social work research study guide

Social Work Research Methods That Drive the Practice

A social worker surveys a community member.

Social workers advocate for the well-being of individuals, families and communities. But how do social workers know what interventions are needed to help an individual? How do they assess whether a treatment plan is working? What do social workers use to write evidence-based policy?

Social work involves research-informed practice and practice-informed research. At every level, social workers need to know objective facts about the populations they serve, the efficacy of their interventions and the likelihood that their policies will improve lives. A variety of social work research methods make that possible.

Data-Driven Work

Data is a collection of facts used for reference and analysis. In a field as broad as social work, data comes in many forms.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

As with any research, social work research involves both quantitative and qualitative studies.

Quantitative Research

Answers to questions like these can help social workers know about the populations they serve — or hope to serve in the future.

How many students currently receive reduced-price school lunches in the local school district?
How many hours per week does a specific individual consume digital media?
How frequently did community members access a specific medical service last year?

Quantitative data — facts that can be measured and expressed numerically — are crucial for social work.

Quantitative research has advantages for social scientists. Such research can be more generalizable to large populations, as it uses specific sampling methods and lends itself to large datasets. It can provide important descriptive statistics about a specific population. Furthermore, by operationalizing variables, it can help social workers easily compare similar datasets with one another.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative data — facts that cannot be measured or expressed in terms of mere numbers or counts — offer rich insights into individuals, groups and societies. It can be collected via interviews and observations.

What attitudes do students have toward the reduced-price school lunch program?
What strategies do individuals use to moderate their weekly digital media consumption?
What factors made community members more or less likely to access a specific medical service last year?

Qualitative research can thereby provide a textured view of social contexts and systems that may not have been possible with quantitative methods. Plus, it may even suggest new lines of inquiry for social work research.

Mixed Methods Research

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods into a single study is known as mixed methods research. This form of research has gained popularity in the study of social sciences, according to a 2019 report in the academic journal Theory and Society. Since quantitative and qualitative methods answer different questions, merging them into a single study can balance the limitations of each and potentially produce more in-depth findings.

However, mixed methods research is not without its drawbacks. Combining research methods increases the complexity of a study and generally requires a higher level of expertise to collect, analyze and interpret the data. It also requires a greater level of effort, time and often money.

The Importance of Research Design

Data-driven practice plays an essential role in social work. Unlike philanthropists and altruistic volunteers, social workers are obligated to operate from a scientific knowledge base.

To know whether their programs are effective, social workers must conduct research to determine results, aggregate those results into comprehensible data, analyze and interpret their findings, and use evidence to justify next steps.

Employing the proper design ensures that any evidence obtained during research enables social workers to reliably answer their research questions.

Research Methods in Social Work

The various social work research methods have specific benefits and limitations determined by context. Common research methods include surveys, program evaluations, needs assessments, randomized controlled trials, descriptive studies and single-system designs.

Surveys involve a hypothesis and a series of questions in order to test that hypothesis. Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends.

Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable. However, surveys generally require large participant groups, and self-reports from survey respondents are not always reliable.

Program Evaluations

Social workers ally with all sorts of programs: after-school programs, government initiatives, nonprofit projects and private programs, for example.

Crucially, social workers must evaluate a program’s effectiveness in order to determine whether the program is meeting its goals and what improvements can be made to better serve the program’s target population.

Evidence-based programming helps everyone save money and time, and comparing programs with one another can help social workers make decisions about how to structure new initiatives. Evaluating programs becomes complicated, however, when programs have multiple goal metrics, some of which may be vague or difficult to assess (e.g., “we aim to promote the well-being of our community”).

Needs Assessments

Social workers use needs assessments to identify services and necessities that a population lacks access to.

Common social work populations that researchers may perform needs assessments on include:

People in a specific income group
Everyone in a specific geographic region
A specific ethnic group
People in a specific age group

In the field, a social worker may use a combination of methods (e.g., surveys and descriptive studies) to learn more about a specific population or program. Social workers look for gaps between the actual context and a population’s or individual’s “wants” or desires.

For example, a social worker could conduct a needs assessment with an individual with cancer trying to navigate the complex medical-industrial system. The social worker may ask the client questions about the number of hours they spend scheduling doctor’s appointments, commuting and managing their many medications. After learning more about the specific client needs, the social worker can identify opportunities for improvements in an updated care plan.

In policy and program development, social workers conduct needs assessments to determine where and how to effect change on a much larger scale. Integral to social work at all levels, needs assessments reveal crucial information about a population’s needs to researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders. Needs assessments may fall short, however, in revealing the root causes of those needs (e.g., structural racism).

Randomized Controlled Trials

Randomized controlled trials are studies in which a randomly selected group is subjected to a variable (e.g., a specific stimulus or treatment) and a control group is not. Social workers then measure and compare the results of the randomized group with the control group in order to glean insights about the effectiveness of a particular intervention or treatment.

Randomized controlled trials are easily reproducible and highly measurable. They’re useful when results are easily quantifiable. However, this method is less helpful when results are not easily quantifiable (i.e., when rich data such as narratives and on-the-ground observations are needed).

Descriptive Studies

Descriptive studies immerse the researcher in another context or culture to study specific participant practices or ways of living. Descriptive studies, including descriptive ethnographic studies, may overlap with and include other research methods:

Informant interviews
Census data
Observation

By using descriptive studies, researchers may glean a richer, deeper understanding of a nuanced culture or group on-site. The main limitations of this research method are that it tends to be time-consuming and expensive.

Single-System Designs

Unlike most medical studies, which involve testing a drug or treatment on two groups — an experimental group that receives the drug/treatment and a control group that does not — single-system designs allow researchers to study just one group (e.g., an individual or family).

Single-system designs typically entail studying a single group over a long period of time and may involve assessing the group’s response to multiple variables.

For example, consider a study on how media consumption affects a person’s mood. One way to test a hypothesis that consuming media correlates with low mood would be to observe two groups: a control group (no media) and an experimental group (two hours of media per day). When employing a single-system design, however, researchers would observe a single participant as they watch two hours of media per day for one week and then four hours per day of media the next week.

These designs allow researchers to test multiple variables over a longer period of time. However, similar to descriptive studies, single-system designs can be fairly time-consuming and costly.

Learn More About Social Work Research Methods

Social workers have the opportunity to improve the social environment by advocating for the vulnerable — including children, older adults and people with disabilities — and facilitating and developing resources and programs.

Learn more about how you can earn your Master of Social Work online at Virginia Commonwealth University . The highest-ranking school of social work in Virginia, VCU has a wide range of courses online. That means students can earn their degrees with the flexibility of learning at home. Learn more about how you can take your career in social work further with VCU.

From M.S.W. to LCSW: Understanding Your Career Path as a Social Worker

How Palliative Care Social Workers Support Patients With Terminal Illnesses

How to Become a Social Worker in Health Care

Gov.uk, Mixed Methods Study

MVS Open Press, Foundations of Social Work Research

Open Social Work Education, Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

Open Social Work, Graduate Research Methods in Social Work: A Project-Based Approach

Routledge, Research for Social Workers: An Introduction to Methods

SAGE Publications, Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach

Theory and Society, Mixed Methods Research: What It Is and What It Could Be

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Foundations of Social Work Research

(4 reviews)

Rebecca L. Mauldin

ISBN 13: 9781648169915

Publisher: Mavs Open Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by LaToya Smith-Jones, Adjunct Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 3/26/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The textbook covers various topics that are familiar to the Social Work profession. There are relatable examples given within the book, which allow Social Work students to understand discussions through the lens of an actual practitioner. Each section provides an area where research vocabulary is listed and reviewed, as well as examples to deepen the understanding of the vocabulary used.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The information presented in the textbook is presented with accuracy. Bias was not noticed within the text.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The information presented within the textbook was up-to-date. Classical studies were also included in the textbook. The classical studies allow the students to understand the historical influence regarding the research process.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook provides examples and a separate vocabulary section in order to understand the jargon and technical terminology. individuals who do not have a research background will be able to comprehend the information written.

Consistency rating: 5

The textbook is consistent regarding terminology and framework. Each section builds upon the previous section.

Modularity rating: 5

Each section is broken up according to the topic of the chapter. Each chapter is broken up in sections, which allows for an easier read.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapters are presented in a logical and clear fashion. The information presented within the textbook builds upon itself. Students are first introduced to background information regarding the topic and then they are given information regarding the application of the information shared.

Interface rating: 5

There were not any interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were not any grammatical errors noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Information within the text was inclusive and included examples of various ethnicities and backgrounds.

The textbook is excellent to use for students who do not have a research background. The manner in which the information is presented and laid out assists with aiding students' understanding.

Reviewed by Quentin Maynard, Assistant Professor, University of Southern Indiana on 11/30/22

This text covers topics that social work students need to understand to be consumers of research. The author and contributors include current real work examples to help emphasize the different topics. Integrating the chapter on Real World Research throughout the text might help emphasize to students that engaging in research is necessary to our profession, even as practitioners.

The content was accurate and error-free.

The content of the text was up-to-date and included information relevant to social work research. Since the main author solicited contributions from colleagues at their institution, updates and changes would likely be relatively straightforward.

The book seemed accessible for individuals with limited research experience. Key words were defined in the text and included in a glossary at the end of each section and the text.

The text was consistent in style and organization. Chapter subsections have specific learning objectives allowing students to know what will be covered in each chapter. Doing this reduces bloat and increases clarity for readers.

The text did not appear to be structured in a way that was overwhelming or difficult to follow.

The structure of the book was logical.

The digital pdf and the online versions of the text were intuitive and easy to navigate. I did not notice any issues with the interface in either format.

No writing or grammar errors noted.

The text is culturally sensitive. It includes a content advisory at the beginning of each chapter which allows students to be aware of specific topics (e.g., racism, sexism, and poverty) discussed or mentioned in the chapter. While this text was adapted for students at a specific university, the authors include topics that reach much farther than that audience. The examples included cover a diverse set of people and situations.

This is a comprehensive text that allows students the opportunity to learn how to be consumers of social work research. While practice evaluation might not be the scope of this text, other than the chapter on Real World Research, including discussions about how students might apply the concepts of each chapter in social work practice. The structure of the book allows students to see the research that their professors are engaging in and might make research more accessible to social work students and practitioners

Reviewed by Matt Walsh, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Marian University on 12/30/21

This textbook covers all the aspects of research you would expect for an introduction to social work research. It uses classic examples of past research to highlight the importance of ethics in research. It also does a good job of discussing both quantitative and qualitative research as well as single system designs and program evaluation. My one critique as someone who does qualitative research is that it mentions the importance of trustworthiness and rigor in qualitative research but does not mention how a research can achieve this. However, it does go into other elements like coding and it would not be hard to provide student with supplemental materials about memoing or peer debriefing as examples and to be fair, it is hard to put everything in just one chapter.

All components are accurately described and well-written. The glossary at the end of each section is helpful for key words. The text appears to be error-free and unbiased.

There are links to recent examples which highlights the real world aspect of research.

This text is clear in its description of research and its major components. Certain aspects like causality get a little advanced for a introduction to research book but there are good visual to aid in students' understanding of some of the more complicated concepts. (Please note that I am reviewing this with BSW students in mind, MSW students may not find some of these sections as overwhelming as I suspect my students might).

The book is very well structured and consistent throughout.

The text is well structured and organized as a whole and in terms of each chapter and each section with the chapters.

The topics follow the order of most other foundational research books I have seen and have a logical flow to them.

I did not find any interface issues.

I could not see any grammatical errors.

There are good examples throughout that display an effort to have inclusivity, diversity, and equity in this text.

I feel like this book would provide students with a good understanding about research and could be used interchangeably with other foundational/introduction books on the market, especially if the professor is familiar with teaching research and has already established a good foundation (quizzes, lecture slides, assignments, activities, etc.).

Reviewed by Vivian Miller, Assistant Professor in Social Work, Bowling Green State University on 1/5/21

The text Foundations of Social Work Research covers social work research comprehensively and appropriately. Across twelve chapters, the author begins by introducing research, the science behind research and how this translates to the profession of social work, and the importance of understanding research as it applies to social work practice across all system levels. In addition to comprehensive chapters, the text contains a glossary, practice behavior indices, bibliography, derivative notes, and links by each chapter.

This text is an accurate text that is error free. This text is extremely well-written and includes real-life examples, drawing on written contributions from social work faculty across practice settings and populations, as well as students at the masters and doctoral levels.

