research%20in%20practice

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research in practice

• Locating Research on Fatherhood on the Web

Elizabeth Cooke
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research in practice

• research in practice is the largest childcare
  research implementation project in England and
  Wales. It is a department of The Dartington Hall
  Trust run in collaboration with the Association
  of Directors of Social Services,The University of
  Sheffield and our network of over 100
  participating agencies in the UK
• There are five strands to our work Change
  Projects, publications, the website, Learning
  Events, network exchange
• Our website www.rip.org.uk

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Research Literature on Fatherhood

• in and out of research focus (Lewis, 2003)
• 30 years ago forgotten contributors to child
  development (Lamb, 1975)
• Currently back on the policy agenda though
  uneven development
• Research literature concerned with
• Father involvement in parenting
• Engaging fathers the practice debate
• Located in a range of disciplines social
  psychology, social policy, social work
• Focus on UK based research relevant to social
  work practice with fathers

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Sources of research evidence

• Journals/Monographs/Abstracts
• Databases online free and at cost
• Organisational websites
• Current Awareness Bulletins/Newsletters
• Statistical information
• Libraries -Departmental/Universities/Specialist
• Grey literature
• Personal contact with researchers

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Journals

• recommended list on RiP website - some marked
  practitioner-friendly
• - links to on-line versions where appropriate
• hard copy (subscription usually needed)
• on-line (some provide full-text articles free)
• BMJ
• British Journal of Social Work
• Research, Policy and Planning
• on-line (just see titles / abstracts for free)
• Fatherwork
• BAAF Adoption and Fostering
• Child Family Social Work

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Free on-line databases (1)

• Caredata - hosted by SCIE and part of eLSC -
  largest UK collection of research about CYP
  search under fathers,parental role etc
• The FatherLit Database National Centre on
  Fathers and Families, University of Pennsylvania
• RiP Evidence Bank
• - all research reviews since 2002 (selective
  prior)
• - see handout of chronological list
• - incl. RiP comments on strengths / weaknesses

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Free on-line databases (2)

• Gateways facilitate access to a range of sites
• eg. Social Science Info.Gateway (SOSIG)
• PubMed
• - largest health and health-related database
• - funded by US govt (but international refs.)
• - applicable for MH, LD, PD and CP issues
• CERUK
• - current educational research in the UK

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On-line databases (with costs)

• ChildData
• - hosted by NCB
• - from April 2004 free to LA members
• Psychinfo
• - psychology-related articles, books reports
• - free demonstration
• - time-limited access (24 hours) for small cost
• PLUS large academic databases usually available
  through your local university

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Organisational websites (1)

• Policy Research Bureau
• recent research on fatherhood and parenting
• Institute of Public Policy Research
• Adrienne Burgess articles
• Barnardos
• summaries on-line (full reports must be bought)
• includes the What Works series
• Newpin

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Organisational websites (2)

• SureStart
• Fathers involvement /evaluation of programmes
  focussed on fathers
• National Childrens Bureau
• Highlights (available to members)
• Fathers Plus / Working with Men

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Key Websites Fatherhood

• NFPI National Family and Parenting Institute
  What Good are Dads? published with Fathers
  Direct/ Working with Men/Newpin Fathers Support
  Centre
• JRF Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Findings with keyword search facility
• Fathers Direct father facts
• Parenting Education and Support Forum online
  library, practice and training resources

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Contact Researchers

• Find resources/publications/articles in full text
  -
• Some UK based examples
• Charlie Lewis, University of Lancaster
• Brid Featherstone, University of Huddersfield
• Margaret OBrien, University of East Anglia
• Michael Lamb, University of Cambridge

• Research in Practice - Register of Researchers
• recently updated and improved (now 146 people) -
  searchable by topic - lists their current
  projects publications

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University websites

• National Centre on Fathers and Families
• University of Pennsylvania research reviews,
  online database, fathering programmes
• University of East Anglia
• Centre for Research on the Child and the Family
• list of completed and current projects (no
  reports)
• contact details for researchers

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Email newsletters awareness bulletins

• Fathers Direct newsletter
• RiP/NCB Research Policy Updates (monthly)
• http//www.rip.org.uk/rpu/index.asp
• NSPCC Caspar e-mail alert
• Four Nations Child Policy Network e-mail
  briefings, paper bulletin
• NCB - 4 Nations (for members only), Children in
  the News (free press cuttings)
• Community Care Snapshot (can specify CF only)

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Statistics

• Research and Statistics Gateway DfES
  (England)
• ONS Social and Welfare

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Help with finding evidence (1)

• Guidance on searching
• see handouts from RiP, Evidence Network, CEBSS
• Free on-line training
• Research Mindedness
• - SCIE funded, case studies devt materials
• Internet Social Worker
• - e-tutorials on using the www to find evidence
• Other EIP organisations
• Centre for Evidence Based Social Services

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Quality Criteria

• critical awareness - 3 wwws
• who is the information provider?
• identifiable, reputable, ?agenda,
• contactable, transparent, authoritative
• where, type of organisation - check URL
• when - is it current?, typos, legibility