Abstract

This contribution proposes some reflections on the conditions and prospects for the development of social work research between ambitions and reality, i.e. between aims and expectations on the one hand and actual conditions in the Italian academic context on the other. After a brief historical reconstruction, the article focuses on the specific characteristics and challenges of social work research while emphasising the importance of its dynamic and open development. The article highlights the need to invest in research in order to strengthen social work both as profession and as an academic discipline stressing the importance of an established and recognisable scientific community