Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach

by Antoinette Y. Farmer, G. Lawrence Farmer

Overview

Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach is a comprehensive introduction to methods instruction that engages students innovatively and interactively. Using a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, authors Antoinette Y. Farmer and G. Lawrence Farmer utilize case examples to achieve a level of application which builds readers’ confidence in methodology and reinforces their understanding of research across all levels of social work practice. These case examples, along with critical thinking questions, research tips, and step-by-step problem-solving methods, will improve student mastery and help them see why research is relevant. With the guidance of this new and noteworthy textbook, readers will transform into both knowledgeable consumers of research and skilled practitioners who can effectively address the needs of their clients through research.


Included with this title:

The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506345321
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/08/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	456
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Dr. Antoinette Y. Farmer, Professor and faculty affiliate, Center for Prevention Science, and Center for Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, School of Social Work. Dr. Farmer’s research examines the social and interpersonal factors that affect parenting as well as how parenting practices influence adolescent high risk behaviors, such as delinquency and substance use. Another strand of her research focuses on social work education, where she studies the effects of the implicit curriculum on students’ outcomes and the use of research methods to study issues affecting diverse groups. She co-edited a special issue of the Journal of Social Service Research, which was devoted to informing researchers of the methodological issues confronting them when conducting research with minority and oppressed populations. She is the coauthor of the book “Research with Diverse Groups: Research Designs and Multivariate Latent Modeling for Equivalence”. She is a Commissioner on the Council on Social Work Education Commission (CSWE) on Educational Policy and a Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellow. She previously served as a Commissioner on CSWE Commission for Accreditation, and additionally served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2018 at Rutgers. She is currently on the editorial board for the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought.

G. Lawrence Farmer, MSW, PhD is an Associate Professor and Director of the Doctoral Program at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service.  His scholarly interests center on understanding those factors that promote the well-being of youth. He has published work in Social Service Review, Children and Schools, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment and Social Work in Health Care, and Journal of Social Service Research.  Two of the projects he is presently involved in, Resilient Scholars and Westchester Building the Future, seeks to promote youth’s well-being. Both projects seek to increase protective and promotive factor by transforming institutions that provide services to youth.  The Resilient Scholars Program seeks promote positive youth development by developing the social and emotional learning competencies of middle and high school students.  Additionally, it seeks to develop a program implementation model that will build school’s capability to implement youth-centered interventions that will be sustained overtime. The Westchester Building the Future project is a collaboration between the Westchester County Department of Social Services, Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health and Fordham University to restructure services to youth transitioning out of the foster care system.  The goal is to empower youth in their efforts to successfully navigate the transition and to achieve changes in the system of care for youth in the system.  

