Suchergebnisse

There is a growing interest in practice as a concept and as a focus of research in social work and within different sciences. This article examines different ways of producing knowledge in social work in relation to practice research. It is based on the research processes conducted in the institutes of practice research in social work in Finland and reflects on the different theoretical and methodological standpoints as well as illuminating the process of creating knowledge in practice research. Practice research calls for the development of concepts and approaches that allow transcendence of the division between theory and practice. The article argues the need for a supportive infrastructure and an open-ended approach to diverse practice research models.

Modelling represents a core method of investigation in the sciences. Relying on a number of case studies, I want to explore the main concepts that denote the practice of modeling in pure and applied sciences. I argue that these concepts could be seen as metaphors to reflect upon when exploring how the practices of modeling are characterised across different disciplines.