The perceived gap between research and practice is an age-old problem for the social work profession. In current neoliberal contexts, bridging this gap is ever more crucial if the profession is to maintain its value base along-side a robust evidence-base for practice. How is it possible to bridge this divide in a world where research and practice are often considered as separate activities and where knowledge claims are continually contested? With this question in mind, this presentation explores the merits of co-operative inquiry (CI) as an inclusive and participatory methodology. Participation and inclusivity allow CI practitioners, researchers and those with lived experience to come together and express different world views in the process of co-creating knowledge. Its value base of equity and respect, which align with social work values, allow for the deep dialogue needed to develop theory from practice and lived experience and vice versa through research. The resulting co-created knowledge is then meaningful for informing responses to the complexities that arise in practice. In the International Network of Co-operative Inquirers, the relational foundation of this approach has shown to collapse the traditional boundaries between practice and research and the teaching of research practice. Additionally, this has enabled a generative process bringing praxis in the integration of research and practice. In this presentation we present evidence from cooperative inquiries and discuss the implications for bridging the gap between social work practice and research.