Collaboration Requested

During the past few years, qualitative research methodology has gained importance in the human Service profession. Policy makers, program planners, program evaluators and especially the funding source started questioning the utility of quantitative approaches to justify the effectiveness of social service delivery systems. Measurable positive outcomes become the expected norms of program evaluators, that too in the form of case studies.

A cursory look at the past two years of human service literature reveal the significance of case study research. The potential for collaborative research among academicians and practitioners in business administration, law, medicine, education and human service is tremendous. WACRA could and should play an important role in facilitating a dialogue between different professional associations at national and international levels.

I would like to hear from my colleagues in education, law, medicine, business and other helping professions who might be interested in exploring this idea further.

Murali Nair, Professor of Social Work and Director of Community Service Initiative, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. Tel. +216-687-4570, Fax: 216-687-5590, m.nair@csuohio.edu