regard to a study they might undertake on the evaluation of their practice.
In Chapter 3, students learn how to apply the key principles of research ethics and cultural competence with regard to a research study they would like to undertake. For example, how will the issue of privacy be accommodated? Also, how will cultural competence be addressed in each phase of the research process?
Chapter 4 focuses on evidence-based practice. Students learn the nature of evidence-based practice and how to find evidence for their own research pursuits. The practice exercise for this chapter asks the students to review a specific systematic review of evidence and answer a set of questions about what was learned from the review.
Part 2: Conducting Different Types of Social Work Research
The second part of this book gives students competence in conducting various types of research, including the use of convenient Internet websites for the analysis of data of various kinds. In Chapter 5, they examine the use of the social survey with an exercise on the design of a client satisfaction survey for a familiar agency. The content of Chapter 6 shows how to conduct descriptive research with emphasis on the definition and measurement of variables, and the employment of descriptive statistics. The exercise in this chapter asks students to collect and examine data on the characteristics of the good work manager, with lessons on sex-role stereotypes. They are given step-by-step instructions on how to statistically analyze data using an Internet site.
Chapter 7 gives the student competence in conducting explanatory research where the relationships between variables are examined. This chapter introduces the student to inferential statistics. The exercise for this chapter calls on students to collect and examine data on the relationships between stress, social support, and life satisfaction. They submit that data for statistical analysis using an Internet site. In Chapter 8, students learn how to conduct evaluative research. The content of this chapter focuses on the identification of target behavior, the selection of the intervention, the measurement of client progress, the analysis of data, and conclusions. Further lessons on inferential statistics are included. The exercise for this chapter requires the student to examine data given to them from a study of the treatment of depression for a hypothetical mental health agency. An Internet website is employed. Chapter 9 provides students with concepts and skills of qualitative research. After a review of general concepts in qualitative research methods, students engage in a research practice exercise in content analysis. Program evaluation is the theme of Chapter 10. In this chapter, students learn about how agencies evaluate client need, service process, and client outcome in their comprehensive assessment of their programs. The exercise asks them to report on how a familiar agency addresses some aspect of the service system evaluation.
When students complete this section, they will be prepared to conduct basic research studies, including the statistical analysis of data. In other words, the mystery of research will have been substantially resolved and the students will be prepared to take action. But they will need additional lessons to take the step of competence at the intermediate level. That is the goal of the third part of this book.
Part 3: Conducting Each Phase of Social Work Research
In the third part of this book, the student examines each of the four major phases of social work research in more depth. Developing the knowledge base and the intervention is the theme of Chapter 11. The intervention part of this chapter, of course, relates to the evaluative type of study, which is the emphasis in this book. One of the practice exercises for this chapter asks students to undertake a preliminary review of the literature with regard to an evaluative study they would like to undertake. They report the procedures they employed in their search of the literature and summarize their findings in simple terms. Another exercise calls on the students to describe the intervention they would like to evaluate with regard to objectives, structure, model, and personnel.
Study methodology is the theme of Chapters 12 through 15. In Chapter 12, students review sampling as the tool for understanding study generalization. Different types of samples are described, and the student examines the distinction between scientific generalization (when you have a random sample) and logical generalization (when you do not have a random sample). Procedures for selecting a study sample from a study population are described, based on the type of sampling method employed. In the practice exercise, students describe how a random sample could be selected for a study they have designed. Various concepts such as sampling interval are included in this exercise.
Measurement is the theme of Chapter 13. Following the review of essential concepts in measurement (e.g., measurement error, reliability, validity), students examine how to select a published measurement scale or how to develop one themselves. One of the practice exercises in this chapter requires the student to find a tool for measuring alcoholism for a hypothetical set of clients and to explain what amount of gain on this scale would constitute practical significance.
In Chapter 14, students examine how to select a group research design with emphasis on the threats to internal validity that are addressed by various designs. The practice exercise calls on the study to discuss which threats are of special importance in a set of hypothetical studies in their decision of the research design that would be optimal with regard to both practicality and threats to internal validity.
Chapter 15 focuses on the single-subject research design. Various single-subject designs are discussed, including the limited AB design, a unique feature of this book. The practice exercise for this chapter is similar to the one for Chapter 14 except that it deals with the selection of a single-subject research design.
Chapters 16 and 17 focus on the analysis of data, both quantitative and qualitative. In Chapter 16, students review concepts related to the analysis of quantitative data and the drawing of conclusions from study results. Students review basic concepts in data analysis (e.g., correlation, effect size, levels of measurement) and are guided through a process of selecting a statistic for a given study. For example, they may find that the paired t test is appropriate if you have a set of matched pretest and posttest scores for a single group of clients. After they find the statistic, they are given instructions on how to use an Internet website to examine their data. They use these websites to examine hypothetical data in the practice exercise for this chapter.
Qualitative data analysis is the theme of Chapter 17. Both narrative analysis and content analysis are described along with examples of each. Coding in content analysis is a major emphasis of this chapter and is the focus of the practice exercise at the end of this chapter.
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