Exploratory Research Report for Community Practice Project

Understanding the Community

Before work can be done in any Community Practice Project, a Social Service Worker must first develop a thorough understanding of the community they have selected for this assignment. For this project, each group member is responsible for engaging in exploratory research and writing a comprehensive report that will assist the group to understand the community selected as a whole, specific areas of focus, and arrive at clear objectives. Included in your report is research/evidence for the need to support the community with your group project, how you conducted your research and gather evidence, the findings of your research and how you believe this information will help the project. Please ensure that this report is evidence-informed and does not include your opinion or feelings on the subject. Time will be provided in class for groups to generate questions that will help them to better understand their community of choice. It is expected the group will be dividing the work equally, sharing responsibility for research amongst individual members, and using the group contract to document roles, action items, timelines, and scheduled meeting times for the group. In addition to the areas outlined above, each group member will include the following in their individual report: You will include peer-reviewed research and grey literature (government reports, statistical information, community agency surveys and reports, etc.) You will list the questions that you are taking responsibility to explore further and provide a rationale for selecting the questions. You will reflect on your initial learning about the community, the relevance to you as a SSW, and link a theoretical perspective to your analysis of the findings of your research. Your conclusion will include what you now believe the primary issues that are readily apparent and what key issue(s) you feel your group might focus on. Rubric: Criteria Value Quality of key questions and rationale /2 Quality of evidence/research sources and research skills used to understand the community issue (at least 4-5 peer-reviewed articles and reports from the last 7 years) /4 Knowledge of topic: Reflection on learning, critical thinking, SSW analysis, use of examples to clearly explain evidence and concepts /6 Theory: connection to key ideas of a relevant theory and appropriate analysis in relation to research /4 Professional Style (Referencing and academic honesty, APA format, clarity of expression, use of paragraphs, appropriate language). /4