social work research examples

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233 Social Work Research Topics: Helpful List For Students

Social work research topics deal with many things. They look into some of the problem generating areas within the social works field and the use of research methodology to understand these problems. They also try to sort these problems out and address some of the challenges encountered both in the lives of social workers and their primary field of practice.

Like every other research writing, writing a social work research topic requires the carrying out of in-depth research finding on the subject which requires the application of theories, the use of concepts, understanding the basic and advanced principles of social works, observing the intricacies within the field of study, finding ways to address these social issues through the use of experimental, survey, analytic, cause and effect researching procedure.

To craft an intriguing and compelling essay topic on social works, all of the aforementioned will need to be present as they help you not just in the topic formulation process but also in the research writing. Every research writing follows a particular style and writing on social works partakes in this process. Here are some social work-related research topics to put into consideration.

Social Work Research Topics

Social work as a field of work and field of study deals primarily with practicality. Even though the understanding of some of its underlying principles requires first the use and application of theories, social workers deal with practical applications daily. Writing a research topic on this field, therefore, requires that each topic will have undertones of practicality woven within it.

This is necessary as the primary goal of both social work research writing and the field itself is in carrying out investigations and the understanding of various issues that impact the lives of individuals and how they could be addressed. Research social worker research topics on it can look like.

The importance of group therapy for children in foster homes
Impacts of clinical depression on teenage girls
Lack of child support and its impact on child care in America
A look into depression and the stigma associated with it.
ADHD within foster homes and its impacts on children
The impacts of constant mobility in the lives of orphaned toddlers
Addressing the inherent PTSD in the lives of medical veterans
The social relegation of Autism children
Addressing the stigma surrounding disability
Disability and how it affects the lives of middle-aged parents
The recurring case of displacement and its violent effects on street children
How homelessness impacts people psyche
Misdiagnosed mental illness and its negative impacts on people
Suicidal tendencies within military units and possible ways to address them.
The need for the social interrogation of mental illness stigma
Parents living with Bipolar and how it impacts their parenting and children’s lives
How early childhood displacement amounts to antisocial lifestyle in foster children
Adoption of teenagers: the struggles and joys associated within
A look into the undisclosed cases of rape violence amongst women in the military and how it impacts their lives and service
Substance abuse and how it affects parenting
Understanding the trauma associated with child-parent separation
How divorce positively impacts the health and lifestyle of children
A close analysis of the myths associated with Welfare mothers
Addressing the issue of substance abuse amongst teenagers
Death and how it impacts the collective well-being of the family
A study into family support as a viable way for alcohol recovery
Alcoholism and its impacts on a person’s psyche
How sponsors positively impact the lives of recovering addicts
A clinical study of anti-depressants and their current effectiveness
The breeding of social exclusion of children with Down syndrome
Why social and academic integration is important for children with Down syndrome
Depression and how family exacerbates it
Alcoholism: it impacts on social, family, and personal lifestyle
An analysis of the difference and similarities between Dyslexia and ADHD
Creating awareness for Dyslexic patients

Social Work Research Questions

Social works as a field of study fall within the social sciences, as a result of this the field of study deals with the use of questioning as an approach to arrive at a conclusive and reflective answer (empirical evidence). This is why research in this field deals with data collection, data analysis, experimentations, investigation, etc. The research questions asked when researching within social works are important as it’s through it that informative research is carried out and meanings derived through it. Here are some social work research questions.

How does trauma inform the education of children in foster homes?
The protest of police brutality, does it have the potential of promoting transformative change?
Why does society insist that divorce impacts the psyche of all children negatively
Is informed trauma in foster homes the primary cause of children disappearing from foster homes?
Does the implementation of learning curriculums that positively impacts Dyslexic students improve their academics?
Is trauma-informed learning reflective of parenting?
Do house and food insecurity impact the lives of foster children for life?
How does community violence have effects on the lives LGBT+ community?
What are the ways the criminal justice system is failing America’s social lifestyle?
What are the signs of identifying workplace trauma
Workplace violence: how can it be addressed?
How do poverty and scarcity affect the psychology of young children?
What are the ways through which the American healthcare system is failing minority groups
What are the ways the misuse of substances breeds addictive behaviors?
How to point out the early signs of depression in teenagers?
Who is at greater risk of child-parent separation?
What are the consequences of living with Dyslexia?
Why is depression diagnosed as a mental disorder?
What are the defining differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II?
How can bipolar patients receive support?
What percentage of incarcerated adults is from minority groups?
What are the results of racial disparity in America?
How does America’s racial disparity manifest in the healthcare system?
What are the challenges experienced by minority kids in foster homes?
How can the American government support welfare parents more?
How can addiction be controlled?
How does alcohol abuse affect college students’ academic performance?
What are the ways community reentry proves challenging for formerly incarcerated people?
What are the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of pregnant incarcerated mothers?
How can cases within addiction be curbed in America?
What are the ways to approach America’s carceral system?
What are the ways nursing homes can be better equipped for old folks?
What are the social and psychological impacts of student loans?
How can assistance be extended to adults with learning disabilities?
How can America’s rise in obesity be addressed?