Much of research methods and the process is overall static, however the author does an incredible job to provide timely, relevant, and applicable examples throughout the text to ensure that this version will not be obsolete within a short period of time.

This text is clearly written and is easy to move through. This text contains chapters and sub-chapters. I’d recommend this book for a higher-level undergraduate program or graduate program (e.g., MSW), as there is technical terminology used. Additionally, the author provides a glossary at the back of the text, hyperlinked to each chapter on the web-version. Moreover, there are definitions highlighted at center page throughout the text.

This text is very consistent. Chapters build on one another and are written in clear order.

The use of subheadings throughout allows this text to be separated into smaller reading sections. For instance, if an instructor wanted to assign reading for “Probability sampling,” this topic can be readily extracted from the full text. A student can understand this topic area despite being separated from the text as context is provided to the reader in each sub-chapter. The use of bolded words, images, examples, and hyperlinks throughout make the text easy to separate and digest.

This text is very well-organized and moves through each section in a step-wise process building on each previous content area.

There are no interface issues in the text. Images display well, as well as key takeaway and glossary charts throughout each chapter.

The text contains no grammatical errors.

This text is culturally sensitive. Examples across all system levels (e.g., micro, messo, and macro) are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Highly recommend this text for a Social Work research course.

Chapter One: Introduction to research
Chapter Two: Linking methods with theory
Chapter Three: Ethics in social work research
Chapter Four: Design and causality
Chapter Five: Defining and measuring concepts
Chapter Six: Sampling
Chapter Seven: Survey research
Chapter Eight: Experimental design
Chapter Nine: Unique features of qualitative research
Chapter Ten: Unobtrusive research
Chapter Eleven: Real-world research
Chapter Twelve: Reporting research

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This textbook was created to provide an introduction to research methods for BSW and MSW students, with particular emphasis on research and practice relevant to students at the University of Texas at Arlington. It provides an introduction to social work students to help evaluate research for evidence-based practice and design social work research projects. It can be used with its companion, A Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions by Rebecca L. Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo, or as a stand-alone textbook.

About the Contributors

Rebecca L. Mauldin , Ph.D

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Boxes on This Conducting Research/Publishing Page

Here are links to the boxes on this Conducting Research/Publishing page. The links will quickly jump the screen to the boxes of information. Conducting Research Publishing and Scholarly Communications NIH Public Access Policy Copyright Information Washington University ChatGPT Beta Sandbox and AI Resources

Conducting Research

ACT UP for Evaluating Sources "... blend evaluating sources with social justice... " https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17434/19242
Artificial Intelligence: The Basics (Part 1) From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. Selected WUSTL policies and information. https://becker.wustl.edu/news/part-i-artificial-intelligence/
Brown School Library Systematic Review Resources and Services Brown School Library provides support for systematic review work. https://libguides.wustl.edu/brownschoollibrarysystematicreviews
Brown School Library's research guide on Scoping Reviews Brown School Library's research guide on scoping reviews. https://libguides.wustl.edu/scopingreview
CADTH Search Filters Database Evidence-based search filters. From the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. https://searchfilters.cadth.ca/
Campbell Collaboration Practical Meta-Analysis Effect Size Calculator "...designed to facilitate the computation of effect-sizes for meta-analysis. Four effect-size types can be computed from various input data: the standardized mean difference, the correlation coefficient, the odds-ratio, and the risk-ratio..." https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/research-resources/effect-size-calculator.html
ChatGPT Beta Sandbox Washington University's ChatGPT Beta Sandbox. Access to a secured version of ChatGPT.
Citation Linker Match citation pieces to retrieve complete citation with links to full text options. Off-campus access is restricted to current WUSTL students/faculty/staff.
Cited Reference Searching The University of Prince Edward Island has compiled a nice page of resources that can be used to find items that cited an article. https://library.upei.ca/citedrefsearch
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions "...official guide that describes in detail the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews... guidance on the standard methods applicable to every review (planning a review, searching and selecting studies, data collection, risk of bias assessment, statistical analysis, GRADE and interpreting results), as well as more specialised topics (non-randomized studies, adverse effects, complex interventions, equity, economics, patient-reported outcomes, individual patient data, prospective meta-analysis, and qualitative research)..." https://training.cochrane.org/handbook
Conducting Research (Olin Library research guide) Tools to help you define research topics and find appropriate resources. https://libguides.wustl.edu/research
CRAAP Test: Evaluating Sources From Benedictine University. Questions to ask when evaluating sources of information. https://researchguides.ben.edu/c.php?g=261612&p=2441794
EQUATOR Network: Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research Reporting guidelines for many study types. "...international initiative that seeks to improve the reliability and value of published health research literature by promoting transparent and accurate reporting and wider use of robust reporting guidelines..." https://www.equator-network.org/
Evaluating Sources: Using the RADAR Framework From the Loyola Marymount University, William H. Hannon Library. Helps you to evaluate resources for quality. https://libguides.lmu.edu/aboutRADAR
Evidence-Based Practice for the Helping Professions Provides the definition of evidence-based practice along with guidance on formulating the question and advice on searching appropriate databases. Produced by Leonard Gibbs, Eamon Armstrong, Donna Raleigh, and Josette Jones. Based on Evidence-Based Practice for the Helping Professions by L. Gibbs (2003). http://www.evidence.brookscole.com/index.html
5 most common mistakes to avoid when you are publishing a systematic review: Key takeaways from Researcher Academy’s latest webinar By Priyanka Kalra. https://www.elsevier.com/connect/authors-update/the-5-most-common-mistakes-to-avoid-when-you-are-publishing-a-systematic-review?utm_campaign=RN_AG_Sourced_300000414&utm_medium=email&utm_dgroup=ELS_LCN_July_2018&utm_acid=10590892&SIS_ID=0&dgcid=RN_AG_Sourced_300000414&CMX_ID=&utm_in=-1966374577&utm_source=AC_32
GRADE Working Group "...Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (short GRADE) working group began in the year 2000 ... The working group has developed a common, sensible and transparent approach to grading quality (or certainty) of evidence and strength of recommendations... the standard in guideline development." https://www.gradeworkinggroup.org/
Grey Literature Books in the Library Catalog Books available through the WUSTL libraries. https://spokane.wustl.edu/search/X?SEARCH=t:(%22grey%20literature%22%20OR%20%22gray%20literature%22)%20or%20d:(%22grey%20literature%22%20OR%20%22gray%20literature%22)&SORT=D
Grey Literature Research Guide University of South Australia. https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/GreyLiterature/Home
Hierarchy of Evidence Pyramid (Creative Commons License) Developed by Bradley A. Long at Pennsylvania State University. Pyramid image organizes many research methodologies from less evidence-based to most evidence-based. https://scholarsphere.psu.edu/concern/generic_works/jws859f844
ISSG Search Filters Resource: Search Filters by Study Design InterTASC Information Specialists' Sub-Group (ISSG). "... collaborative venture to identify, assess and test search filters designed to retrieve research by study design or focus... It also provides information and guidance on how to critically appraise search filters, study design filters in progress and information on the development and use of search filters... Adverse effects, Aetiology, Diagnostic studies, Economic evaluations, Epidemiological studies, Guidelines, Health services research, Health state utility values, Mixed methods studies, Non-randomized studies, Observational studies, Outcome studies, Prognosis, Public Views & Patient Issues, Qualitative research, Quality of life, Quasi-Experimental Studies, RCTs and other trials, Systematic reviews, Therapy studies, Other filters..." https://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/issg-search-filters-resource/home
Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) From the American Psychological Association (APA). Covers quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/index?_ga=2.164927096.671968845.1527862136-93662280.1527862136
Keyword Searching in Library Databases Quick, informative tutorial on keyword searching. Developed by the University of Missouri-St. Louis. https://www.umsl.edu/services/libteach/keyword.html
Knowledge Is Power: Fighting Misinformation, Disinformation, and Junk News WUSTL's research guide. https://libguides.wustl.edu/evaluate_news
Literature Review Assistance Link to the subpage for resources on literature reviews. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46890&p=301079
LitSense From the National Center for Biotechnology Information. "Search for sentences in more than 30 million biomedical publications. LitSense is a unique search system for making sense of the biomedical literature at the sentence level, providing a unified access to over half a billion statements extracted from PubMed and PubMed Central. Given a query, LitSense finds the best-matching sentences based on overlapping terms as well as semantic similarity via a cutting-edge neural embedding approach." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/litsense/
PRESS Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies https://www.cadth.ca/press-peer-review-electronic-search-strategies-0
Protocols.io Repository for Protocols "... protocols.io is the largest searchable repository for protocols, with over 15,000 published protocols. So instead of developing a new protocol from scratch, try searching protocols.io for a published protocol that fits your requirements." Platform for developing and sharing methods. Focus is on science methods, assays, clinical trials, operational procedures and checklists for keeping your protocols up do date. In October 2023, WUSTL became Protocols.io’s premium partner, granting all WUSTL faculty, staff, and students, access to premium accounts. https://becker.wustl.edu/news/how-to-make-your-protocols-complete-interactive-and-citable/
PubMed Special Queries: Directory of Topic-Specific PubMed Queries U.S. National Library of Medicine. Variety of filters for searching. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/special_queries.html
Research Help: Evaluating Your Sources WUSTL research guide. How to evaluate sources of information. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=47166&p=302965
Research Reporting Guidelines and Initiatives: By Organization By the National Library of Medicine. "...guidelines that provide advice for reporting research methods and findings..." Includes PRISMA, Consort, etc. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/research_report_guide.html
Responsible and Efficient Literature Searching (from Becker Library) "Searching the literature is an essential component of the scholarly research process that involves a review of the literature on a specific topic or clinical question. This guide will discuss several questions and resources that will help you to become more thorough and efficient in your literature searches."
Right Review Tool suggests the type of literature review to conduct given your research question criteria. https://whatreviewisrightforyou.knowledgetranslation.net/
Scholarly Communication Notebook (SCN) "... an in-development repository of community-designed and curated open resources for teaching about scholarly communication and for doing scholarly communication work in libraries..." Includes: Open access, Copyright, Scholarly sharing, Open education, Data, Impact measurement, and Scholarly communication. https://www.oercommons.org/hubs/SCN
Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals Online Video Helps define scholarly articles. By Vanderbilt University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysPDZGj3cRA
Scholarly vs. Popular Table WUSTL research guide. Helps you decide whether the material you found is scholarly or comes from a popular source. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46980&p=301909#s-lib-ctab-2944066-1
Sci2 Tool: A Tool for Science of Science Research & Practice "The Science of Science (Sci2) Tool is a modular toolset specifically designed for the study of science. It supports the temporal, geospatial, topical, and network analysis and visualization of scholarly datasets at the micro (individual), meso (local), and macro (global) levels." https://sci2.cns.iu.edu/user/index.php
Systematic Review or Scoping Review? How to Choose the Best Review for your Research Topic From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. https://becker.wustl.edu/news/systematic-review-or-scoping-review/
Team Science Toolkit "The Team Science Toolkit is a user-generated collection of information and resources that support the practice and study of team science. The Toolkit connects professionals from many disciplines, providing a forum for sharing knowledge and tools to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of team science initiatives." https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/research/team-science-toolkit
Think Like a Fact Checker From WUSTL's research guide: Guide to Architecture Resources. Describes Mike Caulfield's SIFT model for evaluating information/resources. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46875&p=7890552
Typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies Helps you choose which type of review article you would like to write. Grant, M. J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information And Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91-108. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x Off-campus access is restricted to current WUSTL students, faculty, and staff.
Unpaywall Browser add-on for Firefox or Chrome. Searches for open-access copies of articles. https://unpaywall.org/
Washington University Open Science Framework "...free, open source web application built to help researchers manage their workflows. The OSF is part collaboration tool, part version control software, and part data archive. The OSF connects to popular tools researchers already use, like Dropbox, Box, Github and Mendeley, to streamline workflows and increase efficiency." https://libguides.wustl.edu/osf
Yale MeSH Analyzer For your chosen citations, puts the MeSH headings into a grid for easy comparisons. https://mesh.med.yale.edu/

Publishing and Scholarly Communications

The library catalog has resources related to publishing. Consider searching for the following subject headings: Academic Writing, Authorship, Report Writing, Scholarly Publishing, Written Communication. In general, authorship can be found in call numbers PN 101-245. General academic writing can be found in call numbers PN 146-147, 151, 160-161 and PE 1408. Publishing related to a specific discipline can be found in the call numbers for the discipline. For example, publishing psychology articles can be found in call number BF 76.8. Click here to search the library catalog .

