Practitioner's Guide to Using Research for Evidence-Informed Practice

ALLEN RUBIN, PhD, is the Kantambu Latting College Professorship for Leadership and Change at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. He is the author of several bestselling titles in social work research.JENNIFER BELLAMY, PhD, is Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. She teaches research and theory courses at the master’s and doctoral levels.

• Preface xiAcknowledgements xvAbout the Authors xviiAbout the Companion Website xixPart 1 Overview of Evidence-Informed Practice1 Introduction to Evidence-Informed Practice (EIP) 21.1 Emergence of EIP 41.2 Defining EIP 41.3 Types of EIP Questions 51.4 EIP Practice Regarding Policy and Social Justice 131.5 EIP and Black Lives Matter 131.6 Developing an EIP Practice Process Outlook 141.7 EIP as a Client-Centered, Compassionate Means, Not an End unto Itself 161.8 EIP and Professional Ethics 17Key Chapter Concepts 18Review Exercises 19Additional Readings 192 Steps in the EIP Process 212.1 Step 1: Question Formulation 222.2 Step 2: Evidence Search 222.3 Step 3: Critically Appraising Studies and Reviews 292.4 Step 4: Selecting and Implementing the Intervention 302.5 Step 5: Monitor Client Progress 332.6 Feasibility Constraints 332.7 But What about the Dodo Bird Verdict? 36Key Chapter Concepts 38Review Exercises 39Additional Readings 393 Research Hierarchies: Which Types of Research Are Best for Which Questions? 403.1 More than One Type of Hierarchy for More than One Type of EIP Question 413.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Studies 423.3 Which Types of Research Designs Apply to Which Types of EIP Questions? 43Key Chapter Concepts 52Review Exercises 53Additional Readings 53Part 2 Critically Appraising Studies for EIP Questions about Intervention Effectiveness4 Criteria for Inferring Effectiveness: How Do We Know What Works? 564.1 Internal Validity 574.2 Measurement Issues 624.3 Statistical Chance 654.4 External Validity 664.5 Synopses of Fictitious Research Studies 67Key Chapter Concepts 71Review Exercises 72Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 73Additional Readings 735 Critically Appraising Experiments 745.1 Classic Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design 755.2 Posttest-Only Control Group Design 765.3 Solomon Four-Group Design 775.4 Alternative Treatment Designs 785.5 Dismantling Designs 795.6 Placebo Control Group Designs 805.7 Experimental Demand and Experimenter Expectancies 825.8 Obtrusive Versus Unobtrusive Observation 835.9 Compensatory Equalization and Compensatory Rivalry 835.10 Resentful Demoralization 845.11 Treatment Diffusion 845.12 Treatment Fidelity 855.13 Practitioner Equivalence 855.14 Differential Attrition 865.15 Synopses of Research Studies 88Key Chapter Concepts 91Review Exercises 92Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 92Additional Readings 936 Critically Appraising Quasi-Experiments: Nonequivalent Comparison Groups Designs 946.1 Nonequivalent Comparison Groups Designs 956.2 Additional Logical Arrangements to Control for Potential Selectivity Biases 976.3 Statistical Controls for Potential Selectivity Biases 1016.4 Creating Matched Comparison Groups Using Propensity Score Matching 1056.5 Pilot Studies 1086.6 Synopses of Research Studies 110Key Chapter Concepts 113Review Exercises 114Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 114Additional Readings 1147 Critically Appraising Quasi-Experiments: Time-Series Designs and Single-Case Designs 1157.1 Simple Time-Series Designs 1167.2 Multiple Time-Series Designs 1187.3 Single-Case Designs 1197.4 Synopses of Research Studies 125Key Chapter Concepts 129Review Exercises 130Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 131Additional Reading 1318 Critically Appraising Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 1328.1 Advantages of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 1338.2 Risks in Relying Exclusively on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 1358.3 Where to Start 1358.4 What to Look for When Critically Appraising Systematic Reviews 1358.5 What Distinguishes a Systematic Review from Other Types of Reviews? 1428.6 What to Look for When Critically Appraising Meta-Analyses 1438.7 Synopses of Research Studies 152Key Chapter Concepts 155Review Exercises 156Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 157Additional Readings 157Part 3 Critically Appraising Studies for Alternative EIP Questions9 Critically Appraising Nonexperimental Quantitative Studies 1609.1 Surveys 1619.2 Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies 1699.3 Case-Control Studies 1719.4 Synopses of Research Studies 172Key Chapter Concepts 178Review Exercises 179Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 179Additional Readings 17910 Critically Appraising Qualitative Studies 18010.1 Qualitative Observation 18210.2 Qualitative Interviewing 18310.3 Other Qualitative Methodologies 18610.4 Qualitative Sampling 18610.5 Grounded Theory 18710.6 Alternatives to Grounded Theory 18810.7 Frameworks for Appraising Qualitative Studies 18910.8 Mixed Model and Mixed Methods Studies 19310.9 Synopses of Research Studies 193Key Chapter Concepts 198Review Exercises 200Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 201Additional Readings 201Part 4 Assessment and Monitoring in Evidence-Informed Practice11 Critically Appraising, Selecting, and Constructing Assessment Instruments 20411.1 Reliability 20511.2 Validity 20811.3 Feasibility 21411.4 Sample Characteristics 21411.5 Locating Assessment Instruments 21511.6 Constructing Assessment Instruments 21611.7 Synopses of Research Studies 218Key Chapter Concepts 220Review Exercises 221Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 222Additional Readings 22212 Monitoring Client Progress 22312.1 A Practitioner-Friendly Single-Case Design 22412.2 Using Within-Group Effect-Size Benchmarks 234Key Chapter Concepts 235Review Exercises 236Additional Readings 236Part 5 Additional Aspects of Evidence-Informed Practice13 Appraising and Conducting Data Analyses in EIP 23813.1 Introduction 23813.2 Ruling Out Statistical Chance 23913.3 What Else Do You Need to Know? 24413.4 The 05 Cutoff Point Is Not Sacred! 24513.5 What Else Do You Need to Know? 24613.6 Calculating Within-Group Effect Sizes and Using Benchmarks 24713.7 Conclusion 248Key Chapter Concepts 248Review Exercises 249Additional Reading 24914 Critically Appraising Social Justice Research Studies 25014.1 Introduction 25014.2 Evidence-Informed Social Action 25114.3 What Type of Evidence? 25214.4 Participatory Action Research (PAR) 25314.5 Illustrations of Other Types of Social Justice Research 25414.6 Conclusion 254Key Chapter Concepts 258Review Exercises 259Additional Readings 260Glossary 261References 269Index 273