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Human services research papers also fall within the social work research topics ideas to look into. This area of social works essay topics deal with issues which are primarily related to human service, how it’s being impacted, and ways to understand and address some of its challenges. Human services research paper topics that fall within it include.

How America’s carceral system affects low-income and minority homes majorly.
Social integration of Down syndrome and Dyslexic people
How the government can improve welfare conditions
The negative psychological impacts of food banks
How food banks benefit the lives of many Americans.
How home violence affects children
Understanding the effects of high school bullying
Welfare workers and why they need therapy and support groups
How to build love in foster care
The practice of resilience amongst social workers
The effects of juvenile delinquency in America
Understanding America’s carceral shortcomings
Minority groups at the expense of America’s carceral system
Addressing the issue of homophobia in America
Homophobia and how it impacts LGBTQ+ adults
Factors contributing to family violence
Spousal violence and how to address it
Family cruelty and how it impacts lives
Undiagnosed cases of Bipolar and its effects
Misdiagnosed mental illness and its effects
Improving support systems for LGBTQ+ kids
Home insecurity and how it impacts the homeless
Bridging the disparity of formerly incarcerated people
Understanding gender inequality when dealing with incarcerated people
The failure of America’s correctional system
Incarceration: Reformed or abolished?
Police system: Reformed, defunded, or abolished?
Factors contributing to increase in youth depression
Unemployment and its effects on people
Similarities between juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
Psychological impacts of child trafficking
Human trafficking and its psychological effects on victims
Addressing depression, anxiety, and panic in little children

Interesting Social Work Topics

Within the field of social works, there are some topics and issues that draw extra attention due to their uniqueness. These topics often make for interesting research topics as they often draw on several relevant but often neglected issues or topics that are not paid due attention to. There are so many interesting social work topics that talk within this category and some of them include.

Understanding the experiences of women living within shelter homes
The racial disparity prevalent in America’s food bank system
A study and understanding of the stigma and social relegations welfare mothers are subjected to.
The challenges of living with both parents suffering from Alzheimer’s
A sociological and environmental outlook into the academic transition from high school to college and how it manifests in the lives of students.
An analysis of the client-therapist relationship of psychiatric therapists
An evaluation of the sociological impact of including sex education in the high school curriculum
An in-depth analysis of the emotional and psychological effects of induced child labor
Psychological, emotional, and physical effects of abusive parenting
Verbal and physical abuse in families and how it manifests in the lives of children
How emotional and psychological abuse encourages low self-esteem
A study of children raised in abusive homes
How physical abuse affects spousal intimacy
A critical study of the learning challenges of disabled children
How inclusivity in the social system will impact disabled children
Why there’s the need to encourage more flexible social structures for disabled people
A case study of the inherent challenges of interracial marriages
A case of study of how a functional and inclusive healthcare system improve social growth
How conversion therapy negatively impacts the LGBTQ+ community
How religion impacts social workers interaction with social issues
A study of the prevalence of poverty in the American Deep South and the ways it impedes growth
Sustainability of wellness therapy
An in-depth analysis of how first-time menstrual experiences impacts teenage girls in foster homes
The relationship between teenagers, school, and the general society
The negative impacts of birth control laws
How abortion bans are leading to more psychological issues
How the increases in the cost of housing in America is affecting young millennials
How low paid labor propagates workplace abuse
The impacts of gender roles and cultural beliefs in marriages
Why America needs more rehabilitation centers than carceral systems
The relationship between welfare systems and low-income neighborhoods
How teenage pregnancy impacts teenage mothers
The growing effect and pressure of social media in the lives of teenage children

Controversial Topics in Social Work

Social worker’s research topics also look into areas within the field of study that are often regarded as controversial. These topics are referred to as so due to their nature of occurrence which usually has provoked significant public interest. When writing on controversial topics in social work in this field, here are some of the topics that fall well within this category.

