Abstract
The paper is focused both on the basic scientific questions/research strategies and specific problems of empirical research. It resulted in discussion about the roles of social workers in research procedure; their potential participation in the research work is divided into three consequent phases.
In the first phase the social worker is described as a knowledgeable consumer; in the second one he/she becomes a research consultant and in the third phase he/she becomes a full-value researcher. The paper further analysed the relation between quantitative and qualitative methodology including discussion of advocates of these different conceptions.
Authors presented principles of integrated research strategy. They also proposed education of social workers who already worked in the field.