Programme

The Stage can be carried out by students within bodies, organizations, social and health services, and involves the realization of a social research activity which constitutes an important study opportunity on which to base a valid thesis work and from other represents a valid experience in the field for the acquisition of specific professional and operational skills.

During the research path, students will be able to develop reflective, analytical and research skills, which will favor the possibility of understanding the organizational context of social policies and services, professional practices and the complexity of social needs and services for valid contributions and quality interventions.
The student will find himself observing, analyzing and evaluating organizational contexts and processes, professional tools, professional practice, training processes and intervention planning.

The research carried out during the internship may have the main purpose of describing and understanding social phenomena or aiming at hypothesizing strategies for change within services and social policies.This path in the field requires reflection on the research methodology and the results obtained in order to acquire a critical and aware look at the state of the services and the profession. The internship is preceded and introduced by the lessons of the Laboratory which will support and accompany the path of social research.

Individual student meetings and three internship start meetings in plenary form will be planned during the academic year to communicate the modalities/procedures of activation of the internship, the agreement with the facilities and the assignment of the tutor. An IT platform will also be used for remote meetings between student, internal tutor, external tutor in order to follow the students in the activity.

Core Documentation

I advise: CORBETTA P., Metodologia e tecniche della ricerca sociale, Il Mulino.
Carlo De Rose e Luciana Taddei, Introduzione ai metodi della ricerca sociale, Maggioli Editore.

Reference Bibliography

You can refer to the bibliography recommended by the Laboratory teacher Mancinelli Maria Chiara.

Attendance

Attendance at the internship activation meetings is mandatory.

Type of evaluation

The exam will take place in oral form and is assessed according to suitability and will consist of the presentation of a research report created within the internship, with attention to the coherence between the knowledge problem, research question, sources, method, tools and possible use of the results in professional practice and in the planning of social interventions.

Programme

The course is aimed at designing and carrying out original research “in social work and for social work”, connected to the organisational context in which the experience takes place. It is linked to the Workshop “Research and Social Work”, which is intended to prepare students for the Internship and to provide essential knowledge of social research methodology. The Workshop focuses on the main stages of research: identification of the research problem, analysis of the context, formulation of the research question, development of the research project, definition of indicators, selection of sources and data collection tools, data collection and analysis, and reflection on the findings. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are considered, with specific attention to evaluation research and the digital transition in social services.
Within the Internship, students carry out research activities that include identifying the context and object of study, defining the research question, selecting and using research tools, collecting and analysing data, and preparing the final report.
An initial phase of discussion and guidance is provided in relation to the internship setting and research topic identified by the student, followed by the implementation of the activities and, finally, by submission of the report and the final examination. Throughout the Internship, students are expected to maintain regular contact with the course lecturer, the internal tutor and, where applicable, the external tutor.

Core Documentation

During the Workshop, teaching materials, scientific contributions and bibliographical references will be provided in relation to the topics addressed and to the development of individual research projects.
The texts listed below are intended as reference materials to guide and support the Workshop and Internship activities and to provide further insight into methodological and professional aspects according to specific research needs. They should therefore not be considered texts to be studied for the final examination.
* Albano R., Bianciardi C., Dellavalle M. (eds.), *Metodologia della ricerca e servizio sociale*, Giappichelli, Turin, 2021.
* Marradi A., *Metodologia delle scienze sociali*, il Mulino, Bologna, 2007.
* Corbetta P., *La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. Vol. I: I paradigmi di riferimento*, il Mulino, Bologna, 2015.
* Silverman D., *Manuale di ricerca sociale e qualitativa*, Carocci, Rome, 2008.
* Caselli M., *Fare domande e ottenere risposte. Il questionario nella ricerca sociale*, Vita e Pensiero, Milan, 2023.
* Bezzi C., *Il nuovo disegno della ricerca valutativa*, FrancoAngeli, Milan, 2016.
* Sanfelici M., Nothdurfter U., Bilotti A. (eds.), *Tecnologie digitali nel servizio sociale. Apprendere dalla ricerca per orientare la pratica*, FrancoAngeli, Milan, 2026.

Attendance

Participation in the related Workshop “Research and Social Work”, which is mainly held during the first semester, is strongly recommended in preparation for the Internship. Before the beginning of the selected cycle, students are expected to attend the Internship orientation meeting. The first cycle, with a meeting in February, is intended for students planning to take the examination during the summer examination session; the second cycle, with a meeting in July, is intended for students planning to take the examination during the autumn examination session or in the spring of the following year. Students may attend the orientation meeting even if they have not yet identified a host organisation. The Internship consists of 250 hours of attendance at the host organisation, in accordance with the Internship Guidelines. Any individual and/or group meetings, either in person or online, supplement the scheduled activities and are intended to provide discussion, guidance and tutoring.

Type of evaluation

Assessment is based on the evaluation of the **final report** and an **oral discussion** of the work carried out during the Internship. The final report must document the internship setting, the object of study and the reasons for its selection, the methodological pathway, the research tools used, the data or materials analysed, the main research findings, and any professional and organisational implications. The oral discussion is aimed at assessing the student’s ability to critically present the work carried out, justify the methodological choices made, analyse the findings, and connect the Internship experience with the knowledge and tools acquired in the Workshop “Research and Social Work”, as well as with the development of professional and managerial skills. The final examination therefore includes the presentation of the research conducted and the discussion of the topics addressed during the Workshop. The final report must be approved and signed by the internal tutor and, where applicable, by the external tutor, and submitted in accordance with the procedures and deadlines set out in the Internship Guidelines available online.