Evaluation of Social Work Data Sources: A Comprehensive Assignment

This homework assignment is an evaluation of various data sources relevant to the field of social work. The student explores different types of sources, including blogs, academic articles, media articles, government and non-government reports, and books. The assignment begins with preliminary details, followed by a description of the search strategy employed to find information on social workers. The core of the assignment involves a detailed evaluation of each source, assessing their usefulness, authoritativeness, and compelling nature. The student provides reasons for their choices, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each source type and identifying the most credible and impactful resources for understanding the complexities of social work practice, current issues, and the roles of social workers. The assignment also touches upon the importance of journal articles and government reports as authoritative sources, emphasizing their role in providing factual, timely, and reliable information. The student also emphasizes the importance of media articles and books for providing comprehensive insights into the field and the lives of social workers.

Data Search Activity 1
Data Search Activity
Student's Name:
Instructor's Name:
Date:

Data Search Activity 2
Section1 - Preliminary details
1. Blog
Social Work Blog. 2017. Practice and professional development. Available at
http://www.socialworkblog.org/practice-and-professional-development/ [Accessed on 8 Apr
2017]
2. Academic article in Journal
Stanfield, D., & Beddoe, L. 2013. Social work and the media: A collaborative challenge.
Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 25(4), 41-51
3. Media article
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 2014. Child, family and school
social workers. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWmoKXH4XeA. [Accessed
on 8 Apr 2017].
4. Government report
Elvin, A. 2014. How can social work get better media coverage? Available at
https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2014/feb/24/social-work-
better-media-coverage [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017]
5. Book
Payne, M. 2014. Modern social work theory. Palgrave, Macmillan Education, 4th edition.
Available at https://he.palgrave.com/page/detail/Modern-Social-Work-Theory/?
K=9780230249608. [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017]

Data Search Activity 3
6. Non government report
Lefevre, M. 2017. Child & Family Social Work. Wiley Online Library. Available at
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2206 [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017]
Section 2 - Describe your search strategy (200 words)
Data can be collected through several methods. You can use quantitative and qualitative methods
to collect data. To know more about “Social workers” the following data sources are used: blogs,
media articles, books, reports from government and non-government organizations and academic
journals. This study focuses on “Social Workers”. It helps in identifying what are the best
sources for gathering information about social workers. Several keywords can be used to find
documents on social workers. Common keywords used would be as follows:
Social workers, social work people, social work strategies, social work practice, social
work environment, blogs on social workers, a study on social workers, research articles on
social workers, government social work policies, government social work statements,
government social work report, how do social workers function? And social worker
responsibilities
These are common terms that can point us to different products that discuss social workers and
their life. Literature plays a critical role in understanding what the topic focuses on.
“Social workers and their culture” is a theoretical area. Analyzing this field of work depends on
many factors. Indeed, you need a clean plan to acquire the right amount of information about this
area. And, here is an account on how “Social workers (the chosen topic)” can be researched.

Data Search Activity 4
Section 3 - Evaluate each of your chosen sources (1300
words)
3.1. If you were researching your chosen topic which of
your sources would assist you in doing so? Give reasons
why?
Scholarly research is a great way to know more about social workers. The internet has made the
process of conducting scholarly research easy. There are plenty of credible journals with right
information. Most of the journals have documents with citations and links. These are not mere
opinions, but facts that are authoritative and credible. When you read scholarly articles about
social workers, you are bound to get more clarity. All merits and viewpoints in the area of
concern can be analyzed. Apart from justified opinions and conclusions, you will come across
many unknown secrets. Most of these claims are supported by evidence too. It is mandatory for
authors to provide proof for every word they write. Authors cannot draw conclusions with a
narrow school of thoughts. Instead, they should be very clear with what they are studying. Above
all, academic journals on social workers are all about researched work. These researches are
based on quantitative and qualitative ideas (which are necessary for optimum results). And, there
is so much freedom to gather journals on social workers. This includes physical libraries and
academic journals that are available online. The only issue with some journals would be the
“Price”. You may have to pay a considerable amount of money to read renowned journals.
However, these are worthwhile investments. After all, can you put a price tag on information and
knowledge?
Unlike many other topics, “Social workers” is a great topic that can be read from social media
blogs and articles. That is because social networking articles are provided by active citizens and
social participants. These people showcase their opinions and issues in a comprehensive way.

