We recognize the importance of continued learning in social work and want to be involved in research that's exploring emerging issues in the social work field and helps strengthen evidence-based practices. We acknowledge that decolonized Indigenous and Afrocentric knowledge is underrepresented in research and we have a strong interest in contributing to culturally responsive research approaches and methodologies.
We're particularly interested in projects that align with our strategic plan and mission to advance the social work profession. OASW is guided by a responsive approach, and our areas of interest adapt overtime to reflect emerging priorities and opportunities. Timelines are flexible, recognizing the complexity and varied pace of research. Our current areas of interest include:
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Social justice and public policy priorities:
- Social work in public settings such as schools and healthcare, including the measurable system-level impact of social work in terms of client and service user outcomes, service integration and cost avoidance across systems.
- The policy and practice impacts and client/service user outcomes of expanding the scope of practice of registered social workers to include the authority to diagnose mental health conditions
- Early intervention and prevention models led by social workers
- Expanding knowledge on social work's role and impact in housing, poverty reduction and gender-based violence
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Emerging professional issues for social workers, such as
- Impact of digital practice, virtual care and AI on social work
- Trends and outcomes in post-secondary social work education and placements
- Emerging trends in the mental health workforce including practice challenges and cross-professional intersections.
- Effectiveness and access to professional supervision
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Equity Integration, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging
- Operationalizing equity in day-to-day social work practice
- Access disparities for equity-deserving communities within social work services.
- Effectiveness of culturally grounded, Afrocentric or Indigenous-led models of care
How OASW Can Support Research
OASW can support research initiatives in several meaningful ways. This includes contributing to the design, implementation and authorship of research projects, in-kind support, access to the profession through our member networks and communication channels, and knowledge translation including webinars, conferences and other educational initiatives.
Through this work, we aim to contribute to strengthening the profession and improving outcomes for the communities we serve, with a particular emphasis on advancing equity, improving access and informing system-level change across Ontario. We also ask to be acknowledged as a contributor in recognition of our involvement.
Connect With Us
If you're interested in exploring a potential partnership or have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Please note that due to the volume of requests, OASW is unable to participate in all research partnership inquiries. We will prioritize and follow up on proposals that most closely align with our mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. How OASW supports will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The scope of support we can provide will depend on available capacity and resources. For projects requiring significant involvement from our team, such as data collection, data analysis, or project coordination, we may ask collaborators to identify funding to support the necessary personnel and research activities. Please also note that OASW does not provide direct funding or access to our member data.
Additional Opportunities
For researchers who are not seeking a formal collaboration, OASW offers paid advertising (admail) to connect with our membership for research studies. Admail is not considered a partnership, but provides a way to reach OASW members by email for data collection or research dissemination. Admail requests require Research Ethics Board (REB) approval, the request email message must be approved by the OASW team, and a disclaimer will be attached noting that the research is not endorsed by OASW.
For more information on admail criteria and costs, please contact [email protected].