The Practice of Research in Social Work

by Rafael J. Engel

• ISBN13: 9781412968928
• ISBN10: 1412968925
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-01
• Publisher: SAGE PUBLICATIONS

Summary

Like the first edition of The Practice of Research in Social Work, this Second Edition introduces research methods as an integrated set of techniques for investigating social work research and practice problems.This Second Edition continues to offer the most contemporary treatments of the latest developments in social work research approaches. Interesting and contemporary social work examples are used, with each chapter focusing on a particular substantive research question. Students gain new insights into important substantive issues as they learn about the strong and weak points of actual research projects.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Reasoning about the Social World

Everyday Errors in Reasoning Overgeneralization

Selective or Inaccurate Observation Illogical Reasoning

Resistance to Change Adherence to Authority

The Social Scientific Approach Social Work and the Social World Social Work

Research and Evidence-Based Practice Striving for Validity Measurement Validity

Generalizability Causal Validity Social Work in Research in a Diverse Society Social Work

Research in Practice Descriptive Research Exploratory Research

Explanatory Research Evaluation Research Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Strengths and Limitations of Social Work Research

Conclusion

The Process and Problems of Social Work Research

Social Work Research Questions Identifying Social Work Research Questions

Refining Social Research Questions Evaluating Social Research Questions Implications of Social Diversity and Formulating a Question Foundations of Social Work

Research Finding Information Reviewing Research Implications for Evidence-Based Practice Social Work Research Strategies

The Role of Social Theory

The Deductive/Inductive Cycle Descriptive Research Social Work Research

Philosophies Scientific Guidelines for Social Work Research Social Work

Research and Ethical Guidelines Honesty and Openness The Uses of Science Research on People

Conclusion

Conceptualization and Measurement

Concepts Conceptualization in Practice From Concepts to Observations

Operationalization Scales and Indexes Treatment as a Variable Gathering Data Combining Measurement

Operations Measurement in Qualitative Research Levels of Measurement

Nominal Level of Measurement Ordinal Level of Measurement

Interval Level of Measurement Ratio Level of Measurement

The Case of Dichotomies Types of Comparisons Measurement

Error Evaluating Measures Reliability Measurement Validity

Screening and Cut-off Scores Ways to Improve Reliability and Validity of Existing Measures

Measurement in a Diverse Society Implications for Evidence-Based Practice

Conclusion

Sampling

Sample Planning Define Sample Components and the Population Evaluate

Generalizability Assess the Homogeneity of the Population Recruitment Strategies with Diverse Populations Sampling Methods

Probability Sampling Probability Sampling Methods Nonprobability Sampling Methods

Sampling Distributions Estimating Sampling Error Determining Sampling Size

Implications for Evidence-Based Practice Conclusion

Causation and Research Design

Causal Explanation Nomothetic Causal Explanation

Idiographic Causal Explanation Research Designs and Criteria for Causal Explanations

Association Time Order Nonspuriousness Mechanism Context Units of Analysis and Errors in Causal Reasoning

Individual and Group Units of Analysis

The Ecological Fallacy and Reductionism Implications for Evidence-Based Practice

Conclusion

Group Experimental Designs

Threats to Validity Internal (Causal)

Validity Generalizability True Experiments Experimental and Comparison Groups

Randomization Pretest and Posttest Measures Types of True Experimental Designs

Difficulties in True Experiments in Agency-Based Research

The Limits of True Experimental Designs Quasi-Experiments Nonequivalent Control

Group Designs Time Series Designs Ex Post Facto Control Group D

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