Research Methods for Social Workers

Bonnie L. Yegidis, Ph. D., MSW     Bonnie Yegidis is Professor and Director of the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida, Tampa.  She teaches in the research methods and social work practice sequences in the School, and has conducted research on family violence, cross-cultural issues in social work practice, and evidence based social work practice.  Dr. Yegidis earned her MSW degree from West Virginia University and her Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a concentration in Measurement and Evaluation, from the University of South Florida. She is the recipient of a number of awards and honors including Social Worker of the Year from the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and the Distinguished Alum Award from West Virginia University.  Robert  W. Weinbach, Ph.D., MSWBob Weinbach is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina, where he continues to teach graduate level research courses in the College of Social Work. He is also the first author of Statistics for Social Workers, Eighth Edition; The Social Worker as Manager, Sixth Edition;  and is the author of Evaluating Social Work Services and Programs (all published by Allyn & Bacon), as well as over 75 other  publications and invited book chapters. He earned graduate degrees in social work from SUNY-Buffalo and Ohio State University and has worked in both medical and psychiatric social work practice and as a program evaluator.  Laura L. Myers, Ph.D., MSW     Laura Myers is an Associate Professor and BSW Program Director at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, FL. Laura received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy and completed her coursework and Master’s thesis in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of Southern Mississippi. After several years of computer consulting for accounting firms, she returned to school to complete her M.S.W. and Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Georgia. Laura lives in Tallahassee with her husband, Dr. Bruce Thyer, and their four children, John, William, Joseph, and Cynthia. Laura is interested in research, scholarly writing, human diversity and social discrimination, eating disorders, and social work and spirituality.

• Brief Table of Contents1. Toward Evidence-Based Practice   2. Ethical Issues in Research  3. Developing Research Problems and Research Questions  4. Conducting the Literature Review and Developing Research Hypotheses 5. Quantitative Research 6. Qualitative Research Methods   7. Evaluating Programs   8. Evaluating Individual Practice Effectiveness  9. Sampling Issues and Options   10. Measurement Concepts and Issues  11. Methods for Acquiring Research Data  12. Data Collection Instruments   13. Analyzing Data   14. Writing the Research Report and Disseminating Research Findings   Detailed Table of Contents  1. Toward Evidence-Based Practice  Historical Antecedents  Evidence-Based Practice  Research and Practice: More Similar Than Different  Sources of KnowledgeAlternative Knowledge Sources  Faulty Knowledge Can Promote Stereotypes  The Scientific Alternative  Categorizations of ResearchTypes of Knowledge Derived From Scientific ResearchBasic and Applied Research  Quantitative and Qualitative Research  The Current Climate for Social Work Research  Summary  Chapter Review 2. Ethical Issues in Research What Are Ethics? Examples of Research Participant Abuse The Nazi and Japanese Medical Experiments The Tuskegee Public Health Studies The Milgram Studies of Obedience to AuthorityThe Stanford Prison ExperimentThe Laud Humphreys Studies of Homosexual BehaviorThe Willowbrook Hepatitis StudyToday’s Standards for Protection of Research Participants  Institutional Review Boards Voluntary Informed ConsentNo Unnecessary Pain and Suffering Anonymity/Confidentiality Need to Conduct the ResearchContemporary Issues Related to Research “Volunteers”  Are Research Volunteers Truly Voluntary?  Dual-Role Relationships  Using Deception in ResearchWithholding Treatment and Use of Placebos Availability of Experimental Interventions Other Ethical Obligations of Social Work Researchers Summary  Chapter Review 3. Developing Research Problems and Research Questions Why We Begin with Research Problems Identifying Potential Research Problems Setting Problem Priorities Identifying and Specifying the Research Problem  Developing Research Questions Qualitative versus Quantitative Questions Developing Quantitative Research QuestionsDeveloping Qualitative Research QuestionsQualitative versus Quantitative Research ProcessSummary Chapter Review 4. Conducting the Literature Review and Developing Research HypothesesWhat Is a Review of Literature? Purposes of a Review of LiteraturePotential Sources for the Literature ReviewPopular SourcesOther, More Questionable SourcesUsing Internet Searches to Locate Information SourcesFocused Research QuestionsResearch HypothesesRelated DefinitionsTypes of Relationships between VariablesTypes of Research Hypotheses When Are Research Hypotheses Appropriate? Wording of Research Hypotheses SummaryChapter Review 5. Quantitative Research What Is a Research Design?  