Assessing the Impact of Research https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/impact
Author's Guide to Social Work Journals By the NASW. "...submission guidelines and format; review process; acceptance rate for articles..." In the Brown School library. https://spokane.wustl.edu:443/record=b4333949~S2
Be iNFORMED! From the Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives. "Use this checklist as a framework for determining the potential legitimacy of an unknown publisher or journal." https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/beinformed
Book proposal book: A guide for scholarly authors 2021 book by Laura Portwood-Stacer. In WUSTL libraries. "... structured program-complete with worksheets and concrete tasks-that takes readers through each step of researching and writing a proposal that will sell their book to an editor at a scholarly press." https://spokane.wustl.edu:443/record=b8912522~S2
CiteScore metrics for journals and serials Impact factor from the Elsevier company. Based on the Scopus database. https://www.scopus.com/sources
Data Services: Core Data Services Details Olin Library's Data Services team provides support to WUSTL. They can help you manage your research data, develop a data management plan, curate and share your data, use the Washington University Data Repository (WURD), and use data visualization or GIS software. https://library.wustl.edu/research-support/data-services/core-data-services-details/
Factors to Consider in Selecting a Journal for Publication From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/selectingjournal
Find Journals (Elsevier's journal finder tool) Helps you select among all of the Elsevier journals (which ones might be more appropriate for publishing your manuscript). https://journalfinder.elsevier.com/
Find the journal that’s right for your research (Wiley publisher) Helps you select among all of the Wiley journals (which ones might be more appropriate for publishing your manuscript). https://journalfinder.wiley.com/search?type=match
How to choose the best journal for your case report Think Check Submit section has good questions for choosing a journal. By Richard A. Rison, Jennifer Kelly Shepphird and Michael R. Kidd. Journal of Medical Case Reports201711:198. Published: 22 July 2017. Free to read. Copyrighted by the authors. https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-017-1351-y -- CORRECTION to the article's table of journals: https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-017-1452-7
How to choose the right journal for your manuscript By: Thompson PJ. Chest. 2007 Sep;132(3):1073-6. PMID:17873202 Article is copyrighted and freely available from Chest. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17873202/
How to cite ChatGPT (APA Style Blog Entry) https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
How to make your scholarly work open access WUSTL's research guide. https://libguides.wustl.edu/howtooa
How to select a journal for your research Ramia J. M. (2023). How to select a journal for your research. World journal of gastroenterology, 29(21), 3379–3384. "Detailed information and tips and tricks to success are given in this editorial." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37377587
iCite (NIH's Relative Citation Ratio) National Institutes of Health. Impact Factor for PubMed articles. https://icite.od.nih.gov/ An open access article describes the impact factor: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002541
JANE (Journal / Author Name Estimator) This site helps find potential publishers for articles based on title or keywords of the article. Limited to journal titles found in MEDLINE. https://jane.biosemantics.org/
Journal Article Writing: Library Books Books on writing and choosing journals. Modify the search to include your key words. https://spokane.wustl.edu/search~S2/X?SEARCH=(d%3A(authorship%20OR%20%22report%20writing%22))&Da=2005&SORT=D&l=eng
Journal Impact Page from the Research Impact and Evaluation Research Guide https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=47124&p=302695
Journal Selector Tool "...uses state-of-the-art semantic technology algorithms and natural language processing...to create a ‘fingerprint’ of the text you input. The Journal Selector then matches it to the fingerprints of the content of various relevant journals." Helpful for health topics. https://www.edanz.com/journal-selector
JournalGuide Covers biomedical topics. Developed and maintained by Research Square. "By matching journals to a paper’s content, researchers can see which journals would be most likely to have interest in their story." https://www.journalguide.com/
Journals in Social Work and Related Disciplines: Manuscript Submission Information With Impact Factors, Five-Year Impact Factors and H-Indexes Lists social work journals and their author submission guidelines along with their journal impact factors for up to three years. Compiled by Patrick Leung and Monit Cheung of the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/socialwork/academics/cwep/title-iv-e/Journals-Impact-Factor/social-work-journals/
Metrics Toolkit "...guidance for demonstrating and evaluating claims of research impact. With the Toolkit you can quickly understand what a metric means, how it is calculated, and if it's a good match for your impact question." https://metrics-toolkit.org/
Open Access For Free -- Your grant may require open access after an embargo period. Notify your publisher during submission. Arrange for the release to open access. -- Check your journal's policies on preprints. If uploading preprints is allowed, upload your preprint into WUSTL's institutional repository.
Open Access Journal Finder powered by Enago "...enables you to find quality open access journals that are pre-vetted to protect you from predatory publishers...utilizing a validated journal index provided by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Enago’s proprietary search algorithm helps you shortlist journals that are most relevant to your manuscript and research objectives..." https://www.enago.com/academy/journal-finder/
ORCiD Connecting Research and Researchers ORCiD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). "...provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognized...." https://orcid.org/
Peer Review in Three Minutes Brief explanation of peer review and how it fits into the publishing cycle. By the North Carolina State University Library. https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/peerreview
Plagiarism is Nothing to Do with Copyright Brief article by Mike Taylor on plagiarism and copyright. https://svpow.com/2013/09/20/plagiarism-is-nothing-to-do-with-copyright/
Publish or Perish (citation metrics) "Publish or Perish is designed to help individual academics to present their case for research impact to its best advantage." Free download. Website also describes various metrics. https://harzing.com/resources/publish-or-perish
Publons.com "Your publications, citation metrics, peer reviews...journal editing work, in one place." Based on the database: Web of Science. https://publons.com/about/home/
Research Impact and Evaluation Research Guide Citation analysis, Author impact, Journal impact, Indices, Researcher Profile, Peer Review. https://libguides.wustl.edu/impact
Retraction Watch: Tracking retractions as a window into the scientific process https://retractionwatch.com/
Scholarly Communications Web Portal at Washington University https://scholarlycommunications.wustl.edu/
Scholarly Publishing Round-Up: Keywords for Titles & Abstracts and Hijacked Journals From the Becker medical library. Good information and resources on choosing manuscript titles and keywords. Also has Retraction Watch Hijacked Journals list to spot non-credible journals.https://becker.wustl.edu/news/scholarly-publishing-round-up-august-2022/
Scientific Publishing in Biomedicine: How to Choose a Journal Applies to all disciplines-not just biomedicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8010430/
Screening Tools for Systematic Reviews from Artificial Intelligence for Literature Reviews article The Appendix has a list of screening tools used in assessing citations for systematic reviews. Includes Covidence, PicoPortal, and Rayyan. From article: Artificial Intelligence for Literature Reviews: Opportunities and Challenges by Francisco Bolanos, Angelo Salatino, Francesco Osborne, Enrico Motta https://arxiv.org/pdf/2402.08565.pdf
Selecting a Journal Very helpful chapters in the book: Practical tips for publishing scholarly articles: writing and publishing in the helping professions by Rich Furman, Julie T. Kinn. 2nd edition. 2012. Located in the Brown School Library. https://spokane.wustl.edu:443/record=b4895038~S2
Selecting a Journal for Publication: Criteria to Consider Great article. Suiter, A. M., & Sarli, C. C. (2019). Selecting a Journal for Publication: Criteria to Consider. Missouri Medicine, 116(6), 461–465. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6913840/
Selecting a Journal for Your Manuscript: A 4-Step Process Although this isn't a free-to-read article, the 4 step process is helpful. Current WUSTL faculty/students/staff have access to the article. Authors are Claire Sharifi and Robin K. Buccheri. Journal of Professional Nursing (2020). 36(1): 85-91. https://spokane.wustl.edu:443/record=b7590433~S2
Selecting the Right Journal for Your Submission Welch, S. J. (2012). Selecting the right journal for your submission. Journal of Thoracic Disease, 4(3), 336-338. PMID: 22754677 Article is copyrighted with Creative Commons licensing and freely available. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22754677/
Sherpa/Romeo Find a journal's open access policy. Search for journals with stronger open access permissions. https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/
Social Work Journal List Compiled by Kimberly Pendell, Social Work and Social Sciences Librarian, Portland State University. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13RcN5qPfSXfFNQ1J_9u9wnc3LXaZ2q2Pc_pTcLmtr2c/edit?usp=sharing
Statement on Article Publication Resulting from NIH Funded Research Guidelines and standards to help you avoid predatory journals. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-18-011.html
Subsidized Open Access Fees for WU and WUSM Authors List of journals which provide a discount on author publication fees to WUSTL authors. NOTE: Scholarly Communications research guide: https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=47145&p=302836 has some added details. https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/openaccess/APCs
Subsidized Open Access Fees for WUSTL WUSM Selected Descriptions More information on subsidy agreements with ACM, Cambridge University Press, and Elsevier (see the tabs on the left side). https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=47145&p=9794003
Think Check Attend (choosing a conference) "...initiative that aims to guide and assist researchers and scholars to judge the legitimacy and academic credentials of conferences in order to help them decide whether to or not attend... provides guidelines that help researchers to differentiate between an authentic conference and the one they should avoid... Simply follow these steps and you will rest assured that you attend only the most appropriate conferences." https://thinkcheckattend.org/
Think Check Submit (choosing a journal) Questions to ask when choosing a journal. May help you to avoid predatory publishers. https://thinkchecksubmit.org/
Tools for Authors Research Guide Excellent guide developed by the WUSTL Medical Library. Preparing for publication, Copyright, Who is citing you, Finding collaborators, Impact, Ethics, etc. https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/authors
UNESCO Open Science Toolkit factsheet: Identifying predatory academic journals and conferences Factsheet. Summary report and full research report are available. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383324

NIH Public Access Policy

Did you receive National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds or grants? Did you use equipment or facilities that received NIH funds or grants? Your peer-reviewed article probably needs a PMCID number. Without the PMCID number, you may be denied future funding. (Federal law PL 110-161, Division G, Title 2, section 218) Use the resources below for more information.

Preparing for Upcoming Federal Public Access Policies From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. Overview of the upcoming changes for researchers receiving federal funds. https://becker.wustl.edu/news/upcoming-federal-public-access-policies/
National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy Homepage for the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) public access policy. Great resource for information about the policy and steps for compliance. https://sharing.nih.gov/public-access-policy
NIH Public Access Policy (Becker library) Good explanations from WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/nihpolicy
NIH Manuscript Submission System Links to the manuscript submission system. A good way to submit articles, access your MyNCBI account, and view tutorials. https://www.nihms.nih.gov/login/?next=/submission/
NIHMS Tutorials National Institutes of Health Manuscript Submission. Tutorials for using the NIHMS system. https://www.nihms.nih.gov/help/tutorials/
Frequently Asked Questions on NIH Public Access Policy https://sharing.nih.gov/faqs#/public-access-policy
Data Management and Sharing WUSTL's Becker Medical Library information on the NIH Data Management and Sharing requirements. https://becker.wustl.edu/services/data-management-and-sharing/
Data Services unit at Olin Library for Data Sharing Assistance Provides data management, sharing, and curation assistance to meet public access policy requirements. https://library.wustl.edu/research-support/data-services/
Digital Research Data Sharing at WashU Research guide by the Data Services unit at Olin Library. https://libguides.wustl.edu/WURD
NIH Scientific Data Sharing Has the NIH data management and sharing policy. Also has help in finding a data repository. https://sharing.nih.gov/
Public Access to Publications and Data resulting from federal funding: What You Need to Know WUSTL research guide with great information related to the federal requirements for publications resulting from federal funding. https://libguides.wustl.edu/publicaccess
SPARC Browse Article and Data Sharing Requirements by Federal Agency Public access and data sharing requirements for publications resulting from funding from various federal agencies.

Copyright Information

Copyright law provides rights for reproducing and distributing works. Internet items are copyright protected . Investigate whether your intended use of an item requires permission. You do not need permission to use items that were published before 1929. You do not need permission to use U.S. federal government created items. Properly cite the resources that you use. Use of a test/measure without proper copyright permission may result in criminal convictions, fines, and/or retractions. Here is a good example of one copyright holder's actions: https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hub_feeds/3649/feed_items/2215888 Copyright Terminology: PUBLIC DOMAIN: "...no longer under copyright protection...Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner." CREATIVE COMMONS: You do not need the copyright holder's permission as long as you abide by the license's restrictions.

