Social work research culture in Australian university settings

Summary: There has been increased attention on the performance of social work researchers and strategies for strengthening the connection between research and practice. However, little is known about the research culture of social work discipline groups within universities and what contributes to a sustainable high-performance culture. Twenty experienced social work researchers from Australian universities were recruited and participated in qualitative interviews. Informed by a critical realist perspective, participants shared what they perceive as influencing social work research culture in university settings.

Findings: Participants reflected on the beliefs, values, and behaviors contributing to a positive research culture in universities and social work discipline groups. Four key themes were developed: research culture is enhanced when there is a cadre of research-qualified staff; collaboration enhances research culture; time for research needs to be protected; and the professional narrative about social work research influences research culture in universities. Precarious employment for research staff, limited focus on research training in social work qualifying degrees and workloads that focus primarily on administration and teaching were seen as inhibitors of research culture.

Applications: Attracting and retaining high-performing social work researchers assist in setting benchmarks for research performance, strengthening the quality and purpose of research training, supporting junior colleagues to navigate research systems, and creating opportunities for collaboration. While multidisciplinary collaborations within a particular field can sometimes detract from a focus on research culture in social work, they can also raise performance expectations and strengthen positioning for competitive grants.