Evidence-based practice and the borders of data in the global information era.(Special section: domestic violence and social work education)

DURING THE 1990 an estimated 2 million articles were published annually in more than 20000 biomedical journals (Mulrow & Lohr 2001) The number of articles published for social work was far fewer; notwithstanding time pressures were listed through 98.3% of social workers and social care staff in the southwest of England as an obstacle to keeping up with professional literature (Sheldon & Chilvers, 2000) Furthermore, despite increasing demands that social work be a profession committed to evidence-based practice, many social workers reportedly have no access to departmental libraries