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Qualitative Social Work
H-index 6

Qualitative Social Work

1473-3250

Published by: SAGE

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/qsw

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 865 11 14 6

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 30
Documents by Best Scientists*: 32
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 59
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.618
Impact Factor: 1.6

Overview

Top Research Topics at Qualitative Social Work?

The scientific interests tackled in Qualitative Social Work are Social work, Social psychology, Qualitative research, Gender studies and Epistemology. It facilitates discussions on Social work that incorporate concepts from other fields like Social science, Pedagogy, Narrative and Public relations. The Narrative study tackling the subject of Narrative inquiry is the focus of it.

In addition to Social psychology research, Qualitative Social Work aims to explore topics under Developmental psychology and Context (language use). Qualitative Social Work explores research in Pandemic and the adjacent study of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

  • Social work (43.32%)
  • Social psychology (17.80%)
  • Qualitative research (16.26%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Two Decades of Developments in Qualitative Inquiry: A Personal, Experiential Perspective (936 citations)
  • Bracketing in Qualitative Research (690 citations)
  • Narrative in Social Work A Critical Review (321 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Qualitative Social Work:

The journal papers primarily tackle Social work, Social psychology, Qualitative research, Epistemology and Narrative. The journal publications facilitate discussions on Social work that incorporate concepts from other fields like Engineering ethics, Social philosophy, Gender studies and Social science, Field (Bourdieu). The most cited publications with studies in Social psychology featured incorporate elements of Developmental psychology, Foster care, Focus group and Welfare.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Social science

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal focuses largely on the fields of Social work, 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak, Pandemic, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Reflexivity. Topics in Social work were tackled in line with various other fields like Social psychology, Narrative, Public relations, Gender studies and Epistemology. The work on Narrative addressed in the journal expands to the thematically related Identity (social science).

It addresses concerns in 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Media studies, Reflective practice, Social work education and Medical education. Attendees participated in lively discussions that mix various fields of study, including Pandemic and Economic growth and Criminology. Reflexivity research featured in Qualitative Social Work incorporates concerns from various other topics such as Mental health and Pedagogy.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • The revitalization of “Osekkai”: How the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of Japanese voluntary social work (7 citations)
  • Amplified injustices and mutual aid in the COVID-19 pandemic (5 citations)
  • Approaching uncertainty in social work education, a lesson from COVID-19 pandemic (4 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Qualitative Social Work (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Karen M. Staller (45 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
  • Lissette M. Piedra (18 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • Ian Shaw (16 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Mark Hardy (15 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Deborah Gioia (13 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Qualitative Social Work (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Michigan (63 papers) published 14 papers at the last edition, 11 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of York (30 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 2 more than at the previous edition,
  • Lancaster University (24 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 4 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (19 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Oslo (16 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 4 more than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 6.60% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 20.65% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 9.78% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 15.22% of all publications and 54.35% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Prospects in the Field of Social Work

For those looking to put their expertise in Qualitative Social Work to practical use, becoming a substance abuse counselor may be worth considering. It is a role that not only requires a deep understanding of social psychology and human behavior but also commands empathy and exceptional interpersonal skills.

In today's world, the demand for qualified substance abuse counselors is on the rise. Their role in helping individuals break free from the chains of addiction and regain control over their lives is crucial. They work towards the betterment of societal health by providing emotional, psychological, and educational support to the affected individuals and their families.

Their responsibilities usually involve conducting individual and group addiction therapy, planning treatment goals and interventions, as well as tracking their client's progress. Further, they are required to network with other social service providers to ensure complete care for their clients. Needless to say, it is a rewarding yet challenging career field that demands a high level of dedication and understanding."

For those considering this career path, clear guidelines and requirements are available. More specifically, for those based in Maine, a detailed guide on how to become a substance abuse counselor can be found in our article on how to become a substance abuse counselor in Maine.

Top Publications

  • Digital social work: Conceptualising a hybrid anticipatory practice

    Sarah Pink;Sarah Pink;Harry Ferguson;Laura Kelly

    (2021)
    139 Citations
  • Critical reflections and reflexivity on responding to the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in a global pandemic

    Gio Iacono;Shelley L Craig;Rachael Pascoe

    (2021)
    7 Citations
  • Grandparenting in rural China: A culture-centered approach (CCA) to understand economic inequality and rural labor change:

    Kang Sun;Kang Sun;Mohan Dutta

    (2021)
    7 Citations
  • Perceptions of the social worker role in adult community mental health teams in England

    Michele Abendstern;Jane Hughes;Mark Robson Wilberforce;Karen Davies

    (2021)
    7 Citations
  • An introduction to conversation analysis in social work research

    (2022)
    6 Citations
  • Weighing the options: Service user perspectives on homeless outreach services:

    Lynden Bond;Christina Wusinich;Deborah Padgett

    (2021)
    6 Citations
  • Pandemic disruptions: The subversion of neoliberalism

    Nancy Ross

    (2021)
    5 Citations
  • Community-based participatory action research with LGBTQIA+ youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Reflections from a collaborative autoethnography

    (2023)
    3 Citations
  • Late colonial social work practice

    (2022)
    2 Citations
  • What does it mean to ‘start where the person is at’?: Reflections on personhood in social work

    (2022)
    2 Citations

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