Ercüment Erbay

Importance of Research in Social Work Practice: A Pilot Study From Turkey

Abstract It is highly important that social work practice be guided by scientific research and the resultant practices introduced to the literature. Social work research in Turkey is carried out by social work academics and practitioners. This dual position they occupy has not been thoroughly investigated in recent years; therefore, the aim of this research was to scrutinize the relationship social workers take when completing research in Turkey. Within the scope of this research, data were collected by conducting an online survey of 365 social workers. Results of the study show that 45.8% of the social workers have conducted research before. Nonetheless, 93.7% of the social work practitioners do feel the need to carry out scientific research in order to shape their professional practices. Considering these results, future research should concentrate on social work practitioners’ problems taking into account their dual position as both the producer and consumer of the research.

Rights of Cancer Patient’s: a Pilot Study from Turkey

The chief aims of this study are to examine the levels of knowledge of cancer patients who have been receiving treatment in Turkey, related to the patient’s rights they have, and determine the personal factors that affect their level of knowledge. The research was conducted with 294 patients who have been receiving treatment in a university hospital in Ankara. Findings have manifested that although the patients had some level of knowledge about fundamental rights of the patients, they have never used a great deal of them and they had no knowledge of plenty of important patient’s rights. It is concluded that in order for cancer patients to participate in the treatment they receive, their level knowledge of patient’s rights should be enhanced and this should be provided by education.