(Separate Fee Required) SSRPCB-5: Historical Research Methods for Advancing Antiracist and Anticolonialist Social Work Research

This two-hour workshop enhances researchers’ capacity to employ historical methods in addressing complex social problems and informing practice and policy. Aligned with SSWR’s 2024–2028 strategic objective to strengthen research capacity, the session introduces archival research, oral histories, and historiography as tools to deepen the rigor of social work scholarship. Participants will explore how historical inquiry uncovers structural inequities and supports antiracist and anticolonialist interventions.

The workshop will also address ethical standards, evidence criteria, and the challenges posed by political climates and executive orders that may restrict inclusive historical research. Through interactive activities and discussion, participants will learn to integrate historical insights into quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research, with a focus on centering underrepresented voices and dismantling oppressive structures.