Bridging Research and Practice in Health & Social Work : Publishing Perspectives from NASW Press Editors and Authors

Publishing is an essential task of scholarship that facilitates the sharing of new ideas, theories, methodologies, and research findings. The publication process frequently contributes to cross-disciplinary collaboration, and it encourages dialogue to enhance understanding of social issues. Publication efforts strengthen the social work profession through the sharing of knowledge and professional growth. By participating in the publication process, social work professionals are able to critically reflect on their own work, share advancements in research and evidence-based practice, and contribute to ongoing learning that benefits themselves and others. Through dissemination of best practices and innovative approaches, publishing helps social workers to stay informed, improve services, and influence policy to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. In addition to the aforementioned professional benefits, publishing is an ethical imperative. Key social work standards mandate continuous learning and competency in social work practice to ensure effective, ethical, and culturally informed services, while also taking action in support of social justice. In fact, the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW; 2021) Code of Ethics and the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE; 2022) accreditation standards explicitly require social workers to contribute to the knowledge base of their field and share their research, practice knowledge, and ethics with colleagues at meetings, conferences, and in literature. As reflected in the NASW (2021) Code of Ethics: Social workers should contribute to the knowledge base of social work and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics. Social workers should seek to contribute to the profession’s literature and to share their knowledge at professional meetings and conferences. (Standard 5.01[d]) Likewise, CSWE’s (2022) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards emphasize the responsibility of social work programs to effectively prepare competent professionals, expand the body of knowledge within the social work field, and promote evidence-informed practice through scientific inquiry and critical evaluation: Social workers use research to inform their practice decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. In essence, these professional and ethical obligations underscore that publication is essential for advancing the social work profession. Through publishing, social work educators, researchers, and practitioners contribute to greater awareness of social issues and advocate for a more just society, aligning with our professional values of competence and social justice. Collectively, the NASW Press journals—Health & Social Work, Children & Schools, Social Work, and Social Work Research—provide a platform for disseminating research, discussing contemporary trends, highlighting innovative practices, and fostering critical discourse that shape the social work profession. (NASW Press also publishes an abstracting journal, Social Work Abstracts.) It is important to note that each journal offers a distinct focus and specific requirements for publication that should be reviewed when determining an appropriate fit for article submission (see https://naswpress.org/journals). Established in 1976, Health & Social Work is a professional journal committed to improving social work practice and expanding knowledge in healthcare. Health is defined broadly to include physical, mental, and behavioral health. The journal is written for social workers in all areas of the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental health sciences. We publish a wide range of topics relevant to healthcare including aging, chronic disease, clinical work, disability, health disparities, mental health, oncology, substance abuse, and women’s health. Articles cover research, policy, specialized services, quality assurance, training, and other topics that affect the delivery of healthcare services and systems. We also publish National Health Line, a quarterly column that reports on current legislative and political issues with implications for social work practice in health settings. Jointly, the peer-reviewed NASW Press journals highlight the need for timely, practice-informed scholarship to facilitate our profession’s response to ongoing societal changes. All journals encourage shorter contributions such as Viewpoints, Practice Highlights, and Letters to the Editor, enabling authors to engage in professional dialogue, share innovations, and reflect on practice without requiring extensive academic framing. This diversity in publication formats reflects our commitment to promoting opportunities to inform, inspire, and shape the field of social work across settings. Our shared commitment to strengthening and demystifying the publishing process was initiated at the 2025 NASW National Conference in Chicago, whose theme, “Social Work: Celebrating Our Legacy and Developing the Future,” resonated deeply with our collective vision. The theme emphasized the enduring role of publishing in both celebrating the profession’s history and charting its future course. At this conference, NASW Press hosted a robust panel discussion, involving our journal editors in chief and managing editor, that was well attended. Together, we were able to reflect on how publishing functions as a dual force—serving as a historical record preserving past words of wisdom and nurturing new voices. Throughout the session, we engaged with social work practitioners, educators, and students to encourage their active participation in the publication process, not only as readers and consumers of knowledge, but also as contributors to the evolving dialogue that defines and advances our field. As a follow-up to the insightful panel discussion, we felt a shared responsibility to continue the conversation beyond the national conference forum. There has been some valuable work published on the process itself recognizing how processing requires time, persistence, and reflection (see Figure 1). In their article, Powers and Swick (2011) provide multiple tips for being successful in academic writing and publishing. Seglin (2017) explained how to develop persuasive opinion pieces, emphasizing the need for a clear thesis, compelling opening, and a well-supported argument grounded in evidence along with a call to action. Noting the importance of building diverse writing teams in their article, Frassl et al. (2018) mention the need to select appropriate digital tools and foster inclusive communication. Building on this foundation and our collective experience as editors of the NASW Press journals, we present the following 10 practical tips to clarify the submission process, strengthen manuscript quality, and assist authors in sharing their voices and contributions with greater confidence. To broaden our reach, we have chosen to publish these tips in our respective editorials across the NASW Press journals. Scientific Manuscript Publication Process Getting Started Clarify your purpose by mapping out main ideas and the use of data, if you plan to include the latter. Ensure that data are anonymized and that you have secured the necessary permissions and/or institutional review board approval. Determine your target audience—for example, mental health social workers, hospital administrators, health and social care researchers, and educators in health and social work courses—so you can tailor the article to better address their interests and needs. Identify your “so what?” by asking yourself: Why is this important for your intended audience in this healthcare setting? What difference will this make in their daily experience or healthcare, mental healthcare, or behavioral health practice? Do Not Go It Alone Assemble a collaborative writing team, such as a group of behavioral health social workers or an interdisciplinary team representing multiple roles within a hospital. Remember that inclusion