This is a great starting point for getting involved in research. Students will assist a faculty member on one of their current research projects. This is a great opportunity to learn more about research, assist leading scholars in social work research with a wide array of tasks, and gain valuable experience in preparation for future careers and graduate school.

Interested in SOCW 310? What’s next?

• Contact School of Social Work faculty: Browse faculty bios and research areas and check out Illinois Experts
• Talk with fellow BSW, MSW, and PhD students
• Read the BSW e-Newsletter: some faculty will advertise openings or opportunities through the newsletter
• Email Undergraduate Research Program Coordinator, Professor Rachel Garthe, for more information.

After assisting with research, students may want to continue to hone their skills as researchers. There are two additional course options for these students (SOCW 418 and SOCW 480). Both require a faculty mentor and School approval. Contact Dr. Garthe for more information.

If you have written a research piece, policy analysis, literature review, poster presentation, or creative piece (e.g., multimedia presentation, artistic expression), and would like to publish this work in a peer-reviewed journal, consider the Journal of Undergraduate Social Work Research.

JUSWR: A Journal of Undergraduate Social Work Research, Policy Reviews, & Other Creative Works, is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work’s journal that showcases peer-reviewed undergraduate research and creative pieces from social work and related disciplines. JUSWR is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive forum for discourse on research and other forms of original work relevant to social work and current social issues. JUSWR welcomes submissions throughout the year. Send submissions to our senior editor, Rebecca Hawley, rhawley@illinois.edu 

Call for submissions:

Submissions for Volume 8 (Fall 2024 release) must be received by Friday, May 24, 2024.

• Original research papers
• Policy analyses
• Literature reviews
• Poster presentations
• Creative pieces (essays, poems, artistic expressions, or multimedia presentations)
• Materials developed for Social Work or other social science classes this academic year or in the previous academic year will also be considered.

An email attachment sent to the BSW student listserv and Social Work Faculty listserv contains specific submission procedures and details listed below as well as other important information:

• Submission Procedures
• Manuscript Preparation Formatting
• Rights for Authors and Copyright Statement
• References

Contact Dr. Rachel Garthe, rcgarthe@illinois.edu for additional information.