Creative Commons Licenses A variety of sharing licenses. You do not need the copyright holder's permission as long as you abide by the license's restrictions. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Copyright Research Guide Covers copyright issues and WUSTL policies. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46954&p=301757
WUSTL Libraries Copyright Information Page https://library.wustl.edu/research-support/copyright//
Authors and Copyright Section from the Scholarly Communications Portal https://scholarlycommunications.wustl.edu/copyright/copyright-authors/
Copyright Section from the Scholarly Communications Portal https://scholarlycommunications.wustl.edu/copyright/
Open Access WUSTL Research Guide Information on Open Access resources which promote free public access to published works. Includes WUSTL's faculty resolution. https://libguides.wustl.edu/openaccess
Copyright Basics Video from the Copyright Clearance Center Good introductory video on Copyright. Covers the basics. About 6 minutes long. https://www.copyright.com/learn/media-download/copyright-basics/
Copyright on Campus Video Five minute video from the Copyright Clearance Center. Covers typical academic institution situations. https://www.copyright.com/learn/media-download/copyright-on-campus/
Copyright Frequently Asked Definitions https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-definitions.html
Copyright Modules from eIFL and the Berkman Center Copyright concepts and international issues. https://cyber.harvard.edu/copyrightforlibrarians/Main_Page
Copyright for Librarians: The Essential Handbook [2012] "...is an online open curriculum on copyright law that was developed jointly with Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society....Re-designed as a textbook..." https://www.eifl.net/resources/copyright-librarians-essential-handbook
Creative Commons Licenses Descriptions from Becker Medical Library From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library research guide: Author Rights and Copyright. Describes the various Creative Commons licenses. https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=299583&p=2000864
About CC Licenses (Creative Commons) https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/
ALA Copyright Tools American Library Association tools: Public Domain Slider, Section 108 Spinner, Fair Use Evaluator, Exceptions for Instructors eTool, Copyright Genie. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/copyright-tools
Returning Authors' Rights: The Authors Alliance/Creative Commons Termination of Transfer Tool "Creators of all kinds routinely transfer rights to their works (by signing publication contracts that assign copyright to their publishers, for example). While many of these agreements last “for the life of copyright” (which under current United States law generally means seventy years after the author dies), the law takes into account that these terms can ultimately be unfair to authors and artists. This is where “termination of transfers” come in. In the United States, authors can use the termination of transfers laws to regain the rights they have signed away." https://rightsback.org/
Rights Reversion By the Authors Alliance. "Have you written a book that has fallen out of print, or isn’t selling as well as it used to? Would you like to open that content to a wider audience, perhaps by creating a digital edition, re-releasing a print edition, or making the work available under an open access license? ... Reversion can be a powerful tool for authors..." https://www.authorsalliance.org/resources/rights-reversion-portal/
TinEye (Image Tracking) "TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from...Our goal with TinEye is...to make sure that images can be attributed to their creator." https://tineye.com/
Copyright & Fair Use: Stanford University Libraries Great information. https://fairuse.stanford.edu/
State Copyright Resource Center at Harvard University "It turns out that figuring out whether state documents are copyrighted is a tricky question, and we've created this website to help identify the relevant laws in each state." https://copyright.lib.harvard.edu/states/
U.S. Copyright Office Homepage Home page for the federal government's copyright information. The Education section is useful. https://copyright.gov/
Copyright Clearance Center The Learn tab has useful information. https://www.copyright.com/
Public Domain Day From the Duke University School of Law, Center for the Study of the Public Domain. Information on the public domain and items converting to public domain.
Understanding Rights Reversion: When, Why, & How to Regain Copyright and Make Your Book More Available Prepared for Authors Alliance by: Nicole Cabrera, Jordyn Ostroff, Brianna Schofield, Samuelson Law, Technology, and Public Policy Clinic (University of California - Berkley, Law School) Published by: Authors Alliance, c2015. https://authorsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/Guides/Authors%20Alliance%20-%20Understanding%20Rights%20Reversion.pdf

Washington University ChatGPT Beta Sandbox and AI Resources

Washington University ChatGPT Beta sandbox is compliant for use with sensitive data and WashU intellectual property, including information protected under HIPAA and FERPA. "The tool is now available to anyone with a WashU affiliation via WUSTL Key login at gpt.wustl.edu . In order to provide you with a secure environment in which to explore generative AI with your sensitive data as quickly as possible, we have released this tool in Beta form, and as such it is not yet mobile-fri endly and you may experience limited capacity or constraints on your utilization. If you experience issues, please provide feedback, be patient and try again – we need input from our user community to help identify issues and opportunities for improvement. The feedback form can also be found inside the tool’s sidebar menu." "Visit it.wustl.edu/ai for a FAQ about the new sandbox environment and to learn more about using generative AI tools effectively and responsibly." As a reminder, faculty and staff also have access to Bing Chat Enterprise at bing.com/chat or via the Microsoft Edge sidebar when logged in to an institutional Microsoft account. "It is important to understand that personally identifiable, confidential or sensitive information should not be entered into Bing Chat Enterprise as it does not meet HIPAA, FERPA or similar compliance requirements. The purpose of the new WashU ChatGPT tool is to fill that critical gap." Artificial Intelligence Resources at WUSTL:

Washington University ChatGPT Beta Use your WUSTL key to log in. HIPAA and FERPA compliant. https://gpt.wustl.edu/
ChatGPT and other AI Composition Tools: A Guide for Students From WUSTL's Center for Teaching and Learning. https://ctl.wustl.edu/learningcenter/resources/chatgpt-and-other-ai-composition-tools-a-guide-for-students/
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Information Technology Webpage From the WUSTL Information Technology department. Information, tools, models, resources, etc. https://it.wustl.edu/ai/
Part II: AI tools to help with scholarly literature From WUSTL's Becker Medical Library. Tables provide information on selected AI tools that Becker librarians have reviewed. https://becker.wustl.edu/news/part-ii-artifical-intelligence/
Teaching Resources: ChatGPT and AI Composition Tools From WUSTL's Center for Teaching and Learning. https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/chatgpt-and-ai-composition-tools/
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Social Work Research Methods Learning by Doing

Reginald O. York - University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA
Description

Social Work Research Methods is a step-by-step journey through the process of conducting research. With over 30 years of teaching experience, author Reginald O. York helps readers discover how research can enable them to better serve clients in the field. Each chapter features a hands-on approach to producing research, with practical chapter exercises that reinforce methods mastery. Using their own data, students engage in realistic research activities and gain an appreciation for science-informed practice as a means of evaluating client outcomes.

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

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A “learn by doing” approach woven throughout the text helps students apply knowledge to practice.
A three-part structure introduces the fundamentals of research methods, the different types of social work research, and the use of data analysis for evaluation of social work practice.
Chapter-opening vignettes illustrate the value of chapter content to the practicing social worker.
Chapter-ending practice exercises provide opportunities to apply chapter knowledge and gain a better understanding of research competencies.
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Decoding the ASWB: Your Ultimate Guide to Conquer Research Methods and Statistics Questions

Agents of change.

July 24, 2023

If you’re anything like most Social Work students, the mere mention of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam likely brings a bead or two of perspiration to your forehead.

Not to mention, the thought of research methods and statistics sections might send a shiver down your spine. And hey, who could blame you? But, hold your horses! What if we told you that understanding how to tackle research methods and statistics questions on the ASWB exam isn’t as grueling as it sounds?

In this comprehensive guide, we’re going to dive deep into the core of the ASWB exam, focusing mainly on the ‘oh-so-dreaded’ research methods and statistics section.

Here’s your opportunity to shed off the heavy coat of anxiety and don the comfortable robe of confidence. Exciting, isn’t it? Let’s jump right in!

1) The ASWB Exam: What’s the Big Deal?

Before we delve into the strategies to conquer the research methods and statistics section, let’s understand why the ASWB exam is so important. Here’s what you need to know:

It’s a Licensing Prerequisite: The ASWB exam is a critical step toward earning your Social Work license. Pass this exam, and you’re one step closer to your dream career!
Standards of Professional Practice: The ASWB exam ensures that you meet the national standards of professional Social Work practice. It’s proof that you’re ready to provide the highest quality service to your clients.
Continuous Learning: The preparation process for the ASWB exam equips you with essential knowledge and skills required in the Social Work profession. It’s like a refresher course that keeps you on top of your game.

Doesn’t seem so intimidating now, does it?

2) Research Methods and Statistics: Why Are They Important?

“Research methods and statistics, seriously? I’m not going to be crunching numbers in the field!” If this sounds like something you’ve said, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

However, here’s why these sections matter:

They Equip You with Critical Skills: Understanding research methods and statistics enables you to analyze, interpret, and apply research findings with fidelity in your practice. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about making informed decisions to improve your clients’ lives.
They’re on the ASWB Exam: Like it or not, research methods and statistics questions will appear on the exam. You can’t afford to ignore them. In fact, conquering these sections could be your ticket to an impressive score!

Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter: how to tackle research methods and statistics questions on the ASWB exam.

Understand the Basic Concepts

Before you plunge headfirst into the deep end of research methods and statistics, take a moment to understand the basic concepts.

Research Methods : Learn about different research designs, the process of data collection, sampling methods, and ethical considerations in research.
Statistics : Grasp the basic concepts like mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and the different types of variables. Understand the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics.

Don’t just memorize—understand. When you grasp these concepts, you’ll find that the seemingly convoluted questions aren’t that tricky after all!

Agents of Change includes videos and practice questions on research methods and statistics.

Apply, Apply, Apply!

After you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, it’s time to apply what you’ve learned.

Practice with Mock Exams: There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with the exam format and question style. Plus, it’s a great way to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. Agents of Change offers 2 full-length practice exams.
Use Everyday Examples: Try to relate the concepts to real-life situations. For instance, imagine you’re conducting a survey on the mental health impacts of the pandemic. How would you design it? What kind of statistical analyses would you perform?

Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you apply these concepts, the better you’ll get at answering the questions!

Don’t Fear the Complex Questions

Sure, some questions might seem like they’ve been designed to trip you up, but remember—you’ve got this! Here’s how:

Break Down the Questions: Don’t let the length or complexity of the question intimidate you. Break it down into smaller parts, understand what’s being asked, and answer accordingly.
Use the Process of Elimination: If you’re stuck, eliminate the obviously incorrect answers first. This will narrow down your options and increase your chances of picking the right answer.

The complex questions aren’t so scary when you approach them strategically, right?

3) FAQs – Research and Statistics

Q: How much weight is given to research methods and statistics on the ASWB exam?

A: While the exact weight may vary, research methods and statistics are integral parts of the exam. It’s crucial to understand these topics to ensure a comprehensive understanding and a passing score on the exam.

Q: Is it necessary to memorize all statistical formulas?

The ASWB exam focuses more on the application of statistical concepts rather than computation. Hence, understanding the concepts is much more important than memorizing all formulas.

Agents of Change offers free and paid materials for all ASWB exams, learn more about what’s included here: Agents of Change Study Packages

Q: I’m struggling with understanding research methods and statistics. What should I do?

A: Don’t worry! Consider getting a study guide or seeking help from a tutor. Also, consistent practice and application can significantly improve your understanding.

Agents of Change offers free and paid materials for all ASWB exams, learn more: Agents of Change Study Packages

4) Conclusion

We’ve navigated the tumultuous seas of the ASWB exam, focusing on how to tackle research methods and statistics questions. And guess what? It isn’t as daunting as it initially seemed, right?

Master the basic concepts, apply them regularly, and don’t be afraid of complex questions. With these strategies in your toolkit, you’re well on your way to acing the research methods and statistics sections of the ASWB exam.

Remember, it’s not just about passing the exam; it’s about equipping yourself with the knowledge and skills to make a real difference in your client’s lives. So go ahead and tackle the ASWB exam with confidence and zest. You’ve got this!

Learn more about research methods and statistics and build your study plan with Agents of Change.

We’ve helped thousands of Social Workers pass their ASWB exams and want to help you be next!

5) Practice Question – Research Methods and Statistics

A Social Worker is evaluating the effectiveness of a new therapeutic intervention for anxiety. They collect data on clients’ anxiety levels before and after the intervention. Which research method is MOST appropriate for this type of evaluation?

A) Cross-sectional study, to compare different individuals’ anxiety levels at one point in time.

B) Longitudinal study, to observe changes in anxiety levels over an extended period.

C) Experimental study, to assess the impact of the intervention on anxiety levels by comparing pre- and post-intervention data.

