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Navigating complex and evolving practice environments requires resilient social workers. However, education's contribution to professional resilience development is underinvestigated. As part of a longitudinal, qualitative study, this article reports the findings on how social workers as students and then newly qualified practitioners perceived how their education fostered professional resilience. In stage one, interviews were conducted with 23 social work students from eight Australian universities in the final 12 months of their Master of Social Work (Qualifying) degree. In stage two, the sample was reduced to 19, with interviews occurring after approximately six months of practice. Framed by critical theory and social constructionism, narrative inquiry guided the analysis of participants’ perceptions. The results revealed professional resilience is relational and developed through curricula and pedagogy facilitating connection, building knowledge through critical reflection, and preparing students for the realities and complexities of practice. The study extends evidence that transitioning from student to practitioner is a crucial time in social workers’ careers. The findings identify that professional resilience can be fostered by responsive external resources and evidence-based programs offered by universities, practice organisations, and professional bodies.IMPLICATIONSSocial workers' resilience relies upon education fostering connection between students, academics, and qualified social workers, incorporating critical reflection and developing knowledge and skills in navigating practice contexts. Field education is integral to this process.Social workers in Australia could benefit from a nationwide program creating a consistent and evidence-informed approach to support newly qualified social workers as they transition into the workforce.Social workers' resilience relies upon education fostering connection between students, academics, and qualified social workers, incorporating critical reflection and developing knowledge and skills in navigating practice contexts. Field education is integral to this process.Social workers in Australia could benefit from a nationwide program creating a consistent and evidence-informed approach to support newly qualified social workers as they transition into the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication of social work research and scholarship is integral to generating and disseminating knowledge for the profession and the human services field. Previous research has found a large proportion of nonresearch articles in social work journals, but there has been little exploration of the nature of this scholarship. Using a scoping review method supplemented by analysis of national research assessment output data, this study examined the quantity, format, and characteristics of scholarly publications between 2010–2020 by Australian social workers. It found they produced proportionately more journal articles than other disciplines and relatively fewer books and book chapters. Of 1,389 Australian social work articles published in top-cited social work journals, 821 (59.1%) were research articles. Of the nonresearch articles, almost half provided an analysis of policy or practice without stating a method. Understanding the scope of social work research provides a foundation for reflection on the discipline's research endeavours. Information about the scope of social work research is useful for developing both individual and disciplinary research strategy. A clear statement of method that describes the processes used for observation and analysis would enhance the quality of nonresearch social work publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) people in Australia are actively engaged in civic life, contributing volunteer service to various political, activist, and community organisations. Although there is emerging evidence that civic engagement contributes to the health and wellbeing of the general population, information about how volunteerism contributes to LGBTIQ+ community wellbeing has only recently emerged. We used a prospective cross-sectional design to investigate responsibility for civic engagement, sense of community, and loneliness among a convenience sample of LGBTIQ+ volunteers (N = 195). Findings were that volunteers reported a consistent and high degree of community engagement and a strong sense of attachment to the Australian LGBTIQ+ community. A higher-than-expected degree of loneliness was reported in this sample of volunteers, and it was notable that being transgender or gender diverse was a significant predictor of loneliness. This highlights the importance of loneliness among transgender and gender diverse people and the value of discerning differences between groups in the LGBTIQ+ community. IMPLICATIONS Social workers must be mindful that, despite being connected to communities and demonstrating civic engagement, certain LGBTIQ+ volunteers could be at risk of loneliness. The higher rate of loneliness among transgender and gender diverse volunteers indicates a need for LGBTIQ+-affirming organisations to develop particular strategies to address isolation and loneliness among this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While social work research in Australia is in reasonable shape, it requires a strong research culture promoting rigorous research to enhance its credibility and influence on social policy discourses. This study explored proposals to advance social work research, based on interviews with 20 experienced Australian social work researchers. Strategies identified include improving research culture and training, the development of research infrastructure to promote and stimulate research, and forming new partnerships both among researchers and between researchers and research end-users. Growing and strengthening the research foundations of the discipline is essential to its future relevance. IMPLICATIONS The Australian social work community would benefit from a more deliberate and strategic approach to increasing the quality and quantity of research to inform practice and policy. Opportunities for social work researchers to connect with each other to disseminate, discuss, and plan research could provide a hub for increasing research development and research collaboration. The responsibility and capacity to lead research development and advocate for social work research is shared between the academy, the human services sector, and representative professional associations. The Australian social work community would benefit from a more deliberate and strategic approach to increasing the quality and quantity of research to inform practice and policy.Opportunities for social work researchers to connect with each other to disseminate, discuss, and plan research could provide a hub for increasing research development and research collaboration.The responsibility and capacity to lead research development and advocate for social work research is shared between the academy, the human services sector, and representative professional associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the scholarly impact of social work research can inform strategies to strengthen the profession's research foundations. This study examined research productivity and academic impact using h-indexes for a sample of 112 Australian social work researchers according to the stage of their career. Annual research output was calculated using Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) data. The average h-index for all social work researchers in the sample was 6.39 (Scopus) and 12.5 (Google Scholar). Web of Science was not used due to the number of inaccurate researcher profiles. One hundred and thirty-nine publications received 100 or more citations, but there were many never-cited publications. A social work benchmark for the number of publications is around 1.4 publications per year, depending upon a person's stage of career and workload profile. Citation analysis can supplement peer review in evaluating research quality, but there are disciplinary differences in publication and citation practices, so it is useful to know where social work is positioned. IMPLICATIONS Citation analysis is used to assess research productivity and quality alongside qualitative assessment, such as peer review. It is imperative for researchers to check, correct, and claim Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science records, and to link these to their ORCID profile. A citation benchmark for social work would be in the range of h-index 3.2 for early-career researchers to 15.8 for research-focused positions (Scopus) or h-index 6.1–25.0 (Google Scholar). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Australian Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Australian Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)