Categorizations of Research Designs  Cross-Sectional, Pretest-Posttest, and Longitudinal Designs  Cross-Sectional DesignPretest-Posttest DesignLongitudinal DesignExploratory, Descriptive, and Explanatory Studies  Exploratory Research  Descriptive Research  Explanatory Research  Pre-Experimental, Experimental, and Quasi-Experimental Designs  Pre-experimental Designs  Experimental Designs  Quasi-Experimental Designs  Characteristics of a Good Research Design  Internal Validity  External Validity  Summary  Chapter Review 6. Qualitative Research Methods  Key Characteristics of Qualitative ResearchObserver-Participant RoleQualitative Research TechniquesSampling TechniquesData Collection TechniquesData Analysis TechniquesQualitative Research ParadigmsThe Case StudyGrounded TheoryEthnographic ResearchCross-Cultural ResearchFeminist ResearchParticipatory Action ResearchEvaluation Criteria for Qualitative Research  Summary  Chapter Review 7. Evaluating Programs  Systematic ReviewsMeta-analysisWhat is Program Evaluation?Use of Logic ModelsWhy we Conduct Program EvaluationsHistorical BackgroundTypes of Program EvaluationsNeeds AssessmentsFormative EvaluationsOutcome EvaluationsIssues involved in Conducting Program EvaluationsDetermining the Appropriate DesignWho Conducts Program Evaluations?Participating in Program EvaluationsOther Ethical IssuesSummaryChapter Review 8. Evaluating Individual Practice Effectiveness Supervisor FeedbackConsumer FeedbackGoal Attainment ScalingSingle-System EvaluationDifferences between Group Designs and Single-System Evaluation DesignsTerminologyWhen are Single-System Evaluations Appropriate?Elements of Single-System EvaluationsSingle-System Evaluation DesignsStrengths and Weaknesses of Single-System EvaluationsEthical IssuesSummary  Chapter Review 9. Sampling Issues and Options  Terminology  Case  Universe, Theoretical Population, and Accessible Population  Sampling Frame  Sample  Representativeness  Size  Sampling Error  Sampling Bias  Statistic and Parameter  Random Selection  Random Sample  Summary of Terms  Probability Sampling  Simple Random Sampling Systematic Random Sampling  Stratified Sampling Cluster Sampling  Nonprobability Sampling Convenience Sampling  Purposive Sampling  Snowball Sampling  Quota Sampling  Selecting a Good SampleAvailable Resources  Overall Design and Purpose of the StudyStatistical Analyses to Be Used The Importance of Sample RepresentativenessSummary  Chapter Review 10. Measurement Concepts and Issues What Is Measurement in Research?  Preparation for Measurement  Conceptualization Operationalization Levels of Measurement  Nominal Level  Ordinal Level  Interval Level Ratio Level  More on Levels of Measurement Criteria for Good Measurement Reliability  Validity Sources of Measurement Error Summary  Chapter Review 11. Methods for Acquiring Research Data Secondary Data Analysis  Sources  Different Uses  Tasks Required  Advantages  Limitations  Oral Histories  Client LogsSystematic Observation  Unstructured ObservationStructured Observation  Surveys  Potential for Distortion  Identity of the Participant  Return Rate  Response Bias  Interviews  In-Person InterviewsGroup InterviewsTelephone InterviewsElectronic Communications  Summary  Chapter Review 12. Data Collection Instruments  Fixed-Alternative and Open-Ended Items  Composite Indexes and Scales  Composite Indexes  Scales  Using Existing Data Collection Instruments  Revising Existing Data Collection Instruments  Constructing New Data Collection Instruments  Issues in Development  Use of Self-Administered Data Collection Instruments  Advantages  Supervised Administration  Summary  Chapter Review 13. Analyzing Data  The Data in Perspective  Preparing for Data Analysis  Qualitative and Quantitative Data AnalysisQualitative Analysis  Quantitative Analysis  Uses of Statistical Analyses Designing ResearchSummarizing the Distribution of VariablesEstimating the Characteristics of a PopulationAnswering Research Questions and Testing Hypotheses Interpreting and Reporting the Results  Summary  Chapter Review 14. Writing the Research Report and Disseminating Research Findings  Main Sections of the Research ReportTitleAbstractIntroductionReview of the LiteratureStatement of Research Questions and HypothesesMethodologyFindingsDiscussionLimitationsRecommendations for Future Research, Implications for Social Work, and ConclusionsReferences and AppendicesQuantitative versus Qualitative Research ReportsReferencing in a Research ReportRole of Researcher in the Research ReportDisseminating Research FindingsInternal Correspondence and In-Service TrainingProfessional ConferencesProfessional JournalsMonographs, Dissertations, and ThesesSummary  Chapter ReviewReferences  Photo Credits  Index