research in practice: Development Groups 2006 Wales College

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research in practice Development Groups 2006
Wales College

• Locating research Sources and methods
• Day 1

Elizabeth Cooke
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Sources of research evidence

• Journals/Monographs/Abstracts
• Databases online free and at cost
• Organisational websites
• Current Awareness Bulletins/Newsletters
• Statistical information
• Libraries -Departmental/Universities/Specialist
• Grey literature (National Research Register for
  Social Care (NRRSC)
• Personal contact with researchers

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Journals (1)

• recommended list on RiP website (see Development
  Materials)
• - some marked practitioner-friendly
• - links to on-line versions where appropriate
• hard copy (subscription usually needed)
• on-line (some provide full-text articles free)
• BMJ
• British Journal of Social Work
• Research, Policy and Planning

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Journals (2)

• on-line (just see titles / abstracts for free)
• BAAF Adoption and Fostering
• Child Family Social Work
• many will do contents alerts (e-toc)

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Free on-line databases (1)

• Social Care Online - hosted by SCIE
• - largest UK collection of research about CYP
• PubMed - is a major gateway and a service of the
  National Library of Medicine. PubMed includes
  links to many sites providing full text articles
  and other related resources. Applicable for MH,
  LD, PD and CP issues

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Free on-line databases (2)

• RiP Evidence Bank
• - research reviews since 2002 (selective prior)
• - incl. RiP comments on strengths / weaknesses
  
• CERUK
• - current educational research in the UK

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On-line databases (with costs)

• ChildData
• - hosted by NCB
• - from April 2004 free to LA members
• Psychinfo
• - psychology-related articles, books reports
• - free demonstration
• - time-limited access (24 hours) for small cost

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Organisations websites (1)

• SCIE
• Practice Guides make recommendations (eg.
  managing practice)
• Resource Guides point to knowledge on a topic
  (eg. families with alcohol MH problems)
• Knowledge Reviews
• NfER National Foundation for Educational
  Research
• Information, services and research related to
  education
• Barnardos
• summaries on-line (full reports must be bought)
• includes the What Works series
• University of York SPRU
• Research Works - summarise the units projects

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Organisations websites (2)

• What Works for Children
• Evidence Nuggets on interventions (eg.
  mentoring)
• Research Briefings summaries (eg. reducing
  offending)
• Overviews (eg. reducing health inequalities)
• Children in Wales information service,
  statistics,
• mail-outs
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Findings with keyword search facility
• National Childrens Bureau
• Highlights (available to members)

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Key Websites Supporting Families

• NFPI National Family and Parenting Institute
• JRF Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• DfES Department for Education and Skills
• Parenting Education and Support Forum
• SureStart / Cymorth

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University websites (3)

• Centre for Child Family Research
• based at Loughborough University
• Evidence Papers 4 page summaries of the
  Centres research (eg. outcomes for LAC)
• University of Cardiff School of Social Sciences
• list of completed and current projects
• contact details for researchers

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Government Sites

• DfES - Department for Education and Skills
• National Assembly for Wales
• Teenage Pregnancy Unit

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Email newsletters awareness bulletins

• RiP Research Policy Updates (monthly)
• http//www.rip.org.uk/rpu/index.asp
• NSPCC Caspar e-mail alert
• Four Nations Child Policy Network Wales
  e-mail briefings, paper bulletin
• NCB - 4 Nations (for members only), Children in
  the News (free press cuttings)
• Community Care Snapshot (can specify CF only)
• BAAF - this costs

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Statistics

• Research and Statistics Gateway
• DfES (England) -
• Statistics for Wales
• ONS Social and Welfare
• Welsh Local Government Association
• Gateways facilitate access to a range of sites
• eg. Intute Social Sciences

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Personal contacts

• RiP Register of Researchers
• - recently updated and improved (now 146 people)
  
• - searchable by topic
• - lists their current projects publications

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Help with finding evidence (1)

• Guidance on searching
• see handouts from Research in Practice and
  Evidence Network
• Free on-line training
• Research Mindedness
• - SCIE funded, case studies devt materials
• Internet Social Worker
• - e-tutorials on using the www to find evidence

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Help with finding evidence (2)

• Libraries
• conducting searches on topics
• producing reading lists (titles and / or
  abstracts)
• obtaining / copying articles or chapters
• providing new publications bulletins
• loaning books
• collating press cuttings

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Help with finding evidence (3)

• Libraries cont.
• Departmental / corporate
• Partners (eg. health, police)
• Local university (eg. provide placements)
• Other universities / colleges (?)
• Other authorities (eg. Hampshire) ()
• NCB ()
• NSPCC Inform (CP) (eg. 2 / article)
• National Youth Agency ()
• British Library (eg. 8.50 / article)

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Quality Criteria

• critical awareness - 3 wwws
• who is the information provider?
• identifiable, reputable, ?agenda,
• contactable, transparent, authoritative
• where, type of organisation - check URL
• when - is it current?, typos, legibility