D) Case study, to explore the intervention’s effect on anxiety in a single individual in-depth.

Correct Answer: C) Experimental study, to assess the impact of the intervention on anxiety levels by comparing pre- and post-intervention data.

Rationale: The correct answer is C. In this scenario, the Social Worker is interested in determining the effectiveness of a therapeutic intervention by comparing clients’ anxiety levels before and after the treatment. An experimental study design is most suitable for this purpose, as it allows the researcher to manipulate the independent variable (the therapeutic intervention) and measure its effect on the dependent variable (clients’ anxiety levels). By comparing data collected before and after the intervention, the Social Worker can assess the intervention’s impact on anxiety levels.

A cross-sectional study (Option A) involves observing different individuals at one point in time, which would not be appropriate for assessing changes over time in the same individuals. A longitudinal study (Option B) observes changes over an extended period but typically involves longer durations and multiple observations, not just before-and-after assessments. A case study (Option D) focuses on a single individual or a small group in-depth, which would not provide a broad assessment of the intervention’s effectiveness across a larger group. Therefore, an experimental study (Option C) is the most appropriate for evaluating the impact of the new therapeutic intervention on anxiety levels.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

► Learn more about the Agents of Change course here: https://agentsofchangeprep.com

About the Instructor, Meagan Mitchell: Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing individualized and group test prep for the ASWB for over five years. From all of this experience helping others pass their exams, she created the Agents of Change course to help you prepare for and pass the ASWB exam!

Find more from Agents of Change here:

► Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aswbtestprep

► Podcast: https://anchor.fm/agents-of-change-sw

#socialwork #testprep #aswb #socialworker #socialwork #socialworktest #socialworkexam #exam #socialworktestprep #socialworklicense #socialworklicensing #licsw #lmsw #lcsw #aswbexam #aswb #lcswexam #lmswexam #aswbtestprep #aswbtest #lcswtestprep #lcswtest #lmswtestprep #lmswtest #aswbcourse #learningstyles #learningstyle

Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment

Multisensory Learning Techniques for ASWB Exam Success

Reflect, Retain, and Succeed: Daily Reflection Prompts for ASWB Candidates

Strategic Reading Techniques for ASWB Exam Material

How To Find a Clinical Supervisor in Social Work

Exploring Non-Traditional Social Work Careers

Navigating Career Transitions in Social Work

New and Emerging Topics in Social Work on ASWB Exam

The Psychology Behind Effective ASWB Exam Study Habits

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University of Texas Libraries
UT Libraries

Social Work Research

Getting Started
Encyclopedias & Handbooks
Evidence Based Practice
Peer Review & Evaluation
Reading Scholarly Articles
Books & Dissertations
Data and Statistics
Film & Video
Policy & Government Documents
Trabajo Social
Citing & Citation Management
Research Funding
Open Access
Choosing & Assessing Journals
Increasing Access to Your Work
Tracking Your Impact
Systematic Reviews
Tests & Measures

Getting Started with Social Work Research

Video Tutorials
Understanding the Libraries "Basic" Search
The Research Process
What is a literature review?
What is a Research Question?
Turn a topic into a Search Strategy
Keyword Brainstorming
Search Tips

The search box on the library homepage provides a basic search across library holdings. See the guide below for an explanation of how to effectively use the basic search:

Library Search Help

As you work toward completing your research projects, remember that the research process is NOT linear. It's usually more of a circular process and there may be many times where you jump back and forth between the stages of your research. While not everyone's research process will look exactly the same, the following model can give you a better idea of how the research process often works.

Think of scholarly papers like a conversation. A paper takes a look at what people are saying on a particular topic and then adds something new to the conversation based on their own research. A literature review is how scholars get caught up on the conversation so they will know what to say or ask next.

A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis.

A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates.

APA Literature Review Template Note: not yet updated for APA 7th edition

A research question is what forms and guides your literature review. It is the question that you want the literature to answer for you. A research question should be specific, focused, and concise.

To develop a research question, start with a general topic of interest to you. You'll want to do some preliminary and background research on this topic to think through what specific questions you might have.

Sample Topic: impact of social media on adolescent physical activity

Sample Research Question: Can social media serve as an effective tool for increasing physical activity among adolescents?

Need more guidance on developing your topic into a research question? Check out this video from the library at Northern Kentucky University.

In order to search most effectively for articles that pertain to your research topic, take a little time at the beginning of your project to plan out your search strategy.

1. Break up your topic/research question into it's primary concepts

i.e. What impact does tobacco use have on the lung health of teenagers?
Population - teenagers
Problem - tobacco use
Outcome - lung health

2. Brainstorm synonyms for your terms (see more in next tab)

i.e. teenagers, teens, adolescents, youth, young adults, juvenile

3. Add quotation marks around exact phrases and be sure to include both singular and plural

i.e. "young adults", "young adult"

4. Search one concept at a time using ORs to include all of your synonyms and then combine your searches with AND

Search 1: teenagers OR teens OR adolescents OR youth OR "young adults" OR "young adult" OR juveniles
Search 2: tobacco OR smoking OR vaping OR cigarettes OR nicotine
Search 3: lung health OR "respiratory health" OR "respiratory distress" OR dyspnea OR asthma OR "pulmonary disorder" OR "pulmonary disorders" OR "pulmonary disease" OR "pulmonary diseases"

1. Save time, prepare to research!

Break your research question into key concepts (you'll connect these in your paper to make an original argument)
For each of these concepts, brainstorm multiple keywords
Try this keyword tool to brainstorm online and send the results to yourself.

2. Combine keywords using AND and OR :

Too many results? Try using quotation marks around an exact phrase. Ex: "students with disabilities"
Still too many results? Narrow using AND . Ex: "students with disabilities" AND "assistive technology"
Too few results? Broaden using OR . Ex: "students with disabilities" AND (campus OR college OR university OR higher education)
Put parentheses around synonyms.
The asterisk finds multiple endings from a root word. Ex: wom* will bring back women, woman's, wombat, etc.

3. Brush up on the search tools available:

Here are search tips for Google .
Databases often include their own search tips. Tip: Look for a help link or a gear symbol.

Interfaces and search options vary across databases, but best practices for searching are relatively consistent across interfaces. No matter which database you choose, remember these important tips...

1) Don't search wth your topic as a single phrase! Determine the key concepts of your topic. Then place each concept in its own search bar. For example...

Image of sample database search: line 1, college students; line 2, retention; line 3, first generation

2) Use ORs to string together synonyms or related terms for core concepts...

Image of sample database search: line 1, college students OR undergraduates; line 2, retention OR completion OR persistence; line 3, first generation OR first in family

3) Use truncation, when appropriate. Adding an * to the end of a word will catch all forms of that word. For example, teach* will return teach, teachers, teaching , etc.

Image of sample database search: line 1, college students OR undergraduates; line 2, retention OR complet* OR persist*; line 3, first generation OR first in family

4) Use proximity searches to force a relationship between two terms. This isn't always needed, but is sometimes super helpful. Completion is a common word that may come up in many context. The search below means that the word complete or completion must appear within two words of college in the article title and abstracts.

Image of sample database search: line 1, college students OR undergraduates; line 2, retention OR (college n2 complet*) OR persistence; line 3, first generation OR first in family

5) Look for the "peer reviewed" limit in each database. You can set this limit on the main search screen (before you search) or narrow your results after you've started your search.

6) Set date limits as appropriate for your topic..

Image of database "limit to" box: Full text, (checked) Scholarly (peer reviewed) Journals, Cover Story, and Publication Date slider

Writing a Research Paper

Steps for Writing a Research Paper Step by Step instructions on how to write a research paper by the University Writing Center

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Last Updated: May 15, 2024 3:57 PM
URL: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/socialwork

Social Work Research Guide

Welcome to the social work research guide, st. kate's social work research projects.

Find Articles
Social Work Books @ the Library
Historical Research Project Resources - GRSW 5000
See also: APA Style Guide This link opens in a new window
See also: St. Kate's Library and Research Tutorials
See also: Zotero - Reference Manager This link opens in a new window
See also: Tests & Measurements This link opens in a new window
See also: Using LibKey Nomad This link opens in a new window

Social Work Librarian

In this guide you'll find many of the St. Kate's library resources that relate to the field and study of social work. You can access social work databases, electronic books, APA resources, and more. And be sure to review our research tutorials!

Enjoy getting to know these resources, and if you have questions or need research assistance, be sure to contact Sue Gray, the social work librarian (see her information below).

Although MSW Clinical Research Papers are no longer being written, and the DSW program has moved to UST, you can still view the research that was created and deposited in Sophia, St. Catherine University's institutional repository. The MSW papers are the most downloaded work in Sophia!

MSW Clinical Research Papers, 2012-2019
DSW Banded Dissertations, 2017-2019
Next: Find Articles >>
Last Updated: May 21, 2024 12:30 PM
URL: https://libguides.stkate.edu/socialwork

Social Work Research Guide

Getting Started
Finding Articles
Finding Books
Citing Sources - APA
Developing a Research Question
Literature Review Assignment
Annotated Bibliography Assignment

From Topic to Question

What makes a good research question?
QuickSearch
Using Google

In chapter 2 of Research Methods for Social Workers: An Introduction , the authors describe the criteria for determining whether you have a good research question. There are four elements to consider when evaluating your research question:

Researchable

Ethical and culturally sensitive

A relevant research question is one whose answers will have an impact on policies, theories, or practices related to the social work profession. Other factors determining the relevance include the organization who funds the research, the program that houses it, and the research team that undertakes it.

Generally, questions that involve moral or faith-based decisions are outside of the realm of research. A researchable question is appropriate for scientific inquiry, where it is possible to collect viable and reliable data to answer the question.

Feasibility

What are the resources available to you to conduct this research? The scope of the research study might be limited because of your resources, or lack thereof. Could you practically do what you have planned?

Ethical and Cultural Acceptability

The way your research question is phrased as well as the way the study is eventually conducted have the potential to cause harm. As you begin your research for the literature review, you will become more aware of what came before on a similar topic, including anything that study missed.

If you are struggling to develop a good research question talk to your professor or contact me!

QuickSearch is a tool that searches across many of the resources available to you at SHU Library. With one search box, you can search keywords for your topic and the results will include books, eBooks, peer-reviewed articles, as well as newspapers, magazines and other media (like streaming video).

QuickSearch is a good place to start your research for your topic. With the results you get a general idea of what is available about the topic and you have the ability to start reading through the research.

You can use the search box below to test it out.

What am I searching?

For more information about using QuickSearch, watch the video below.

Google is a natural place to start for all of use when looking for information. It's easy to use and generally gives you the answers you want or need.

When it comes to academic research though, it might not be the best option. Typing in "palliative care" gives you more than 26 million results with no easy way to narrow them down or to know what is reputable, scholarly and peer-reviewed. Don't get me wrong, you could probably figure all that out with a Google search, but how much time would you end up spending to do so?

A better option is to do a search in Google Scholar. This will search through scholarly books, research articles, open access and subscription journals. So it narrows down to the resources you need to consult (are required to consult) in research in the Social Work field.

The biggest drawback is that you might not get full-text access to all of the citations, articles and books available in a Google Scholar search. Check out the Research Tools at SHU page in this guide to find out about Citation Linker and Journal Finder, which can help connect you to the resources you find in a Google Scholar search.

The pitfalls of Google

Google dominates our lives in so many ways. They are the most used search engine (about 65% of the market). Doesn't everyone use Chrome and have a Gmail account? Google knows a lot about us, but we don't know everything about them.

How does Google decide on the search results and the order they display?

Many factors influence this:

Your search history
Your location
What other people are searching
Money: ads and sponsored content

It is important to be aware of these issues, not only when searching for an assignment, but even when you need some information for your personal life. These factors can sway your search results.

Sometimes this is okay. If you are looking for information about a place to eat lunch, you want to get results that are closest to you, not in a totally different state.

Here is a very informative and complex infographic about this issue: http://www.seobook.com/learn-seo/infographics/how-search-works.php

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Next: Literature Review Assignment >>
Last Updated: Jan 24, 2024 2:04 PM
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9.2 Qualitative interviews

Learning objectives.

