THE INFLUENCE OF THE GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH-PROJECT ON PRACTICE RESEARCH

This article reports on an empirical investigation regarding the influence of the MSW research project on subsequent practice research. The study sought to determine if the type or method of the required MSW research project influenced the conduct of research by social workers after graduation. The major independent variables were the types of research and methods of data gathering used in the MSW project The outcome measures were the number and types of research projects that subjects had conducted since graduation. The study group comprised 98 recent MSW graduates of the University of South Florida School of Social Work The survey instrument was a closed-ended one designed specifically for this study The analysis of data showed that 38% had conducted some type of research project since graduation. Of these studies, 76% were program evaluations, and 24% were single-subject evaluations. The findings are discussed in terms of the research-practice gap in social work.