I have been Editor-in-Chief for 6 months. In that time, we have received many papers for review that have not been relevant or suitable for Social Work with Groups. Thus, in this Editorial, I will discuss writing for Social Work with Groups. I strongly encourage those of you doing or studying group work to submit your work for review and possible publication. If you are a student, an emerging researcher or practitioner, or new to writing especially for a peer-reviewed journal but are keen to do so, I hope this Editorial will be particularly useful for you.
The purpose and function of social work with groups
The aims of Social Work with Groups include publishing written work that discusses evidence-guided and knowledge-informed group work with a variety of challenges or issues and populations. It is common for authors to present practice examples that are grounded in, and connected to, group work theory and theoretical concepts, for example, facilitating from a strengths-based approach or discussing the stages of group development and how they applied to a particular intervention. Other authors discuss the importance of group work knowledge and concepts such as normalization, group process, and effective group leadership. Often, authors analyze innovative and creative ways to use group work in teaching and field instruction, for instance, helping students interact as a connected group who are practicing mutual aid rather than being passive listeners and learners.
One of the main points to remember is that in writing for Social Work with Groups, research processes, group work practices, teaching approaches, and so forth, must be contextualized and situated within existent group work knowledge of which there is an abundance to draw from. One of the first things a writer for this journal should do is check previous publications in the journal to determine what has been published that is relevant and informative for your own work.
Situating your work
For example, a writer might have had an interesting or illuminating experience with a group wherein the participants excelled at mutual aid perhaps without a lot of facilitator instruction or guidance. We have had this experience in bringing LGBTQ2S+ youth together to attend one of our arts-based mindfulness group programs. These youth were socially isolated and often marginalized at school. These challenging experiences coupled with a lack of services for youth in our community meant that when these youth were offered a strengths-based, supportive, and safer environment to meet and participate in a group, they felt eager to make connections and support each other over shared experiences.
Mutual aid is an important concept in group work that has been discussed and refined over decades. Social Work with Groups has published many papers that focus on the process of mutual aid including group worker’s experience with mutual aid; using mutual aid as an educational tool; discussing mutual aid as best-practice in group work; using and applying mutual aid with specific populations such as children or the elderly; describing programs that are situated within mutual aid groups; and many others.
Accordingly, if an author’s writing explores a well-known concept in group work, they should (1) identify the process as such, and importantly, (2) connect their experience to what others have written about it. Sometimes our experiences mirror others’ experiences and sometimes they do not but this brings to light how concepts can and must be adapted or changed depending on a particular group’s characteristics or needs. Group work knowledge, understanding, and practice develop as we build on what has been done before by supporting or refuting a topic or concept and refining and further developing these.
A focus on group work is imperative
Importantly, no matter what type of paper an author writes for Social Work with Groups, papers must have a focus on group work, for instance, group work practices, and/or group work processes and concepts. This discussion about group work must be front and center. For example, perhaps an author has conducted a study in which they used focus groups or group interviews to collect their data. That method in and of itself does not make the paper suitable for this journal if there is no exploration or discussion of the group interviews. In this type of situation, an author might like to write a paper outlining project results, and then another paper for Social Work with Groups in which they focus on the focus group data collection method because it was interesting or novel in some way or perhaps something unexpected occurred that would be useful for readers to consider and contemplate.
Different types of papers
Some readers might think that they must be researchers with research results to write something for publication in Social Work with Groups. This is not the case. Many practitioners, educators, and students have shared their experiences with our readership, and often, these papers have brought group work concepts to life by sharing effective practices, strategies, and cautions and challenges. A doctoral student working with me recently published a paper discussing why an online version of our arts-based mindfulness group program did not work with young mothers. In her experience, the mothers lacked access to appropriate technology, privacy in their homes, and childcare, all of which interfered in their willingness and ability to participate in an online group program. Therefore, writers do not have to report only successes in their studies or practices. Oftentimes when something does not work or goes astray, we can gain meaningful learning from these experiences.
Many of the papers published in Social Work with Groups are research articles that typically report on the results of a research study. These types of papers may contain figures and tables that show a map of qualitative analyses or a table of quantitative results, demographic characteristics of a population, and/or descriptions of group activities. Authors should decide on one or two key points of focus that they wish to share regarding their work given the necessity to write concisely and precisely, and the limitations of space. Authors could also write and submit a brief report which is a short announcement of research results.
A review article is a review or state-of-the-art summary paper. Oftentimes within a specific field of work, we need to take stock and assess and identify what has been done to date, what is known about an intervention, practice, or concept, and what future directions are indicated for further exploration and development. A case report could describe a specific case or case study, or description of cases.
Writing for a journal can be a good experience
I have had articles published in many different journals, and I have had my fair share of negative experiences with the process including non-responsive Editors and too long review processes. In one case, an Editor held onto a paper for 1 year without sending it out for review. Fortunately, I have also had interactions with knowledgeable and supportive Editors. I certainly have appreciated these encounters, and I strive to do the same as Editor-in-Chief of Social Work with Groups. Therefore, if you submit a paper that is focused on group work, rest assured that it will be attended to in a timely and supportive fashion.
Group work is a much-needed knowledge-informed and evidence-based practice. I believe that group work is even more relevant in today’s world given the growing social isolation of many populations such as young people and the elderly. Group work has the power to change people’s lives by helping them develop skills and coping abilities, improve self-understanding and esteem, make positive connections, and much more. If you have an interesting group work experience to share, please consider submitting your written work for review. Social Work with Groups is a great place to start your writing journey.