Twenty Years of Publishing Research on Social Work Practice

Abstract

he inaugural issue of Research on Social WorkPractice was published in January, 1991, fully 20years ago. At the time, some social workers believedthat there was no need for a further social work journalfocusedonresearch,butacomprehensivemarketsurveyofDeansandDirectorsofsocialworkprogramsbySagePublications produced such positive resultsthat the pub-lisher was encouraged to move ahead on the develop-ment of a new research journal.Over the years, I have chosen to author very few edi-torials (Thyer, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2000), one in the 1stissue,withothersmarkingthejournal’s2ndissueandits5th, and 10th years of publication. And now, here weare, two decades old. As an avid reader of journals, Ialways mildly resented the commonplace practice of theeditors of our professional periodicals taking advantageof their appointment to insert an Editorial into eachissue. Usually these are vapid recitations of that issue’scontents, but sometimes we get treated to the Editor’sunsolicited views on some topic of interest to him or her(and often not to the reader). One editor I knowsubsequently coaxed the publications office of a profes-sional association to publish as a book a collection ofsuch editorials written during her tenure as editor. Edi-torials appearing in each issue also serve to artificiallyinflate a journal’s impact factor (see discussion of thesebelow), which is based on the extent to which articlesare cited. The more an Editor cites works recently orconcurrently appearing in his or her journal, the moreelevated that journal’s impact factor will be. However,this is an artificial elevation, not truly reflective of thegenuine extent to which a given article is rapidly citedby independent scholars. I have always thought itunseemlytoengageinsuchpractices, thinkingthatjour-nal space and resources should be devoted to actual arti-cles, not vanity pieces, and I have largely resisted suchtemptations. Largely but not completely, as you can see!However,sinceithasbeen10yearssincemylastformaleditorial, indulge me for a few minutes while I reviewthe history and successes of Research on Social WorkPractice (and cite a few of our more recentlypublished works).