Social Work and Self-Care During Covid-19 and Ongoing Anti-Black Violence Feedback

I focused below on what I believe can be improved, but I do believe this is an important topic and it's exciting that you are making a contribution to it.

 

1.          Literature review is limited re: social work and its history of advocacy and activism. That seems too broad, though. I would stick with literature about self-care solely, although this feels lengthy as well. Is there anything out there that connects self-care and macro social work? That's the niche you are trying to fill. You may also want to look at any recent article that discusses the effect of COVID and anti-Black violence on the practice of social work. At the end of this section you should write a paragraph about the purpose of the study based on the gap you are trying to fill.

2.          You include a quotation from the findings (page 4) in the literature review. That doesn't belong there.

3.          The participant demographic data is better placed in the Findings section, not the Methodology section.

4.          You are missing an explanation of how you found your participants? Who were they? How were they recruited? 

5.          I'm having difficulty with your making a comparison between what the participants said in the initial study vs. the replicated study. You really can't make a comparison, especially since it appears you interviewed different folx. Qualitative research doesn't do comparisons as a rule. At any rate, your findings can't quantify that their thinking changed from one time period to another. Survey research might be able to do that, but not qualitative interview research.

6.          Data analysis section on page 7 was confusing. I would use a method from one author (Creswell, for example), and show how you used that.

7.          Ensuring rigor and trustworthiness section needs to be completed. What methods did you use here to ensure rigor and trustworthiness? Member checking? Peer debriefing? These are just two methods you should consider.

8.          The Findings section needs some restructuring. This should entirely be a report of the participants' narratives. Take out any other material from the literature or your own thoughts about the interviews. 

9.          Regarding the themes: You say that you had two "main categories." It feels like there are four general ideas that I might consider themes: (1) Engagement in social activism/advocacy is important; (2) Self-care is not prioritized; (3) Changed tools around activism/advocacy due to COVID, etc.; and (4) Changed methods of self-care due to COVID, etc.

10.    I would incorporate the section "Respondents' Last Thoughts" into the Findings section.

11.    I don't know that you need a summary of results.

12.    Discussion is lacking in substance somewhat. This is where you go back to the literature and talk about how the study's findings confirm, enhance, or contradict what others say on the topic. Avoid your own opinion or suggestions.

13.    Implications for social work = That is the section that you CAN offer your own thinking/opinion, such as "NASW should be the changemaker." 

14.    Your conclusion does a nice job of wrapping up your paper.

 

I hope this is helpful in the way of thinking how you want to proceed with this data. As I mentioned, it is important work. If you want me to look at another version, I am happy to do so. As I mentioned during our conversation, this would fit nicely into the Journal of Qualitative and Ethnographic Research, of which I am an Associate Editor.