The Practice of Research in Social Work
Fourth Edition
- Rafael J. Engel - University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Russell K. Schutt - University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
March 2016 | 496 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
The Fourth Edition of The Practice of Research in Social Work introduces an integrated set of techniques for evaluating research and practice problems as well as conducting studies. Evidence-based practice comes alive through illustrations of actual social work research. Updated with new examples, the latest research, and expanded material on technology and qualitative methods, this popular text helps readers achieve the 2015 EPAS core competencies essential for social work practice..
See the text’s CSWE Competency Matrix, linking chapter content to the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).
CHAPTER 1. Science, Society, and Social Work Research
| Reasoning About the Social World |
| Everyday Errors in Reasoning |
| The Social Scientific Approach |
| Social Work and the Social World |
| Research in the News: Why Did New York City’s Homeless Population Increase? |
| Social Work Research and Evidence-Based Practice |
| Social Work Research in Practice |
| Alternative Research Orientations |
| Social Work Research in a Diverse Society |
CHAPTER 2. The Process of Social Work Research
| Social Work Research Questions |
| Consider Social Diversity when Formulating a Question |
| Foundations of Social Work Research |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Theory and Social Work Research |
| Research in the News: Does Money Buy Happiness? |
| Alternative Research Strategies |
| Social Research Standards |
CHAPTER 3. Ethical and Scientific Guidelines for Social Work Research
| Research on People |
| Historical Background |
| Research in the News: Is it Ethical Science? |
| Ethical Principles |
| Institutional Review Board Reviews |
| Internet Research |
| Scientific Guidelines for Social Work Research |
CHAPTER 4. Measurement
| Concepts |
| Research in the News: What is your Race? |
| From Concepts to Observations |
| Levels of Measurement |
| Measurement Error |
| Assessing Measurement Accuracy |
| Measurement Validity |
| Ways to Improve Reliability and Validity of Existing Measures |
| Using Scales to Identify a Clinical Status |
| Measurement in a Diverse Society |
| Measurement Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
CHAPTER 5. Sampling
| Sample Planning |
| Research in the News: What are the Best Practices for Sampling Vulnerable Populations? |
| Sampling Methods |
| Sampling Distributions |
| Recruitment Strategies with Diverse Populations |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
CHAPTER 6. Causation and Research Design
| Research Design Alternatives |
| Research in the News: Why is Child Poverty so High? |
| Criteria for Quantitative (Nomothetic) Causal Explanations |
| Comparing Research Designs |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
CHAPTER 7. Group Experimental Designs
| Threats to the Validity of Group Experimental Designs |
| Features of True Experiments |
| Types of True Experimental Designs |
| Quasi-experimental Designs |
| Nonexperimental Designs |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Diversity, Group Design, and Evidence-Based Practice |
| Ethical Issues in Experimental Research |
CHAPTER 8. Single-Subject Design
| Foundations of Single-Subject Design |
| Measuring Targets of Intervention |
| Analyzing Single-Subject Designs |
| Types of Single-Subject Designs |
| Research in the News: Exercise Your Brain? |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Single-Subject Design in a Diverse Society |
| Ethical Issues in Single-Subject Design |
CHAPTER 9. Survey Research
| Survey Research in Social Work |
| Designing Questionnaires |
| Writing Questions |
| Refine and Test Questions |
| Survey Design Alternatives |
| Survey Research Design in a Diverse Society |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Ethical Issues in Survey Research |
CHAPTER 10. Qualitative Methods
| Fundamentals of Qualitative Methods |
| Participant Observation |
| Intensive Interviewing |
| Research in the News: Can Taping Interviews Capture a Trend? |
| Interviewing Online |
| Focus Groups |
| Community-based Participatory Research |
| Qualitative Research in a Diverse Society |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research |
CHAPTER 11. Qualitative Data Analysis
| Features of Qualitative Data Analysis |
| Techniques of Qualitative Data Analysis |
| Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis |
| Research in the News: What’s in a Message? |
| Content Analysis |
| Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis |
| Implications for Evidence-based Practice |
| Ethics in Qualitative Data Analysis |
CHAPTER 12. Secondary Data Analysis and Mixed Methods
| Secondary Data Analysis |
| Mixed Methods |
CHAPTER 13. Evaluation Research
| Evaluation Basics |
| Describing the Program: The Logic Model |
| Questions for Evaluation Research |
| Design Decisions |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Evaluation Research in a Diverse Society |
| Ethics in Evaluation |
CHAPTER 14. Quantitative Data Analysis
| Introducing Statistics |
| Preparing Data for Analysis |
| Displaying Univariate Distributions |
| Summarizing Univariate Distributions |
| Describing Relationships Among Variables |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Quantitative Data Analysis in a Diverse Society |
| Ethical Issues: Avoiding Misleading Findings |
CHAPTER 15. Reporting Research
| Beginning With a Research Proposal |
| Writing Can Be Frustrating! |
| Reporting Results |
| Research in the News: How Much Should Social Scientists Report? |
| Poster Presentations |
| Implications for Evidence-Based Practice |
| Social Work Research in a Diverse Society |
| Ethical Considerations |
Appendix A. Questions to Ask About a Quantitative Research Article
Appendix B. How to Read a Quantitative Research Article
Appendix C. Questions to Ask About a Qualitative Research Article
Appendix D. How to Read a Qualitative Research Article
Supplements
Student Study Site
SAGE edge for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment.
SAGE edge for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment.
- Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
- Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material
- A customized online action plan includes tips and feedback on progress through the course and materials, which allows students to individualize their learning experience
- Video and multimedia resources that appeal to students with different learning styles
- Web resources to extend and reinforce learning or allow for further research on important chapter topics
- EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter
Instructor Resource site
SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier!
SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier!
SAGE edge for Instructors, supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.
- Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding
- Sample course syllabi for semester and quarter courses provide suggested models for structuring one’s course
- Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course
- EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter to encourage students to think critically
- Video and multimedia resources that appeal to students with different learning styles
- Web resources to extend and reinforce learning or allow for further research on important chapter topics
- Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to ease preparation for lectures and class discussions
- Suggested student projects designed to promote students' in-depth engagement with course material
- Tables and figures from the book are available in an easily-downloadable format for use in papers, handouts, and presentations
This book provides a comprehensive yet down-to-earth and practical foundation for social work students.
School Of Social Work, University Of Georgia
November 21, 2016