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1. Evidence-Based Practice
PBL Case 1: Neighborhood House and Social Isolation
Introduction
Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
Ways of Acquiring Knowledge
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Note
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Chapter 2. Research Ethics
PBL Case 2: Can I Really Conduct This Research Study?
Introduction
The Belmont Report
Institutional Review Board
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Note
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 3. The Research Process
PBL Case 3: Predictors of Bullying Behaviors
Introduction
Why Is Learning About Research Important for Your Professional Development?
What Is the Purpose of Research?
What Is Research Design?
The Research Process
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Chapter 4. Problem Formulation
PBL Case 4: Can I Really Conduct This Research Study?
Introduction
Problem Formulation Defined
The Importance of Conducting a Literature Review
Ethics and the Study Design
Diversity and the Research Question
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 5. Measurement
PBL Case 5: Should Maggie Really Be Using This Measure to Assess Kim’s Concerns?
Introduction
Measurement Defined
Conceptual Versus Operational Definition
Levels of Measurement
Sources of Measurement Error
Reliability and Validity
Selecting Standardized Measures
Constructing Measurement Instruments
Ethics and Measurement
Diversity and Measurement
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 6. Experimental Designs
PBL Case 6: Is This Parenting Program Effective for Adolescent Fathers?
Introduction
Experimental Research Designs Defined
Types of Experimental Research Designs
Ethics and Experimental Designs
Diversity and Experimental Designs
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 7. Quasi-Experimental Designs
PBL Case 7: What Are the Effects of a Diversion Program on Rearrest Rates, Re-Incarceration, and Mental Health Functioning?
Introduction
Quasi-Experimental Designs Defined
Types of Quasi-Experimental Designs
Ethics and Quasi-Experimental Designs
Diversity and Quasi-Experimental Designs
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 8. Qualitative Research
PBL Case 8: What Are the Perceptions of African American Adolescent Males About the Police?
Introduction
Qualitative Research Defined
Sampling Strategies Used in Qualitative Research
Types of Qualitative Research
Criteria for Ensuring the Trustworthiness of the Data
Ethics and Qualitative Research
Diversity and Qualitative Research
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 9. Mixed-Methods Research
PBL Case 9: An Evaluation of an Intervention Designed to Increase Knowledge About Opioids
Introduction
Mixed-Methods Research Defined
Sampling Strategies Used in Mixed-Methods Research
Ethics and Mixed-Methods Research
Diversity and Mixed-Methods Research
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 10. Observational Research
PBL Case 10: Prenatal Opioid Exposure: Implications for Children and Their Families
Introduction
Observational Research Defined
Types of Observational Research Designs
Ethics and Observational Research
Diversity and Observational Research
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 11. Sampling
PBL Case 11: Predictors of Bullying Behaviors: Variations Across Gender
Introduction
Terminology
Types of Sampling Strategies
Reasons Why Samples May Differ From the Population
Criteria for Evaluating the Quality of a Sample
Ethics and Sampling
Diversity and Sampling
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 12. Survey Research
PBL Case 12: Opioid Knowledge Among Older Adults
Introduction
Survey Research Defined
Sources of Errors Affecting Survey Research
Design Phases of the Survey
Methods of Data Collection Used in Survey Research
Response Rate
Ethics and Survey Research
Diversity and Survey Research
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 13. Quantitative Data Analysis
PBL Case 13: Is This Parenting Program Effective for Adolescent Fathers?
Introduction
What Type of Statistical Analysis Is Appropriate for Analyzing Your Data?
Key Statistics Concepts
Levels of Measurement
Coding of the Data
Statistical Analyses Used to Describe Data
Statistical Analyses Used to Assess the Degree of Relationship Among Variables
Statistical Analyses Used to Assess Significance of Group Differences
Ethics and Quantitative Data Analysis
Diversity and Quantitative Data Analysis
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 14. Qualitative Data Analysis
PBL Case 14: What Are the Perceptions of African American Adolescent Males About Police Brutality?
Introduction
Qualitative Data Analysis Defined
Phases of the Qualitative Data Analysis Process
Coding of the Data
Types of Qualitative Analyses
Criteria for Ensuring the Trustworthiness of the Data
Ethics and Qualitative Data Analysis
Diversity and Qualitative Data Analysis
Computer Programs for Qualitative Data
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 15. Single-Case Design Evaluation
PBL Case 15: Is Peer Mentoring Effective?
Introduction
Single-Case Design Evaluation Defined
What Needs to Be Done Prior to Conducting a Single-Case Design
Phases of the Single-Case Design Evaluation Process
Types of Single-Case Designs
Graphing and Analyzing the Data
Ethics and Single-Case Design Evaluation
Diversity and Single-Case Design Evaluation
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Chapter 16. Program Evaluation
PBL Case 16: Is Peer Mentoring Effective?
Introduction
Program Evaluation Defined
Program Logic Model
Types of Program Evaluations
Structure of an Evaluation Report
Ethics and Program Evaluation
Diversity and Program Evaluation
Summary, Review, and Assignments
Chapter Summary Organized by Learning Objectives
Key Terms
Competency Notes
Assessment Questions
End-of-Chapter Exercises
Additional Readings
Appendix: Guidelines for Writing a Research Proposal
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

This text is student-friendly and offer students immediate answers related to why and how research is relevant and required in the social work profession. From my review, I believe Research Methods for Social Work Practice may be exactly what we've needed in our program.”

Sonja V. Harry

The authors have proposed a very innovative way to make research understandable and interesting to an audience that doesn’t typically enjoy the research process. The problem-based learning model will engage students and challenge them to think about research in ways that many of them previously hadn’t thought about it.”

Juan J. Barthelemy

Research Methods for Social Work Practice is a new take on the standard research text. This text incorporates a problem-based learning approach to addressing research content along with case studies to facilitate understanding of research content.”

Patricia Saleeby