Social Work Research Skills Workbook : A Step-By-Step Guide to Conducting Agency-Based Research.

Cover -- CONTENTS -- 1 Introduction and Overview -- Workbook Format -- Beginning Thoughts about Learning Research -- Why So Much Research? -- Research Vocabulary -- Math Anxiety -- Gap Between Research Findings and Real-World Practice Settings -- Chapter Highlights -- Conclusion -- 2 Research Fundamentals -- The Big Picture -- Step One: Developing your Research Question -- Step Two: Making Decisions about Methods -- Step Three: Data Collection and Study Implementation -- Step Four: Data Processing and Analysis -- Step Five: Discussion and Application -- Involvement of Your Field Agency -- Establishing Principles for Research -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 3 Review of the Literature -- Introduction -- Definition and Purpose -- Why Conduct a Literature Review? -- Steps of the Literature Review -- Step One: Searching the Literature -- Step Two: Reading the Literature -- Step Three: Writing the Literature Review -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 4 Systematic Reviews -- How Are Systematic Reviews Different from Literature Reviews? -- Meta-Analysis -- How to Find Systematic Reviews -- Steps in a Systematic Review -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 5 Ethics and Values Related to Research -- Ethical Considerations in Social Work Research -- The IRB Application -- Is IRB Review Always Required? -- Conclusion -- Appendix 5.2 -- Websites -- 6 Quantitative: Research Designs -- Surveys -- Creation of Surveys -- Intervention Research -- Single-System Designs -- Pre-Experimental Designs -- Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs -- Decision-Making for Intervention Research -- Threats to Internal Validity -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 7 Sampling -- Representative and Nonrepresentative Sampling -- Populations and Sampling -- Sampling Methods -- Research Designs and Sampling: How They Work Together -- Sample Size -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 8 Measurement.

Operationalization: How to Measure Your Idea -- Using Standardized Measures -- Adapting and Creating Instruments -- Data Collection Instruments from Agency Records -- Levels of Measurement -- Assigning Values -- Independent Variable: Treatment Fidelity -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 9 Quantitative Data Analysis -- Where Do the Numbers Come From? -- How Many Variables? -- Univariate -- Bivariate Analysis -- Multivariate Analysis -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 10 Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis -- Understanding the Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods -- Qualitative Research Designs -- Note-taking and Recording -- Qualitative Data Analysis -- Putting it All Together -- Ethics in Qualitative Studies -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 11 Program and Practice Evaluative -- Defining Evaluation -- Program-Specific Questions Answered by Evaluation Research -- Evaluation Research in Agency Settings -- Logic Models -- Evaluability Assessment -- Applying Research Methods to Formative or Process Evaluations -- Applying Research Methods to Cost-Benefit or Cost-Effectiveness Evaluations -- Applying Research Methods to Summative Program Evaluation Efforts -- Evaluation Research: Focus of Research Design -- Conclusion -- Websites -- 12 Write-Up, Presentation, and Dissemination of Results -- The Research Project Final Report -- The Results Section -- Discussion Section -- Agency Presentations -- Practice-Research Panel Discussions -- Presentations Requiring Institutional Review Board Approval -- Publishing in Academic Journals -- Advocate's Forum -- Conclusion -- Websites -- REFERENCES -- INDEX -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.

With an abundance of examples and exercises, this practically oriented workbook presents a step-by-step approach to help social work students develop and implement their research projects in human services organizations.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.