Rethinking Quality Assessment Tools for Social Work Evidence Synthesis Research.

The article focuses on the challenges of applying conventional quality appraisal tools, originally developed for biomedical research, to social work research in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It highlights that these tools prioritize randomized controlled trials, blinding, and standardized in...

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Publicado en:Social Work Research Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 65 - 70
Autores principales: Rafieifar, Maryam, Naseh, Mitra
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Mar2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2026
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      pub: Oxford University Press / USA
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        atl: Rethinking Quality Assessment Tools for Social Work Evidence Synthesis Research.
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        au:
          Rafieifar, Maryam
          Naseh, Mitra
        affil:
          Maryam Rafieifar, PhD, is assistant professor, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
          Mitra Naseh, PhD, is assistant professor, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
      su:
        Child welfare
        Self-evaluation
        Language & languages
        Evaluation of human services programs
        Cultural competence
        Social services
        Social work research
        Research ethics
        Serial publications
        Professional practice
        Clinical medicine research
        Meta-analysis
        Systematic reviews
        Research bias
        Evidence-based medicine
        Quality assurance
      sug:
        subj:
          Child welfare
          Self-evaluation
          Language & languages
          Evaluation of human services programs
          Cultural competence
          Social services
          Social work research
          Research ethics
          Other Individual and Family Services
          Serial publications
          Professional practice
          Clinical medicine research
          Meta-analysis
          Systematic reviews
          Research bias
          Evidence-based medicine
          Quality assurance
      ab: The article focuses on the challenges of applying conventional quality appraisal tools, originally developed for biomedical research, to social work research in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It highlights that these tools prioritize randomized controlled trials, blinding, and standardized interventions, which often conflict with the participatory, relational, and context-driven nature of social work studies. This misalignment leads to the undervaluation and exclusion of important social work research, particularly studies grounded in community engagement and cultural responsiveness, from evidence syntheses that inform policy and funding. The article calls for the development of new or adapted quality assessment frameworks that reflect social work’s core values, ethical priorities, and methodological diversity, emphasizing transparency, contextual relevance, and flexibility to better capture the strengths of social work research.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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