Applying a Human Rights Approach to Social Work Research and Evaluation

This brief introduces a human rights approach to social work research and evaluation, compares it to traditional research approaches, and explains how to apply it in real world social work research. The authordraws from a human rights framework that incorporates dignity and respect for all persons, the universality and interrelatedness of rights (political, civil, social, economic, and cultural), nondiscrimination, participation, accountability, and transparency. To advance a human rights approach, it introduces a rights-based model that accentuates the use of mixed methods and participatory research and evaluation. This brief aims toincrease competencies in how to apply a rights based approach to research decision-making process from the formulation of research questions, research and practice design, and participatory action strategies that advance human rights. It is a call to action for social workers to forge a rights-based research agenda that fosters empowerment.