The participation of practitioners, service users and researchers and the collaboration and co-creation between the different actors are the very DNA of practice research. Through such collaboration and the negotiation between different partners, new ways of producing knowledge can be established: making it possible to transform the knowledge and finding into new and inspiring ways of doing social work, but also to have a critical analysis of social work practice, theories and methods. This conference will focus on practice research participation and co-creation in social work. As a part of a growing social policy agenda, the collaboration between researchers and social work practitioners is increasing, whilst the road to include service users in research is still challenged.

Therefore, this conference will focus specifically on service users' participation and the service users' position in social work practice research.

During the development of social work, a demand for evaluating, investigating and researching social work and a need for advancing new knowledge, methods and tools in social work has intensified. To support such developments social work requires more than traditional research approaches. Research based – and at the same time practice connected – approaches that could help social work practice to qualify and develop social work is consequently needed. Over the years, several initiatives have been taken to develop practice-near research. One central initiative was taken in Salisbury, UK in 2008 when 25 international researchers met to discuss and develop practice research. This conference is based on the initiative in 2008 and the following conferences in Helsinki, New York, Hong Kong and Melbourne.

Please note that the conference is an in-person conference – hence virtual attendance is not possible.

Contact

If you have questions regarding the conference please use this email address: ICPR2023@conference.aau.dk.