Personal motivation and research process in social work

¶ … social work was mainly influenced by my desire to work with people. As a teenager, I saw several of my friends being helped by social workers in manner that left me motivated. My motivation was fuelled by the fact that I believe in the power of knowledge in alleviating problems in the society. This is why I embarked on a research process that would help me in advancing knowledge in the field of social science. Other than working with people, I strongly felt the urge of empowering them in a manner which is congruent with the existing social values and beliefs.

Before embarking on my research, I took a lot of time to thinks of the areas of knowledge in social science which had a deficit. This process allowed me to coin a precise problem statement which would later on help me in finishing my research. The problem statement was very important for my research since it gave me a chance to question the real issues that affected the society.

The needs as well as significance of the study

Prior to embarking on my research, I had to reflect as well as reassess my actions, aims as well as objectives of the research. At this point I became convinced that social science is indeed in the minds of individuals for various reasons. The roadblocks as well as challenge that I faced at this point only ended up strengthening me in my quest for more knowledge in social work. The research process helped me to ascertain that social work is indeed a worthwhile course that should be supported by the government and the society at large.

Literature review- a very crucial tool

While conducting my research, I employed a literature review in order to gather information in the field of social work as well as identify the research gaps that are important for the setting of research aims and objectives. I must say that I truly fathomed the power of using literature review in research. The ability to effectively identify what has already been done by others on the basis of specific theories as well as show the evidence that they produced in their work proved to be a very powerful in moving my discussions and debates beyond my own biases and preferences.

As for me, the biggest insights that I gained in the process of writing my research and by the use of the literature review are;

1. The capability of reviewing the theories contained in other people's work as well as attempting to solve the problems that currently face the field of social work

2. The ability to capture, assess, document as well as leverage the results of my own research up to the point of implementation

The competencies that I lack

The concept of social work appeared friendly in regard to the common problems that have almost the same solutions over time. What I never realized / accomplished was how to effectively use technology in an active capacity in the improvement of the social science as a discipline.

Conclusion

The research process allowed me an opportunity to learn new ideas, solve social problems as well as realize my missing competencies. I look forward to engaging in more social research in order to prepare me for the dynamic social work environment