Define interviews from the social scientific perspective
Identify when it is appropriate to employ interviews as a data-collection strategy
Identify the primary aim of in-depth interviews
Describe what makes qualitative interview techniques unique
Define the term interview guide and describe how to construct an interview guide
Outline the guidelines for constructing good qualitative interview questions
Describe how writing field notes and journaling function in qualitative research
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of interviews

Knowing how to create and conduct a good interview is an essential skill. Interviews are used by market researchers to learn how to sell their products, and journalists use interviews to get information from a whole host of people from VIPs to random people on the street. Police use interviews to investigate crimes.

In social science, interviews are a method of data collection that involves two or more people exchanging information through a series of questions and answers. The questions are designed by the researcher to elicit information from interview participants on a specific topic or set of topics. These topics are informed by the research questions. Typically, interviews involve an in-person meeting between two people—an interviewer and an interviewee — but interviews need not be limited to two people, nor must they occur in-person.

The question of when to conduct an interview might be on your mind. Interviews are an excellent way to gather detailed information. They also have an advantage over surveys—they can change as you learn more information. In a survey, you cannot change what questions you ask if a participant’s response sparks some follow-up question in your mind. All participants must get the same questions. The questions you decided to put on your survey during the design stage determine what data you get. In an interview, however, you can follow up on new and unexpected topics that emerge during the conversation. Trusting in emergence and learning from participants are hallmarks of qualitative research. In this way, interviews are a useful method to use when you want to know the story behind the responses you might receive in a written survey.

Interviews are also useful when the topic you are studying is rather complex, requires lengthy explanation, or needs a dialogue between two people to thoroughly investigate. Also, if people will describe the process by which a phenomenon occurs, like how a person makes a decision, then interviews may be the best method for you. For example, you could use interviews to gather data about how people reach the decision not to have children and how others in their lives have responded to that decision. To understand these “how’s” you would need to have some back-and-forth dialogue with respondents. When they begin to tell you their story, inevitably new questions that hadn’t occurred to you from prior interviews would come up because each person’s story is unique. Also, because the process of choosing not to have children is complex for many people, describing that process by responding to closed-ended questions on a survey wouldn’t work particularly well.

Interview research is especially useful when:

You wish to gather very detailed information
You anticipate wanting to ask respondents follow-up questions based on their responses
You plan to ask questions that require lengthy explanation
You are studying a complex or potentially confusing topic to respondents
You are studying processes, such as how people make decisions

Qualitative interviews are sometimes called intensive or in-depth interviews. These interviews are semi-structured ; the researcher has a particular topic about which she would like to hear from the respondent, but questions are open-ended and may not be asked in exactly the same way or in exactly the same order to each and every respondent. For in-depth interviews , the primary aim is to hear from respondents about what they think is important about the topic at hand and to hear it in their own words. In this section, we’ll take a look at how to conduct qualitative interviews, analyze interview data, and identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of this method.

Constructing an interview guide

Qualitative interviews might feel more like a conversation than an interview to respondents, but the researcher is in fact usually guiding the conversation with the goal in mind of gathering specific information from a respondent. Qualitative interviews use open-ended questions, which are questions that a researcher poses but does not provide answer options for. Open-ended questions are more demanding of participants than closed-ended questions because they require participants to come up with their own words, phrases, or sentences to respond.

In a qualitative interview, the researcher usually develops an interview guide in advance to refer to during the interview (or memorizes in advance of the interview). An interview guide is a list of questions or topics that the interviewer hopes to cover during the course of an interview. It is called a guide because it is simply that—it is used to guide the interviewer, but it is not set in stone. Think of an interview guide like an agenda for the day or a to-do list—both probably contain all the items you hope to check off or accomplish, though it probably won’t be the end of the world if you don’t accomplish everything on the list or if you don’t accomplish it in the exact order that you have it written down. Perhaps new events will come up that cause you to rearrange your schedule just a bit, or perhaps you simply won’t get to everything on the list.

Interview guides should outline issues that a researcher feels are likely to be important. Because participants are asked to provide answers in their own words and to raise points they believe are important, each interview is likely to flow a little differently. While the opening question in an in-depth interview may be the same across all interviews, from that point on, what the participant says will shape how the interview proceeds. Sometimes participants answer a question on the interview guide before it is asked. When the interviewer comes to that question later on in the interview, it’s a good idea to acknowledge that they already addressed part of this question and ask them if they have anything to add to their response. All of this uncertainty can make in-depth interviewing exciting and rather challenging. It takes a skilled interviewer to be able to ask questions; listen to respondents; and pick up on cues about when to follow up, when to move on, and when to simply let the participant speak without guidance or interruption.

As we’ve discussed, interview guides can list topics or questions. The specific format of an interview guide might depend on your style, experience, and comfort level as an interviewer or with your topic. Figure 9.1 provides an example of an interview guide for a study of how young people experience workplace sexual harassment. The guide is topic-based, rather than a list of specific questions. The ordering of the topics is important, though how each comes up during the interview may vary.

interview guide using topics, not questions

For interview guides that use questions, there can also be specific words or phrases for follow-up in case the participant does not mention those topics in their responses. These probes , as well as the questions are written out in the interview guide, but may not always be used. Figure 9.2 provides an example of an interview guide that uses questions rather than topics.

interview guide using questions rather than topic

As you might have guessed, interview guides do not appear out of thin air. They are the result of thoughtful and careful work on the part of a researcher. As you can see in both of the preceding guides, the topics and questions have been organized thematically and in the order in which they are likely to proceed (though keep in mind that the flow of a qualitative interview is in part determined by what a respondent has to say). Sometimes qualitative interviewers may create two versions of the interview guide: one version contains a very brief outline of the interview, perhaps with just topic headings, and another version contains detailed questions underneath each topic heading. In this case, the researcher might use the very detailed guide to prepare and practice in advance of actually conducting interviews and then just bring the brief outline to the interview. Bringing an outline, as opposed to a very long list of detailed questions, to an interview encourages the researcher to actually listen to what a participant is saying. An overly detailed interview guide can be difficult to navigate during an interview and could give respondents the mis-impression the interviewer is more interested in the questions than in the participant’s answers.

Constructing an interview guide often begins with brainstorming. There are no rules at the brainstorming stage—simply list all the topics and questions that come to mind when you think about your research question. Once you’ve got a pretty good list, you can begin to pare it down by cutting questions and topics that seem redundant and group similar questions and topics together. If you haven’t done so yet, you may also want to come up with question and topic headings for your grouped categories. You should also consult the scholarly literature to find out what kinds of questions other interviewers have asked in studies of similar topics and what theory indicates might be important. As with quantitative survey research, it is best not to place very sensitive or potentially controversial questions at the very beginning of your qualitative interview guide. You need to give participants the opportunity to warm up to the interview and to feel comfortable talking with you. Finally, get some feedback on your interview guide. Ask your friends, other researchers, and your professors for some guidance and suggestions once you’ve come up with what you think is a strong guide. Chances are they’ll catch a few things you hadn’t noticed. Once you begin your interviews, your participants may also suggest revisions or improvements.

In terms of the specific questions you include in your guide, there are a few guidelines worth noting. First, avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Try to rephrase your questions in a way that invites longer responses from your interviewees. If you choose to include yes or no questions, be sure to include follow-up questions. Remember, one of the benefits of qualitative interviews is that you can ask participants for more information—be sure to do so. While it is a good idea to ask follow-up questions, try to avoid asking “why” as your follow-up question, as this particular question can come off as confrontational, even if that is not your intent. Often people won’t know how to respond to “why,” perhaps because they don’t even know why themselves. Instead of asking “why,” you say something like, “Could you tell me a little more about that?” This allows participants to explain themselves further without feeling that they’re being doubted or questioned in a hostile way.

Also, try to avoid phrasing your questions in a leading way. For example, rather than asking, “Don’t you think most people who don’t want to have children are selfish?” you could ask, “What comes to mind for you when you hear someone doesn’t want to have children?” Finally, remember to keep most, if not all, of your questions open-ended. The key to a successful qualitative interview is giving participants the opportunity to share information in their own words and in their own way. Documenting the decisions made along the way regarding which questions are used, thrown out, or revised can help a researcher remember the thought process behind the interview guide when she is analyzing the data. Additionally, it promotes the rigor of the qualitative project as a whole, ensuring the researcher is proceeding in a reflective and deliberate manner that can be checked by others reviewing her study.

Recording qualitative data

Even after the interview guide is constructed, the interviewer is not yet ready to begin conducting interviews. The researcher has to decide how to collect and maintain the information that is provided by participants. Researchers keep field notes or written recordings produced by the researcher during the data collection process. Field notes can be taken before, during, or after interviews. Field notes help researchers document what they observe, and in so doing, they form the first step of data analysis. Field notes may contain many things—observations of body language or environment, reflections on whether interview questions are working well, and connections between ideas that participants share.

Unfortunately, even the most diligent researcher cannot write down everything that is seen or heard during an interview. In particular, it is difficult for a researcher to be truly present and observant if she is also writing down everything the participant is saying. For this reason, it is quite common for interviewers to create audio recordings of the interviews they conduct. Recording interviews allows the researcher to focus on the interaction with the interview participant.

Of course, not all participants will feel comfortable being recorded and sometimes even the interviewer may feel that the subject is so sensitive that recording would be inappropriate. If this is the case, it is up to the researcher to balance excellent note-taking with exceptional question-asking and even better listening.

Whether you will be recording your interviews or not (and especially if not), practicing the interview in advance is crucial. Ideally, you’ll find a friend or two willing to participate in a couple of trial runs with you. Even better, find a friend or two who are similar in at least some ways to your sample. They can give you the best feedback on your questions and your interview demeanor.

Another issue interviewers face is documenting the decisions made during the data collection process. Qualitative research is open to new ideas that emerge through the data collection process. For example, a participant might suggest a new concept you hadn’t thought of before or define a concept in a new way. This may lead you to create new questions or ask questions in a different way to future participants. These processes should be documented in a process called journaling or memoing. Journal entries are notes to yourself about reflections or methodological decisions that emerge during the data collection process. Documenting these are important, as you’d be surprised how quickly you can forget what happened. Journaling makes sure that when it comes time to analyze your data, you remember how, when, and why certain changes were made. The discipline of journaling in qualitative research helps to ensure the rigor of the research process—that is its trustworthiness and authenticity which we will discuss later in this chapter.

Strengths and weaknesses of qualitative interviews

As we’ve mentioned in this section, qualitative interviews are an excellent way to gather detailed information. Any topic can be explored in much more depth with interviews than with almost any other method. Not only are participants given the opportunity to elaborate in a way that is not possible with other methods such as survey research, but they also are able share information with researchers in their own words and from their own perspectives. Whereas, quantitative research asks participants to fit their perspectives into the limited response options provided by the researcher. And because qualitative interviews are designed to elicit detailed information, they are especially useful when a researcher’s aim is to study social processes or the “how” of various phenomena. Yet another, and sometimes overlooked, benefit of in-person qualitative interviews is that researchers can make observations beyond those that a respondent is orally reporting. A respondent’s body language, and even their choice of time and location for the interview, might provide a researcher with useful data.

Of course, all these benefits come with some drawbacks. As with quantitative survey research, qualitative interviews rely on respondents’ ability to accurately and honestly recall specific details about their lives, circumstances, thoughts, opinions, or behaviors. Further, as you may have already guessed, qualitative interviewing is time-intensive and can be quite expensive. Creating an interview guide, identifying a sample, and conducting interviews are just the beginning. Writing out what was said in interviews and analyzing the qualitative interview data are time consuming processes. Keep in mind you are also asking for more of participants’ time than if you’d simply mailed them a questionnaire containing closed-ended questions. Conducting qualitative interviews is not only labor-intensive but can also be emotionally taxing. Seeing and hearing the impact that social problems have on respondents is difficult. Researchers embarking on a qualitative interview project should keep in mind their own abilities to receive stories that may be difficult to hear.

