Academic-Practice Partnerships in Practice Research

Summary

Academic-practice partnerships in practice research support health social workers in engaging in research that is embedded within their practice. This shift in culture enables social workers to join in a health service discourse that is increasingly data-driven and focused on effective practice and demonstrated quality of care for patients. The mentoring model is described as enabling practitioners to superimpose research skills onto existing practice skills. An academic-practice research collaboration can reduce the distance between research and practice, contribute to a body of knowledge for health social work and promote health social workers as “research focused practitioners.”

Key Words:

• Academic practice partnership
• collaboration
• practice research
• mentoring model
• research focused practitioner