ABSTRACT
The aim of this critical commentary is to set out what I think are some important issues regarding social work research, and to imply what I think should be the contributory factors towards a general strategy. I prepared the initial version of this chapter for a workshop of social work doctoral students in Nottingham in the spring of 2002, and the tone and pitch of the chapter reflect its origins. I was not speaking to government officers, social work students, practitioners or fellow academics. I assume some knowledge of the field, and have an action agenda, but have not attempted the detailed ‘so what’ work.1 I have tried to avoid being too parochial. I owe much to international links, but my main focus is on Britain, and suspect that readers can make the ‘translation’ to their own circumstances.
