ABSTRACT
As the complexity of issues impacting service users increases, there is renewed interest among service providers in new approaches to practice. While practice has become increasingly specialized as research and technology expand, there is growing interest in learning about what works best to address complex social problems. This chapter draws upon the key elements of the definition of practice research in order to specify several concepts and theories that provide a conceptual foundation of practice research. It begins with a discussion of learning and sharing that includes the concepts of organizational role-taking and sense-making. The chapter concludes with lingering questions about the future of practice research. For researchers, the new role involves becoming practice-minded researchers, balancing their knowledge of research methods with new knowledge about practice.