Key Takeaways

Understanding how to design and conduct interview research is a useful skill to have.
In a social scientific interview, two or more people exchange information through a series of questions and answers.
Interview research is often used when detailed information is required and when a researcher wishes to examine processes.
In-depth interviews are semi-structured interviews where the researcher has topics and questions in mind to ask, but questions are open-ended and flow according to how the participant responds to each.
Interview guides can vary in format but should contain some outline of the topics you hope to cover during the course of an interview.
Qualitative interviews allow respondents to share information in their own words and are useful for gathering detailed information and understanding social processes.
Field notes and journaling are ways to document thoughts and decisions about the research process
Drawbacks of qualitative interviews include reliance on respondents’ accuracy and their intensity in terms of time, expense, and possible emotional strain.
Field notes- written notes produced by the researcher during the data collection process
In-depth interviews- interviews in which researchers hear from respondents about what they think is important about the topic at hand in the respondent’s own words
Interviews- a method of data collection that involves two or more people exchanging information through a series of questions and answers
Interview guide- a list of questions or topics that the interviewer hopes to cover during the course of an interview
Journaling- making notes of emerging issues and changes during the research process
Semi-structured interviews- questions are open ended and may not be asked in exactly the same way or in exactly the same order to each and every respondent

Image attributions

interview restaurant a pair by alda2 CC-0

questions by geralt CC-0

Figure 9.1 is copied from Blackstone, A. (2012) Principles of sociological inquiry: Qualitative and quantitative methods. Saylor Foundation. Retrieved from: https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_principles-of-sociological-inquiry-qualitative-and-quantitative-methods/ Shared under CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 License

writing by StockSnap CC-0

Foundations of Social Work Research Copyright © 2020 by Rebecca L. Mauldin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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ASWB Examination Guidebook

The ASWB Examination Guidebook contains information on the steps for taking the exam, what to expect on exam day, exam creation, and question structure.

This guidebook includes:

Study plan template
Reference lists created with input from social work educators
Complete content outlines for all exam categories, including KSA (knowledge, skills, and abilities) statements
Sample screens from exam software
Sample questions from each exam category with the correct answer and explanation

Online Practice Test

With questions previously used on the licensing exams, the online practice test is a valuable tool for preparing to take your exam. We recommend using it alongside the ASWB Examination Guidebook , a free download.

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How to become a research social worker

How to become a research sw
What is a research social worker
What do research social worker do
Salary and outlook

When people think about social work, research social work is probably not one of the first fields that comes to mind. Nevertheless, research social work actually plays an important role as its findings can dictate not only governmental policy, but also political reform as well as the allocation of funding.

Research social workers need to be methodical, objective, and thorough in their research. As with any other field of research, the goal is not to confirm what you hope to be true, but rather figure out what is true.

For example, suppose that a city program offers a $1 million grant to a local community led organization. Before that money can be spent, the grant stipulates that a study must be completed to find out what groups in the community need the most support.

In this case, although the research social worker might have pre-existing ideas about how the money should be spent, it is their job to put their personal beliefs aside and complete an objective study of the community to determine where resources are lacking.

The preceding example illustrates a case where a research social worker may be polling hundreds of thousands or people, looking at economic and housing data, and otherwise compiling a macro-view of the community. Research social work can also exist at the micro-level.

Individual research

Participatory research refers to research whereby a social worker integrates themselves with a person or family in order to understand the problems they face and, more broadly, what community resources are missing or inadequate. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this “micro-view” participatory research.

Advantages

It’s possible to gain a very detailed view of a single person’s life and how they interact with the community. Much can be learned that would not otherwise reveal itself through a high level poll or questionnaire.
Due to the trust that can form between a community member and a research social worker, the “subject” may reveal more than they would with a questionnaire.

Disadvantages

Participatory research is time consuming and resource heavy. For example, if a research social worker spends two days with a family, that’s time that they could have otherwise spent gathering data from hundreds or thousands of community members via more efficient means.
It can become very difficult to remain objective as participatory research can lead the researcher to believe that one family’s problems are the most pressing, even if data strongly indicates that other groups are in greater need.
Relationships can form between the social worker and the subject. While these are not necessarily negative, they may lead to biases in data collection which wouldn’t otherwise be prevalent with more impersonal research methods.

Ultimately both macro and micro (participatory) research have a role to play in data gathering. Throughout their careers a research social worker will most likely conduct both kinds of research, and everything in between.

How research social workers need to conduct themselves

In terms of participatory research it is important for a research social worker to take into account multiple voices from the community. So even if a research social believes they know which groups are most at risk they still need to conduct wide ranging interviews and remain objectively open to the answers that they receive. This really touches upon a key facet of research social work: objectivity. Being open to what the data is saying regardless of whether it confirms or denies existing views held by the research social worker.

Also, it’s important to realize that research social workers may not be able to divulge the purpose of their research as they’re carrying it out. If participants knew the reason that the social worker was conducting a study they may be biased in how they present themselves or answer the social worker’s inquiries. This can actually prove frustrating for research social workers as they may not be able to answer even the most basic questions about what they’re doing.

Why social work research is important

We’ve covered why social research is important in regard to determining needs within a community and how that research can help to allocate funding to the proper areas. But research social work is also important in determining the efficacy of programs that have been implemented in the community. For example, research social workers can,

Administer before and after surveys to determine how the implementation of a new program has benefitted (or not benefitted) the community.
They may also conduct individual interviews with community members to find out how they feel about new programs. More specifically, these interviews may also be a chance to learn exactly how community members are benefitting from a program and also their thoughts on how it can be improved.

Research social work is very important in that it helps to determine what programs are needed in a community and after the programs are created it is research social workers who measure their efficacy.

While a “regular” social worker may spend their life seeing the trees (dealing with individual cases) it is the research social worker’s goal to see the forest. That is, understand the broader macro environment and the role that community programs play in it.

Educational requirements to become a research social worker

Most candidates should only consider taking a degree from a CSWE ( Council on Social Work Education ) accredited institution. Educational institutions without this accreditation may lack a rigorous teaching approach and degree holders from non-CSWE universities may find it more difficult to locate a good job.

Research social work typically requires a candidate to have a Ph.D. as they will be expected to have a comprehensive understanding of statistics and how to compile the data that they collect. Thus research social work typically requires a large commitment in terms of schooling.

In some cases, however, a social worker with a masters degree may be able to find work in the research field. Typically this person will handle assignments like distributing questionnaires and doing other data collection tasks in the neighborhood. A Ph.D. social worker will then compile that data and present the findings to local and federal government officials, among others.

Why research social work can be difficult

One of the primary difficulties associated with social work research is that the social research worker’s role isn’t actually to help, but rather to study and gather data. This is not to suggest that the social worker must be robotic and ignore all problems, however, their role isn’t to solve but to observe. A research social worker may suggest that a “regular” social worker get involved but that’s typically the extent of what they can do.

It can also be difficult doing participatory research, getting to know a subject or a family over the course of a day or two and then having to leave that family and move on. A normal social worker may stay with a family for months or even years, and enjoy a greater reward as that family’s situation improves.

Thus social work research is suggested for those who understand their limited intervention role and are truly interested in data and devising the most effective ways to measure the efficacy of programs within the neighborhood. Research social workers can get their satisfaction from seeing community programs succeed, rather than working with individual subjects.

Research social work career outlook

It can be difficult to determine the career outlook specifically in regard to the research social worker. This is a very niche area of social work, all the more so since it typically requires a Ph.D. That being said, we can still gain valuable information by looking at overall trends for the social work field.

The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) estimates that from 2021 to 2031 there will be a 9 percent growth rate in the field of social work. In terms of actual numbers, 64,000 new social work jobs will be created by 2031.

Research social worker salary

Again, when it comes to determining the salary for a research social worker it’s difficult as there is little data available. That being the case we can still make a fairly good estimation of how much research social workers earn.

According to HumanServicesEdu.org , “NASW found that a DSW or PhD can boost your earnings by around $17,000 over the baseline numbers you could expect with a bachelor’s.”

Overall we can see that research social workers tend to earn more than other social workers and their job prospects are very good.

Frequently asked questions

A research social worker conducts research studies and evaluations to gather data and evidence related to social work practice and policies.

They use a range of research methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, or experimental designs, to answer research questions and test hypotheses.

A Bachelor’s degree in social work is the minimum requirement for most entry-level social work positions. However, many research social work positions require a Master’s degree in social work. Gain relevant work experience and develop research skills. You can also pursue a DSW or PhD to further your knowledge and expertise.

Research social workers need to be knowledgeable about different research methods, social policies, be able to analyze and interpret complex data.

Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet

A variety of healthful foods including nuts, beans, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, salmon, and oats

Finding yourself confused by the seemingly endless promotion of weight-loss strategies and diet plans? In this series , we take a look at some popular diets—and review the research behind them.

What Is It?

Chances are you have heard of the Mediterranean diet. If you have a chronic condition like heart disease or high blood pressure, your doctor may even have prescribed it to you. It is often promoted to decrease the risk of heart disease, depression, and dementia.

The traditional diets of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea differ slightly so there are different versions of the Mediterranean diet. However, in 1993 the Harvard School of Public Health, Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, and the European Office of the World Health Organization introduced the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid as a guide to help familiarize people with the most common foods of the region. More of an eating pattern than a strictly regimented diet plan, the pyramid emphasized certain foods based on the dietary traditions of Crete, Greece, and southern Italy during the mid-20 th century. [1,2] At that time, these countries displayed low rates of chronic disease and higher than average adult life expectancy despite having limited access to healthcare. It was believed that the diet—mainly fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, ﬁsh, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and red wine—contributed to their health benefits. The pyramid also highlighted daily exercise and the beneficial social aspects of eating meals together.

How It Works

The Mediterranean diet is a primarily plant-based eating plan that includes daily intake of whole grains, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, beans and other legumes, nuts, herbs, and spices. Other foods like animal proteins are eaten in smaller quantities, with the preferred animal protein being fish and seafood. Although the pyramid shape suggests the proportion of foods to eat (e.g., eat more fruits and vegetables and less dairy foods), it does not specify portion sizes or specific amounts. It is up to the individual to decide exactly how much food to eat at each meal, as this will vary by physical activity and body size. There are additional points that make this eating plan unique:

An emphasis on healthy fats . Olive oil is recommended as the primary added fat, replacing other oils and fats (butter, margarine). Other foods naturally containing healthful fats are highlighted, such as avocados, nuts, and oily fish like salmon and sardines; among these, walnuts and fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Choosing fish as the preferred animal protein at least twice weekly and other animal proteins of poultry, eggs, and dairy (cheese or yogurt) in smaller portions either daily or a few times a week. Red meat is limited to a few times per month.
Choosing water as the main daily beverage, but allowing a moderate intake of wine with meals, about one to two glasses a day for men and one glass a day for women.
Stressing daily physical activity through enjoyable activities.

This sample meal plan is roughly 2000 calories, the recommended intake for an average person. If you have higher calorie needs, you may add an additional snack or two; if you have lower calorie needs, you may remove a snack. If you have more specific nutritional needs or would like assistance in creating additional meal plans, consult with a registered dietitian.

Breakfast: 1 cup cooked steel-cut oats mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

Snack: ¼ cup nuts, any type

Beans and rice – In medium pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add and sauté ½ chopped onion, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp garlic powder until onion is softened. Mix in 1 cup canned beans, drained and rinsed. Serve bean mixture over 1 cup cooked brown rice.
2 cups salad (e.g., mixed greens, cucumbers, bell peppers) with dressing (mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper)

Snack: 1 medium orange

3 ounces baked salmon brushed with same salad dressing used at lunch
1 medium baked sweet potato with 1 tbsp soft margarine
1 cup chopped steamed cauliflower

Snack: 1 ounce 75% dark chocolate

The Research So Far

Research has consistently shown that the Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality. [3, 4] A study of nearly 26,000 women found that those who followed this type of diet had 25% less risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the course of 12 years. [5] The study examined a range of underlying mechanisms that might account for this reduction, and found that changes in inflammation, blood sugar, and body mass index were the biggest drivers. Similar benefits were found in a meta-analysis of 16 prospective cohort studies following more than 22,000 women for a median of 12.5 years. [6] Those who had the highest adherence to a Mediterranean diet showed a 24% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 23% lower risk of premature death compared with those who had the lowest adherence.

