role of research in defining a ‘practicable’ problem for social work: The case of community violence exposure among children and youths. This paper was based on data collected from the Odyssey Project (see article in this issue).  The paper illustrated how research can shape practice perspectives by presenting findings not previously considered.

At the York University workshop, network participants agreed on the desirability of continuing and strengthening network activities.  Accordingly, a second network workshop was scheduled for October 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden.

National Board of Health & Welfare,
Stockholm Workshop
In October 1999, representatives from all eight research centers participating in the network convened to examine research utilization in the context of researcher and practitioner partnerships.  The workshop was hosted by the Centre for Evaluation of Social Services, the National Board of Health & Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden. The questions considered by workshop participants included:

•	How can research be utilized and implemented so as to strengthen social work practice?

•	Does a researcher-practitioner partnership facilitate research implementation and the utilization of results?

Dr. Mullen delivered a paper, Using research instruments in clinical practice: Effects on clinician and client satisfaction, which examined how a computerized assessment instrument affects clinical practice. While the use of research findings in practice has received considerable attention, few studies have examined how computer-based assessment instruments affect practice. The stress on using research findings in practice is based on the assumption that such use would strengthen the validity of the information used by practitioners as they assess, intervene, and evaluate their practice. Similarly, the use of assessment instruments developed through research and standardized through a computerized protocol should enhance the validity of the information used by practitioners in community outpatient practice.  This paper presented initial findings of the C-DISC study, which examined these assumptions (see article in this issue.)

Dr. William F. Bacon, a research scientist at the Center, delivered a paper, Assessing a researcher-practitioner partnership: A survey of clinician’s use of and attitudes towards research in clinical practice.  The paper presented initial results of a survey of JBFCS professional staff  including psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers examining use of research and other sources of information in clinical practice. The survey also examined knowledge of and attitudes toward the use of clinical practice guidelines. 

To guide the network’s future work and publications, a steering committee was appointed, including: Dr. Mullen (CSSWP), Dr. Hazel Qureshi (Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, England), and Dr. Haluk Soyden (Centre for Evaluation of Social Services, the National Board of Health & Welfare, Sweden). The international network will next convene in October 2000 at the Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Utrecht, the Netherlands (tentative). The Utrecht meeting will focus on outcomes measurement, which network members view as a pressing concern in each of the represented countries.