Introduction
Welcome to the finding evidence online tool
This tool is for people working in social services who are looking to develop their skills in finding and using evidence. For the purpose of this tool we consider evidence to be written, video or audio data or information that can help you find answers to your question. Often we include in our view of evidence academic studies, evaluations or third sector and public reports and records. As a practitioner, you will need to engage with evidence for various reasons. You might need to understand the impact of a specific intervention. Or you might be interested in how other organisations have approached service development or improvement work in your area. The content of this tool should take around fifteen minutes to work through and the material covered will give you a basic understanding of:
- How to define and break down your question
- What are potential sources of social services information and evidence
- Techniques when searching for evidence online
- How to evaluate and organise your search results
At the end, there is a list of resources and further reading. You can also complete a set of reflective exercises which qualifies you for a certificate. This can be useful towards your learning and development outcomes.