ABSTRACT
Practice research techniques also facilitate the standardization of existing components of intensive family preservation services, and the development of new components. A personal scientist is an individual who can engage in both practice and research simultaneously and in an integrated fashion. Personal scientists break down broad goals into smaller, more manageable goals so that they can accomplish desired changes incrementally. The same research principles and techniques that are helpful in assessment and ongoing monitoring can be applied to specify the precrisis level of the problem. Administrators, then, must understand the importance of the personal scientist model and the potential contribution of practice research findings. As agencies become larger, workers' ability to share the results of practice research efforts with one another may be inhibited. Workers will find that as applying practice research tools becomes a routine part of their practice, the process will become far less time consuming.