Data Search Activity 5
They make sure a wider audience becomes aware of their opinions. “Social Workers” is an area
with so many conflicts and opportunities. It is an area that can be subject to serious debates. And,
the best place to gather most up-to-date improvements about the field would be public social
space (blogs, articles, and newspapers). A lot of young people are building resilience and are
becoming extremely independent. This is why blogs and articles on social workers are extremely
hot. Current situations can be evaluated using these sources. By reading these documents, you
will know the present environment in which social workers are living. It gives an insight if social
workers are battling through a hostile or dangerous world. After all, “current social bloggers,
learners, and explorers” can turn into effective social workers.
Another way to know about social workers is through government and non-government reports.
These reports are likely to differ from one place to another. They are strongly decided by the
locality and its regulations. If you wish to know more about social workers in your region, these
reports will be useful. The reports speak of compliance and many other terms and conditions.
Government reports come with compliance and regulations. These reports are improved on a
periodic order. It gives a comprehensive insight of how and why social workers are impactful in
a region.
3.2. Which source(s) do you find the most
compelling/convincing, and why?
The most compelling and convincing source to understand social workers would be media
articles and authored books.
Media articles along with government reports will give you a comprehensive insight of what is
happening around. It is necessary for evaluating the present situation. Media articles are written
by commoners. And, there are numerous articles to figure out what is happening around. Media

Data Search Activity 6
articles from genuine sources will help you understand if social workers are going through a
great time or not. If there are issues, these articles can convince them in the best possible way.
As mentioned previously, media articles are written by commoners and skilled writers. This is
why many media articles on social workers are compelling. As you read through these articles,
you will be aware of the fact that social workers are doing so much out there.
Likewise, books have so much information on how social workers function. These details can
change the way you think about social workers. You will be able to gather information from
several years. Books on social workers have a history that dates back by decades. You will see
materials that are more than 50 years. These books will tell you that social workers have been an
integral part of the society. It is quite difficult to see the present society without efficient social
workers. Books from skilled and reputed authors speak of many “facts”. These facts can
stimulate the mind and keep you engaged in activities that cover social workers. Just like how the
brain processes normal factors, books can keep the spirit in topics like social workers and
practices going. Indeed, books act a huge repository of information. And, this information cannot
be neglected in any way. Reading books on social workers will keep you equipped of everything
that is happening. All challenges and achievements in a social worker’s life will be understood.
However, the amount of information you master depends on the books you read. If you choose a
compelling book, you will receive plenty of “compelling” factors. Likewise, you will master
more vocabulary. Books put forward compelling opinions using the right words. By reading
more books, you will be able to make sure these words sink inside you!

Data Search Activity 7
3.3. Which source(s) do you think are the most
authoritative and why?
Journal articles are extremely useful in grasping information about social workers too. When
compared to blogs and conventional articles, journals are authoritative. Journals convey facts
with a considerable amount of authority. You will come across many theories, assumptions, and
facts. Authoritative information is required to impart facts in a precise and concise fashion.
Social workers undergo many things in their day-to-day life. Researchers spend a considerable
amount of time writing journals. The journals serve as data assets that offer timely, trusted and
secure information. Information in these sources is extremely understandable, visible and
accessibility. Credibility is often given to information users.
Another important type of authoritative data would be the legal documents and government
reports. These reports talk about legacy systems and current methods. All government reports are
produced with a discrete strategy in mind. It comprises of the following elements:
1) To be data requirements
2) To be functional requirements
3) To be data and function actions or exchanges
4) As in legacy data resources
5) As in legacy systems
All these reports are designed with authorized data sources. Authors make sure the best fit
services and components are included. Authoritative information has few interesting dimensions.
This includes completeness, timeliness, accuracy, precision, uniqueness, consistency and
validity. Government reports are prepared with a special ADS strategy. This means

Data Search Activity 8
implementation and transition flow with a strategy in place. Visions during the formation of an
authoritative report on social workers involve the following:
1) Information dissemination – what information do social workers live on?
2) Information service consumers – who are affected by the work and data passed by
social workers?
3) Information service providers – who help social workers in several ways?
4) Technical infrastructure – do social workers need a technical infrastructure? If yes,
how efficient should it be?
5) Authoritative data sources – are social workers governed by other data sources and
standards? If yes, how can it affect the overall growth of social workers?
Experts believe that it requires skill and experience to read government reports. These reports are
often interrelated with other documents. This means you should go through the whole chain to
understand the actual concept or area of focus better. For example, social workers are expected
to work under defined DOI data standards. They should assess data quantitatively too. There can
be gaps in different structures and target work environments. These gaps will be discussed in the
government report too.

Data Search Activity 9
References
1. Lefevre, M. 2017. Child & Family Social Work. Wiley Online Library. Available at
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2206 [Accessed on 8 Apr
2017]
2. Social Work Blog. 2017. Practice and professional development. Available at
http://www.socialworkblog.org/practice-and-professional-development/ [Accessed on 8
Apr 2017]
3. Payne, M. 2014. Modern social work theory. Palgrave, Macmillan Education, 4th
edition. Available at https://he.palgrave.com/page/detail/Modern-Social-Work-Theory/?
K=9780230249608. [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017]
4. Elvin, A. 2014. How can social work get better media coverage? Available at
https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2014/feb/24/social-
work-better-media-coverage [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017]
5. Stanfield, D., & Beddoe, L. 2013. Social work and the media: A collaborative
challenge. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 25(4), 41-51
6. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 2014. Child, family and
school social workers. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MWmoKXH4XeA. [Accessed on 8 Apr 2017].