RESEARCH IN SOCIAL CARE: GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCHERS

9 REPORT ON THE STUDY AND DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS

Writing up is often a continuous process, which can begin while the data is being collected and analysed: for example, it is often best to write about the methods of the study while the difficulties which were encountered are still fresh in the mind.  There is also likely to be an iterative process by which the writing triggers off further questions and so further analyses, which lead to more writing.  A guide to writing up research can be found at the RDDirect Helpline.

Planning your dissemination

From an early stage the researcher should think about the following questions, which will shape the strategy for writing up and dissemination:

• Who should know about the results of this research?
• How can I ensure that the results will reach those people?
• What medium would be best to ensure that the results are accessible?

Ideas about using research to make change happen can be found at the SWAP website (Unfortunately this website will not be updated after 2005) and suggestions for using research from a variety of different sources can be found at the SCIE website. 

Making an impact on practice

For many researchers it is important that their hard work contributes to the development of better services.  There are various sources of ideas about how this can be done.

• Ideas about evidence-based practice have been developed by SWAP (Not updated after 2005)
• The Joint Universities Council is concerned with Promoting social work and social policy research

Rules for writing up

How you write up will, to some extent, depend on where the piece is to be published or made available.  But there are some rules which apply in most cases.

• Plan your writing in advance, thinking carefully about your key messages
• Have a summary or an abstract at the beginning for busy people
• Write as clearly and as interestingly as you can
• Present honestly the data which supports your findings
• Don’t make mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation
• Tables, charts and other visual material are welcomed by readers
• Conclude by summing up what your study has contributed
• List recommendations for policy and practice, if appropriate
• Give references to other sources, using the Harvard style of referencing

A guide to effective writing has been produced at Loughborough University.

Where to publish

The results of research may be disseminated in the form of:

• A research report, which is a carefully structured piece which sets out clearly the background to the study, its aims and methods, its findings and their implications for policy, practice and the growth of knowledge.  It is likely to be written for a particular audience, such as service users, managers in social care, professional colleagues or multi disciplinary teams
• A published article, which is designed to convey new knowledge or ideas to the readers of that journal.  In the more academic journals, articles will be sent to referees to be peer reviewed.  Researchers in social care have a wealth of journals to chose from, such as,

• Community Care, which is read by the largest number of readers in social care (and which pays for articles, but is not peer reviewed)
• Ageing and Society, which covers all aspects of ageing and services for elderly people
• Adoption and Fostering, which discusses new developments in child care practice and research
• British Journal of Learning Disabilities which publishes articles on a wide range of debates in research, policy and practice
• British Journal of Social Work, which covers every aspect of social work and is read by both academics and practitioners
• Child and Family Social Work which publishes articles on research , theory, policy and practice on social work with children
• Research, Policy and Planning, which is the journal of the Social Services Research Group

• A book either for an academic or professional audience, or for both
• Submit your research details to the National Research Register for Social Care

Other ideas on dissemination

Publishing is not the only way to make your work known.  Other possibilities are:

• A presentation at an appropriate conference.  Most professional bodies and academic disciplines have regular conferences and seminars at which research results are presented.  A useful guide to creating an effective PowerPoint presentation has been produced by Thomas Saylor. 
• Working with the media to create a television or radio programme, or simply responding to queries from the media
• Creating a training programme, perhaps in association with a college or university, or a professional body
• Electronic versions of the findings, for example, in the form of a DVD, a web page, an on-line discussion group, or your own blog. 

Your duty to inform

Those who do research have a duty to tell people what they have discovered and to make clear what the findings mean for the development of policy and practice.  Points to bear in mind are:

• Social care research is carried out for the benefit of service users, care professionals, the public in general and for the advance of academic knowledge and understanding
• There should be free access to information, both about the research being conducted and about the findings of the research once these have been subjected to appropriate scientific review through the accepted scientific and professional channels. Submit the details to the National Research Register for Social Care
• Findings must be made available to those who took part in the research
• Results must also be made available to anyone who could benefit

Research offers the possibility of contributing to improvements in the lives of the people who use, and work in, the social care services.  As researchers we have a duty to do as much as we can to ensure that our work has a beneficial impact.