ECO MAPS - A TOOL TO BRIDGE THE PRACTICE-RESEARCH GAP

The social work profession has played host to a continuing dialogue ab out the interplay between research and practice. Traditionally, practi tioners collect data that have real-world usefulness and are relevant to the intervention process with particular clients. Researchers, on t he other hand, are skilled in designing and conducting studies that re sult in data that can be generalized to build the profession's foundat ion of knowledge. Data collection tools and techniques that are both r elevant to practice and germane to knowledge-building are needed. This paper demonstrates the use of the eco map, a common practice tool, to collect and organize data about families, thus bridging a gap between practice and research functions.