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Despite shifting attention from whether practice research is advantageous to doing practice research better, the organisational role of internal social work intermediaries beyond initiating practice-research partnerships, especially in Asia, is less understood. Using a multi-modal qualitative case study approach, across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination, we first documented the initial benefits and challenges of an internal Singaporean social work intermediary bridging practitioners and researchers. Subsequently, we described how the intermediary seized opportunities and went beyond mere stakeholder bridging by defining engagement terms and creating, using, and opening up a practice-research space. Implications for internal intermediaries and organisational functions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we (two researchers and three practitioners from Singapore) reflect on the challenges and opportunities of practice-research collaborations. While researchers and practitioners share a common goal to improve services, challenges can arise due to differing perspectives and priorities and power dynamics between team members. However, diversity of perspectives can enrich the research process when strengths of practitioners and researchers are utilised. Collaborative relationships can be optimised with careful selection of the appropriate team members, effective communication, and by practicing reflexivity. Our reflections highlight the benefits of practice-research collaborations and the importance of navigating partnerships to achieve shared outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]