L’utilizzo della ricerca scientifica nella professione dell’assistente sociale

The low propensity of social workers operating in community service to use the results of scientific studies in their daily work, as well as actively participating in social research, is a criticism of the profession detected in different realities European and international. To respond to this issue, fruitful collaborations between professionals and researchers have been implemented in many contexts, promoting an exchange of knowledge and the implementation of expertise in social work. In Italy, although the discipline has entered the universities for over 20 years, these collaborations have been activated only recently and still appear limited. This study investigated through a questionnaire the opinion of 100 social workers regarding the use of the results of scientific research in professional practice. The results show the first signs of an initial change which needs to be further supported by the development of sector research and the commitment of universities in its promotion.