One interesting finding of this eating plan is that it dispels the myth that people with or at risk for heart disease must eat a low fat diet. Although it does matter which types of fats are chosen, the percentage of calories from fat is less of an issue. The PREDIMED study, a primary prevention trial including thousands of people with diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts and without any fat and calorie restrictions reduced the rates of death from stroke by roughly 30%. [7] Most dietary fats were healthy fats, such as those from fatty fish, olive oil, and nuts, but total fat intake was generous at 39-42% of total daily calories, much higher than the 20-35% fat guideline as stated by the Institute of Medicine. [8] Risk of type 2 diabetes was also reduced in the PREDIMED trial. [9]

There has also been increased interest in the diet’s effects on aging and cognitive function. [10-12] Cell damage through stress and inflammation that can lead to age-related diseases has been linked to a specific part of DNA called telomeres. These structures naturally shorten with age, and their length size can predict life expectancy and the risk of developing age-related diseases. Telomeres with long lengths are considered protective against chronic diseases and earlier death, whereas short lengths increase risk. Antioxidants can help combat cell stress and preserve telomere length, such as by eating foods that contain antioxidants nutrients like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. These foods are found in healthy eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet. [13] This was demonstrated in a large cohort of 4676 healthy middle-aged women from the Nurses’ Health Study where participants who more closely followed the Mediterranean diet were found to have longer telomere length. [13]

Another Nurses’ Health Study following 10,670 women ages 57-61 observed the effect of dietary patterns on aging. [14] Healthy aging was defined as living to 70 years or more, and having no chronic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer) or major declines in mental health, cognition, and physical function. The study found that the women who followed a Mediterranean-type eating pattern were 46% more likely to age healthfully. Increased intake of plant foods, whole grains, and fish; moderate alcohol intake; and low intake of red and processed meats were believed to contribute to this finding.

Potential Pitfalls

There is a risk of excess calorie intake because specific amounts of foods and portion sizes are not emphasized, which could lead to weight gain. It might be helpful to use the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which provides guidance on specific types of foods to choose, along with a balanced plate guide such as the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate , which gives a better indication of proportions of food to eat per meal. However, it is important to note that—probably in part due to the higher intake of olive oil and less processed foods—the Mediterranean dietary pattern provides satiety and enables long term adherence. In one of the most successful weight loss trials to date, those assigned to the Mediterranean diet maintained weight loss over a period of six years. [15]
Research supports the health benefits of a Mediterranean-style eating pattern that includes several different foods. It is the combination of these foods that appear protective against disease, as the benefit is not as strong when looking at single foods or nutrients included in the Mediterranean diet. [13] Therefore it is important to not simply add olive oil or nuts to one’s current diet but to adopt the plan in its entirety.

Bottom Line

Research supports the use of the Mediterranean diet as a healthy eating pattern for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, increasing lifespan, and healthy aging. When used in conjunction with caloric restriction, the diet may also support healthy weight loss.

Healthy Weight
The Best Diet: Quality Counts
Healthy Dietary Styles
Other Diet Reviews
Willett WC, Sacks F, Trichopoulou A, Drescher G, Ferro-Luzzi A, Helsing E, Trichopoulos D. Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. AJCN . 1995 Jun 1;61(6):1402S-6S.
Gifford KD. Dietary fats, eating guides, and public policy: history, critique, and recommendations. Am J Med . 2002 Dec 30;113(9):89-106.
Fung TT, Rexrode KM, Mantzoros CS, Manson JE, Willett WC, Hu FB. Mediterranean diet and incidence of and mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke in women. Circulation . 2009 Mar 3;119(8):1093-100.
Lopez-Garcia E, Rodriguez-Artalejo F, Li TY, Fung TT, Li S, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Hu FB. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and mortality among men and women with cardiovascular disease. AJCN . 2013 Oct 30;99(1):172-80.
Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Demler OV, Hu FB, Ridker PM, Chasman DI, Mora S. Assessment of Risk Factors and Biomarkers Associated With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women Consuming a Mediterranean Diet. JAMA Network Open . 2018 Dec 7;1(8):e185708-.
Pant A, Gribbin S, McIntyre D, Trivedi R, Marschner S, Laranjo L, Mamas MA, Flood V, Chow CK, Zaman S. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women with a Mediterranean diet: systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart . 2023 Feb 15.
Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Lamuela-Raventos RM. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. New England Journal of Medicine . 2018 Jun 13. [Note: reference updated in June 2018 due to retraction and republication ]
Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. The National Academies Press , 2005. Accessed 10/16/17.
Salas-Salvadó J, Bulló M, Babio N, Martínez-González MÁ, Ibarrola-Jurado N, Basora J, Estruch R, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with the Mediterranean diet. Diabetes care . 2011 Jan 1;34(1):14-9.
Loughrey DG, Lavecchia S, Brennan S, Lawlor BA, Kelly ME. The impact of the Mediterranean diet on the cognitive functioning of healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition . 2017 Jul 6;8(4):571-86.
Aridi YS, Walker JL, Wright OR. The association between the Mediterranean dietary pattern and cognitive health: a systematic review. Nutrients . 2017 Jun 28;9(7):674.
Bhushan A, Fondell E, Ascherio A, Yuan C, Grodstein F, Willett W. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and subjective cognitive function in men. European journal of epidemiology . 2017 Nov 17:1-2.
Crous-Bou M, Fung TT, Prescott J, Julin B, Du M, Sun Q, Rexrode KM, Hu FB, De Vivo I. Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses’ Health Study: population based cohort study. BMJ . 2014 Dec 2;349:g6674.
Samieri C, Sun Q, Townsend MK, Chiuve SE, Okereke OI, Willett WC, Stampfer M, Grodstein F. The Association Between Dietary Patterns at Midlife and Health in Aging: An Observational Study. Annals of internal medicine . 2013 Nov 5;159(9):584-91.
Shai I, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, Shahar DR, Witkow S, Greenberg I, Golan R, Fraser D, Bolotin A, Vardi H, Tangi-Rozental O. Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. NEJM . 2008 Jul 17;2008(359):229-41.

Last reviewed April 2023

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Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions
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Essential Research Methods for Social Work
Social Work Research and Evaluation
Understanding Social Work Research by Hugh McLaughlin (English
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COMMENTS

PDF STUDY GUIDE: Licensed Clinical Social Worker Exam
9. Agency/Supervision Work 10. Growth & Development 11. Practice Evaluation & Utilization of Research 12. Professional Values & Ethics/Professional Relationships 13. History of Social Work 14. General Test Taking Advice . I. Important People • Piaget: Swiss psychology who created theory of cognitive development to explain the processes by ...
The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods
The canonical Handbook is completely updated with more student-friendly features. The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods is a cutting-edge volume that covers all the major topics that are relevant for Social Work Research methods. Edited by Bruce Thyer and containing contributions by leading authorities, this Handbook covers both ...
Social Work Research Methods
Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends. Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable.
How to Bring Research Into Social Work Practice
Some of the specific guidance provided around research and social work include: 5.01 (b): …Social workers should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession. 5.01 (d): Social workers should contribute to the knowledge base ...
Home
Welcome to the Research Guide for Social Work. This guide will help you access materials through Columbia Libraries and beyond. Looking for books? Use CLIO, the libraries' primary search interface to find: books, databases, ebooks, journals, newspapers, and DVDs. Looking for articles?
Fundamentals of Social Work Research
Fundamentals of Social Work Research. Designed to help students develop skills in evaluating research and conducting studies, this brief version of the popular, The Practice of Research in Social Work, makes principles of evidence-based practice come alive through illustrations of actual social work research.
Foundations of Social Work Research
This textbook was created to provide an introduction to research methods for BSW and MSW students, with particular emphasis on research and practice relevant to students at the University of Texas at Arlington. It provides an introduction to social work students to help evaluate research for evidence-based practice and design social work research projects. It can be used with its companion, A ...
A Social Work Research Guide
Social work research guide. "...official guide that describes in detail the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews... guidance on the standard methods applicable to every review (planning a review, searching and selecting studies, data collection, risk of bias assessment, statistical analysis, GRADE and interpreting results), as well as more specialised topics (non ...
Social Work Research
Objectifying content validity: Conducting a content validity study in social work research. An Updated Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myths. Differential effects of support providers on adolescents' mental health. Risk, protection, and resilience: Toward a conceptual framework for social work practice. Risk and protection: Are both necessary ...
Social Work Research Methods
First Edition. Social Work Research Methods is a step-by-step journey through the process of conducting research. With over 30 years of teaching experience, author Reginald O. York helps readers discover how research can enable them to better serve clients in the field. Each chapter features a hands-on approach to producing research, with ...
LibGuides: Sage Research Methods: Social Work
The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods by Bruce A. Thyer. ISBN: 9780761919063. Publication Date: 2000-12-29. This volume is the definitive resource for anyone doing research in social work. It details both quantitative and qualitative methods and data collection, as well as suggesting the methods appropriate to particular types of studies.
Decoding the ASWB: Your Ultimate Guide to Conquer Research Methods and
Discover the most effective strategies to tackle ASWB research methods and statistics questions and boost your score with our guide! ... Consider getting a study guide or seeking help from a tutor. Also, consistent practice and application can significantly improve your understanding. ... A Social Worker is evaluating the effectiveness of a new ...
Getting Started
A research question should be specific, focused, and concise. To develop a research question, start with a general topic of interest to you. You'll want to do some preliminary and background research on this topic to think through what specific questions you might have. Examples: Sample Topic: impact of social media on adolescent physical activity
Research Guides: Social Work Research Guide: Getting Started
Welcome to the Social Work Research Guide. In this guide you'll find many of the St. Kate's library resources that relate to the field and study of social work. You can access social work databases, electronic books, APA resources, and more. And be sure to review our research tutorials! Enjoy getting to know these resources, and if you have ...
Research on Social Work Practice: Sage Journals
Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP), peer-reviewed and published eight times per year, is a disciplinary journal devoted to the publication of empirical research concerning the assessment methods and outcomes of social work practice. Intervention programs covered include behavior analysis and therapy; psychotherapy or counseling with individuals; case management; and education.
Social Work Research Methods Final Study Guide Flashcards
Social Work Research Methods Final Study Guide. 4.0 (1 review) Research is systemic. Click the card to flip 👆. Social research is the systematic examination (or reexamination) of empirical data, collected by someone firsthand, concerning the social, cultural, and psychological forces operating in a situation. Click the card to flip 👆.
CSUSM Library Guides: Social Work Research Guide: Home
Welcome to Social Work research! Group of people holding arms. Used under (CC BY-NC 2.0); image resized from original. Welcome to the Social Work Research Guide! You may explore the various links on the left side of this page to find books, ebooks, journal articles, and more in the field of Social Work.
Social Work Research and Mixed Methods: Stronger With a Quality
Abstract. Mixed methods are a useful approach chosen by many social work researchers. This article showcases a quality framework using social work examples as practical guidance for social work researchers. Combining methodological literature with practical social work examples, elements of a high-quality approach to mixed methods are showcased ...
Social Work Research Guide
A relevant research question is one whose answers will have an impact on policies, theories, or practices related to the social work profession. Other factors determining the relevance include the organization who funds the research, the program that houses it, and the research team that undertakes it. Researchable
9.2 Qualitative interviews
Figure 9.2 provides an example of an interview guide that uses questions rather than topics. Figure 9.2 Interview guide displaying questions rather than topics. As you might have guessed, interview guides do not appear out of thin air. They are the result of thoughtful and careful work on the part of a researcher.
SW 320 Social Work Research- Midterm Study guide
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like This last step in evidence-based practice is the one that many practitioners still fail to complete. a. Developing the question b. Evaluating the application of the intervention c. Selecting the appropriate database d. Selecting the intervention, According to the NASW Code of Ethics: Social workers should evaluate and keep ...
ASWB Examination Guidebook
This guidebook includes: Study plan template. Reference lists created with input from social work educators. Complete content outlines for all exam categories, including KSA (knowledge, skills, and abilities) statements. Sample screens from exam software. Sample questions from each exam category with the correct answer and explanation.
Full article: Social workers use of knowledge in an evidence-based
View PDF View EPUB. Since the 1990s, evidence-based practice has become part of social work, grounded in the notion that social work should be a research-based profession. However, recent studies show that social workers struggle with bridging research and practice. This study analysed Norwegian social workers' use of knowledge in their daily ...
Social media Africa News, Research and Analysis
By building and maintaining a personal brand, young social media users can identify work opportunities. Education stakeholders should pay attention to students' use of social media. Wikimedia ...
Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills for Sustainability in the ...
Education is an indispensable tool for improving social sustainability. In the school context, a wide variety of methodologies are being considered to achieve this goal by promoting cultural and experiential sustainability through educational and technological innovation. Educational robotics is an educational-formative context that makes it possible to develop new learning environments ...
How to Become a Research Social Worker in 2023
A Bachelor's degree in social work is the minimum requirement for most entry-level social work positions. However, many research social work positions require a Master's degree in social work. Gain relevant work experience and develop research skills. You can also pursue a DSW or PhD to further your knowledge and expertise.
Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet
The Research So Far. Research has consistently shown that the Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality. [3, 4] A study of nearly 26,000 women found that those who followed this type of diet had 25% less risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the course of 12 years. [5]