Guides: Social Work: Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

"EBP is a process in which the practitioner combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services." (NASW)

To locate evidence-based research, you will need to choose your search tools thoughtfully and use database filters as necessary.

Finding EBP in Online Databases

The following databases are good places to start, because they have built-in tools and filters for finding EPB.

CINAHL - Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (EBSCO)
TIP: For evidence-based research, add the filter "Evidence-Based Practice".
PsycInfo & PsycArticles (ProQuest)
TIP: For evidence-based research, scroll down to Methodology on the Advanced Search screen. Select either Meta Analysis or Systematic Review.
PubMed
TIP: For evidence-based research, skip the usual search box and scroll down to Find - Clinical Queries.

Websites

Campbell Collaboration
A repository for easy to read synopses on published evidence in social policy and the social sciences, including youth, education, crime, disability, and more.
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare CEBC
California evidence-based clearinghouse. "...a searchable database of programs that can be utilized by professionals that serve children and families involved with the child welfare system."
Cochrane Library
Cochrane Library hosts systematic reviews, which are reviews that attempt to synthesize all available empirical evidence. This includes intervention reviews, diagnostic test accuracy reviews, methodology reviews, and more.
The Community Guide
A free guide to evidence-based recommendations and findings selected by a task force of independent public health experts conducting systematic reviews of scientific literature.
Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center
Substance abuse and mental health evidence-based practice resource center.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Reports
"The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its EPCs, sponsors the development of various reports to assist public- and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States."
American Academy of Pediatrics (Research)
Selected open resources about child health data trends, suggested research resources, and other research conducted by AAP members
CrimeSolutions
"CrimeSolutions helps practitioners and policymakers understand what programs & practices work in criminal and juvenile justice, victims assistance, school safety, and youth mentoring."
Effective Child Therapy
"Mental health information for parents, caregivers, and families based on the best available science."
Social Programs that Work
"This site seeks to identify those social programs shown in rigorous studies to produce sizable, sustained benefits to participants and/or society, so that they can be deployed to help solve social problems."
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines | U.S Department of Veteran Affairs
"Guidelines address patient cohorts, serve to reduce errors, and provide consistent quality of care and utilization of resources throughout and between the VA and DOD health care systems. Guidelines are also cornerstones for accountability and facilitate learning and the conduct of research."