of others as coauthors adds diverse perspectives and challenges your professional assumptions (Frassl et al., 2018). Create partnerships between university faculty (who have writing experience and relevant skills like data analysis) with social workers (who have practice experience in healthcare and related fields) to broaden the impact of the published work. Determine each team member’s responsibilities from the beginning. Who will lead specific components? Tasks involve data collection, analysis, conceptual framing, or practice implications. Clarify and confirm expectations for coauthorship and workflow before you begin. Let the Reference Lists of Other Manuscripts Help You Familiarize yourself with the current literature in the area of interest. Reviewing references from recent articles or reports can facilitate knowledge uptake on the latest work in your area. To access research articles behind paywalls, seek support through university partnerships. Collaboration with university faculty can open avenues for securing scholarly materials, especially those requiring subscriptions. Public libraries may also provide access to scholarly databases and other resources. Familiarize yourself with other journals that publish health-related work. Reviewing citations in related articles can help you identify alternative outlets for consideration. Find Interprofessional and Community Partners Finding colleagues from different clinical disciplines and professional fields, such as doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and healthcare administrators, can broaden the impact of your work and reach a wider healthcare audience. When preparing your manuscript, highlight how your work contributes to healthcare practice, research, and/or policy. Emphasize how your findings inform real-world application such as strategies for improving healthcare outcomes or removing barriers to accessing mental health services. Working with community partners can lead to additional written products that align with their specific needs and audiences. These may include health infographics, program reports, blog posts, newsletters, or materials for community presentations. These alternatives provide ways to repackage your research in accessible, practice-oriented formats. Clarify Your Audience Up Front and in the Implications Determine if your primary audience is scholars, educators, administrators, researchers, or policymakers. Then adapt your tone, terminology, and level of detail so the content is meaningful and accessible for the intended readers. Healthcare articles often address multiple audiences, so make sure to consider varying perspectives and frame your implications in ways that reflect different needs and perspectives. Once your audience has been identified, maximize impact by highlighting what really matters to them. Consider theory and evidence for educators and scholars, practical strategies for healthcare practitioners, and/or policy implications for those in decision-making positions. Know the Contributions and Gaps in the Literature Understanding the current literature allows you to position your work within the ongoing scholarly conversation. As a best practice, cite the latest studies, ideally from the past 10 years, to demonstrate familiarity with contemporary discussions, identify gaps, and extend existing findings without duplicating prior work. Demonstrating familiarity with foundational and emerging research assures editors and readers that your work is well grounded in the field, which enhances the relevance of your article. Link to Contemporary Trends Connect your work with contemporary issues such as addressing health disparities and health equity, or the rise in mental health struggles among adolescents, or the use of technology in behavioral healthcare settings. This will enhance its relevance and demonstrate how it offers new contributions to the ever-changing field. Consider how your findings may influence immediate social work practice across healthcare contexts as well as longer-term health outcomes and implications. Specify how your work advances the health and social work field and how it influences both professional and practice contexts. Consider what future needs or questions your article may raise, and map out future work. Include a section that addresses future implications and suggests directions for future research. Find the Right Outlet Review Health & Social Work aims, scope, and recent published issues to ensure your submission reflects the journal’s focus on health and social work. The manuscript must include implications on social work within the broad scope of health, mental health, and/or behavior healthcare. If your manuscript is closely aligned with one of the NASW Press journals, consider their focus and interest to its readership. A health-focused topic may be better suited for an initial submission to Health & Social Work; likewise, a school-related article may be more aligned with Children & Schools. It is important to note that Social Work and Social Work Research have a broader scope and consider articles addressing a wider range of topics. Remember that rejection is not a reflection of the value of your work. Some manuscripts simply fit better elsewhere. Book chapters, policy briefs, professional magazines, or guest blogs can often provide more accessible formats and broader readership than traditional peer-reviewed outlets. Consider Multiple Dissemination Avenues Consider presenting your work in other ways. Dissemination efforts can include conference sessions, LISTSERVs, webinars, social media, podcasts, and professional association newsletters to broaden the reach of your work and reinforce its impact in the health and social work field. Convert your findings into accessible products like policy briefs, practitioner guides, op-eds, community presentations, or social media content to ensure your work influences practice and public dialogue outside academic settings. Do Not Get Discouraged Sharing your writing for consideration takes time and effort, and feedback is a natural part of the process. Everyone, including the most experienced authors, receives feedback. Reviewers also have a responsibility to provide constructive, respectful feedback that supports learning and improvement. Use reviewer comments to enhance the drafted piece. In cases where you disagree, respectfully explain your perspective. Thoughtful engagement with reviews demonstrates professionalism and, ultimately, improves your scholarship. Ask for advice to strengthen your manuscript. This may be accomplished by working with an editor, requesting input from a trusted colleague, or offering to exchange reviews. Be open to working with university scholars who have experience with publishing. A new set of eyes often finds overlooked issues that may have been missed when you are deeply immersed in writing. In conclusion, we invite students, practitioners, and scholars to contribute their insights, experiences, and innovations to Health & Social Work and the other NASW Press journals. Submissions may be full-length research articles or other column types (Practice Forum, Viewpoint) that contribute to an essential dialogue on social work practice in healthcare. Additionally, we encourage professionals to participate in other ways such as volunteering their expertise as consulting editors (those who provide peer reviews of the journal submissions). This role offers an excellent opportunity to remain current in your field and contribute in meaningful ways to the social work profession. As editors in chief and managing editor, we believe that the publication process should be a communal space for practitioners, researchers, seasoned academics, emerging scholars, and students who together can contribute to shaping the social work profession. We are truly committed to cultivating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing culture. Authors thank Kelsi Walters for her contribution to putting together the original PowerPoint slides that were presented at the National Conference, and were the basis for Figure 1.