A New Approach to Relevant Scientific Research for Practitioners: The Heuristic Paradigm

Abstract

The positivist paradigm that defined scientific social work research from 1949 to 1981 has failed to engender research that most practitioners find useful. Positivist criteria for valuable research require that practitioners conform to restrictive methodologies that are incompatible with other social work values and with most casework models. To remedy those inadequacies, social workers increasingly are turning to the heuristic paradigm, an up-to-date, scientific philosophy of research that draws from contemporary philosophy of science and cultural, cognitive, and linguistic studies and that endorses research as a tool for advocacy. To indicate the need for the new approach, the deleterious effects of social work researchers' adoption of the positivist paradigm are described, and reasons why positivism has been rejected by researchers in other disciplines are summarized. Fundamental concepts of the heuristic paradigm are elaborated on, with an emphasis on how the new conceptual foundations can facilitate a fruitful marriage of practice and research that will engender sound, relevant, important knowledge.