A Policy-Mapping Primer for Social Work Researchers and Advocates

Abstract

The profession of social work includes policy practice and advocacy as a core part of its mission, requiring social workers to understand how policy affects practice and to advocate for policy change to protect human rights and advance social and economic justice (Council on Social Work Education, 2015; National Association of Social Workers, 2021). However, most social workers get limited training in policy research methods at the MSW or PhD levels (Lightfoot et al., 2018). This research note introduces policy mapping, a policy research method that uses content analysis to examine policy proposals and enacted policies, producing outcomes that can be immediately relevant to advocacy. Policy mapping is a research method applying the techniques of content analysis—the systematic examination of the content and meaning of text, visual images, or other forms of communication (Drisko & Maschi, 2015; Krippendorff, 2013)—to proposed or enacted policies. Though often used in the context of federal or state legislation, policy mapping can be conducted with any type of policy, including regulations or local ordinances (Burris et al., 2010). Policy mapping as a research methodology is frequently situated within the field of public health, though it also has strong links to the fields of law and public policy (Burris et al., 2010; Smith & Larimer, 2016). In addition to its association with content analysis, policy mapping has methodological roots in early studies of policy typologies, which emphasize examining and comparing policy instruments (Lascoumes & Le Galès, 2007).