Considerations in the Development of a Scientific Social Work*

A key issue in social work's struggle to develop a legitimate and distinct knowledge base is the development of a scientific model suited to the needs and objectives of the profession. Although various approaches have been proposed, they have tended to dichotomize the issues into one of science versus nonscience. In response to this situation, this paper presents an integrative approach to the development of a sci-entific social work. In addition, it is argued that values can (and should) be an integral part of a scientific approach and that they are legitimate criteria for the evaluation of social theories. During the last 25 years there has been increasing interest in the application of scientific principles and research method-ology to social welfare policy and social work practice. Faced with a world of diminishing resources, accountability demands, competitive professional groups, and client advocacy, social workers have attempted to secure their legitimacy by increasin