Social Work Research Methods

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part 1: The Fundamentals of Science and Social Work Research
Chapter 1: Science, Research, and Social Work Practice
How do we Know what we Know?
Avoiding Errors in Decision Making
Science as a Way of Knowing
Science and Critical Thinking
Social Work Practice and Science
Common Sense and the Scientific Method
Pseudoscience as an Alternative to Science
Applying the Basic Principles of Science: Does the Full Moon Make Us Different?
Chapter 2: Purposes and Processes of Social Work Research
Four Purposes of Social Work Research
Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
The Research Process
Chapter 3: Ethics and Cultural Competence in Social Work Research
Section A: Ethics in the Use of Human Subjects in Research
Section B: Cultural Competence in Social Work Research
Chapter 4: Evidence-based Practice
The Nature of Evidence and Evidence-based Practice
Steps in the Process of Evidence-based Practice
Critical Appraisal of Evidence-based Practice
Part 2: Conducting Different Types of Social Work Research
Chapter 5: Conducting Research that Employs Social Surveys
The Nature of the Social Survey
Types of Social Surveys
When to Use Each Type of Survey
Conducting Your Own Social Survey
Composing Your Own Questionnaire
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Survey
Chapter 6: Conducting Research That Describes People: What Are the Traits That Describe the Good Manager?
Preliminary Step for Practice Exercise 2 for This Chapter
Types of Social Work Research
The Phases of Descriptive Research
Chapter 7: Conducting Research That Explains Things: What Explains Life Satisfaction?
The Four Major Phases of Explanatory Research
An Explanatory Research Study Example: Does Stress or Social Support Explain Life Satisfaction?
Chapter Appendix: Questionnaire for Study of Life Satisfaction
Chapter 8: Conducting Research that Evaluates Services
The Parts of the Evaluation System
The Phases of Outcome Evaluation Research
Research Example: Are the Services of the New Horizons Treatment Program Effective in the Reduction of Depression for Adult Clients?
Chapter Appendix: Statistical Analysis of the Data for the New Horizons Treatment Program
Chapter 9: Conducting Qualitative Research that Explores the Unknown
Exploratory Research and Qualitative Research Methods
What Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Research Have in Common
The Phases of Exploratory Research Employing Qualitative Research Methods
Approaches to Qualitative Research
Data Collection in Qualitative Research
Data Analysis in Qualitative Research
Chapter 10: Conducting Program Evaluations
What Does Your Agency Do to Evaluate Programs?
The Nature of Program Evaluations
Advantages of Program Evaluations
Characteristics of Good Programs
Finding Evidence for Human Service Programs
Types of Program Evaluations
The Logic Model as a Way of Portraying Critical Aspects of the Program Evaluation
Some Qualitative Approaches for Program Evaluation
Issues in Program Evaluation
Part 3: Conducting Each Phase of Social Work Research
Chapter 11: Developing Your Knowledge Base and Intervention
Purpose and Knowledge as the Foundation for the Research Study
The Literature Review for a Research Study
Describing the Intervention or Program
Preliminary Information for the Practice Exercises
Chapter 12: Drawing Your Study Sample
The Study Sample and the Study Population
Generalization of Study Results
Sampling Error
Sampling Elements, Sampling Frames, and Sampling Intervals
Random Samples and Scientific Generalization
Nonrandom Samples and Logical Generalization
Chapter 13: Measuring Your Study Variables
Why Fret Over Measurement?
The Nature of Measurement in Social Work Research
Standardized Tools and Individualized Tools
Measurement Error
Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Measurement
Securing the Tool for Measuring Your Study Variables
Evaluating Measurement Tools
Tips for Developing Your Own Measurement Tool
Computing the Score for Your Scale
Describing Your Measurement Tool
Determining Practical Significance With Your Measurement Method
Special Challenges of the Single-Subject Research Study
Individualized Scales as an Option
Chapter 14: Selecting a Research Design for a Group Evaluation Study
The Nature of Causation in Research
Threats to Internal Validity
What Threats Should Be of Special Concern in My Situation?
Two General Types of Research Designs
Group Research Designs
Preexperimental Designs That Fail to Address Threats to Internal Validity
Quasi-Experimental Designs That Address Causation Minimally
Experimental Designs That Address Threats Optimally
Summary of Group Research Designs
Chapter 15: Selecting a Research Design for a Single Client
The Nature of the Single-Subject Research Study
Single-Subject Designs that Fail to Address Maturation or History
Single-Subject Designs that Address Maturation
Single-Subject Designs That Address Both Maturation and History
Data Analysis for Single-Subject Research
Chapter 16: Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions
Using Descriptive Statistics to Describe People
Using Inferential Statistic to Test Your Hypothesis in Explanatory Research
Questions You Must Answer to Find Your Statistic in Explanatory Research
Finding Your Statistic in Explanatory Research
Interpreting Data in Explanatory Research
Using Inferential Statistics to Test Your Hypothesis When You Are Evaluating Practice
Presenting Your Study Conclusions
Chapter Appendix: Instructions for Using an Internet Website to Analyze Data
Chapter 17: Analyzing Qualitative Data
An Overview of Qualitative Data Analysis
Narrative Analysis
Glossary
References
Index