Rising cases of drug abuse in low-income neighborhoods
How incarceration negatively impacts the psychological well-being of incarcerated people
The dangers of confinement and why it should be looked into
Drug vulnerability and how to help addicts
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and how it enables social workers to relate more to their environment and situations
Hypnosis and its health benefits on an individual
Therapy for the less represented groups and why it’s important
A clear distinction between clinical depression and undiagnosed depression
Misdiagnosis: how it’s affecting the lives of mentally challenged people
Understanding ADHD and the stigmas associated with it
An investigative study into the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy to improve the livelihood of incarcerated people
Understanding adolescents development about kids in foster cares
The social effects of living within an immigrant home in America
Social workers remuneration and how it impacts their dedication and diligence to their work
The negative impact of child-parent legally signed separation and ways through which it can be contained
A qualitative study of dealing with Dyslexia as an adolescent
Catering safe spaces for minority groups and the impacts of community on their mental health.
Child poverty, food insecurity, house insecurity: how they impact the academic abilities of children
Examining the use of empathy to facilitate the improvement of the social work sector
Why there needs to be more qualitative examining of foster homes for child safety and peace
The positive impacts within the foster home system and why it should be championed
Understanding sexual health education for incarcerated women
Addressing violence as a social problem within the correctional system
Court sanctioned confinement, how it promotes mental illness rather than facilitate correction
The hidden and unnoticed trauma prevalent in counselors and therapists
The continuous cycle of therapy: why therapists need therapy
The need to facilitate awareness on the stigma associated with AIDS
The social and health implication of abortion ban on women in low-income neighborhoods
The psychological, health, and social implications of abortion ban on rape survivors
The unreported cases of abuse in homes and how it propagates violence
Trafficking: the impacts of it on the social well-being of a society
Exploring the challenges of the hurricanes in low-income neighborhoods
The hidden trauma of hurricane and flood survivors

Social Work Thesis Topics

As a field of study on its own, social work will require you to write series of papers, research assignments and essays on a select topic of your choice. This is also compulsory if you are doing your master’s program or your Ph.D. You’ll be required to carry out evaluative or qualitative research on your area of interest. Some interesting social work essay topics to consider include the following ones.

The psychological impacts of adult children of emotionally immature parents
The treatment plan for diagnosed drug addiction
Navigating the challenges of visually impaired learners in the academia
Evaluating child abuse in foster care
The emotional effect of transitioning into nursing homes
A study of parenthood in immigrant families
The psychological weight of child abuse
Understanding child labor and its intricacies
Encouraging cognitive-behavioral therapy for foster parents
Trauma: Understanding the challenges of the foster kid
Abortion illegality as the increasing cause of teenage pregnancy
Understanding displacement and its nuances
The distinction between the displacement of children in war areas and children in foster homes
The psychological impacts of growing within a war zone
The barrier to working faced by formerly incarcerated people
Juvenile delinquency: how it harms rather than benefits children
Examining the American rehabilitation system
Examining the gender disparity in correctional facilities
The use of empathy: social workers in the discharge of duty
How to address compassion fatigue amongst counselors and social workers
The effects of structural racism on the welfare systems
Understanding depression from the welfare mom’s perspective
Myths associated with ADHD
Integrating compassion in social works
Building an inclusive system for foster kids
The disability challenges in the healthcare system
Disability disparity in the social works department
Future attachment styles in foster kids
Codependency: a feature of displacement
Home emotional unavailability as the rising cause for codependency
Understanding interdependency for the codependent
Distinctions between codependency and interdependency in youth adults
Prepatrum depression in expecting mothers

Social Work Topics for Presentation

One of the social work project ideas to look into while writing your paper is the possibility of including a presentation. As a practical field, social works research requires some level of presentation included. Here are some social work topics for presentation.

The historical development of social works
Importance of social works in school
Importance of therapy for teenagers
An exploration of challenges faced in forensic social works
Understanding the struggles of minority groups
A study of abuse in middle-class homes
Importance of finance in sustaining social works
The overall effect of compassion fatigue
Challenges of modern-day social works
Psychological impacts of child drug abuse
Importance of inclusivity in social works
Understanding same-sex relationships for the social worker
Importance of drug sensitization in high school
The abuse of drugs in low-income neighborhoods as an economic factor
Depression stereotypes
Effects and impacts of spirituality as a social works technique
Damages of psychological violence
Domestic violence and its impacts
Role of social workers in the prevention of drug abuse
Role or foster parents in the prevention of violence
Role of foster homes in creating a safe space
Positive impacts of foster parenting
Understanding trauma for the social worker
Importance of diversity in the social works sector
Understanding the neglect-syndrome of foster kids
Adolescent transitioning and trauma of LGBTQ+ children
Trauma and juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
Importance of free healthcare for foster children and children in low-income neighborhoods
A study of sexually violated children
Understanding the impacts of incest in homes
The victim syndrome and how to better understand it
Understanding Stockholm syndrome

We have provided above a list of interesting social work topics that social science students, whether they are college students or master’s students, can choose from. But if you are hoping to meet up with your college or university essay deadlines, there are professional ENL US writers, including some of the best professors for hire online. They can assist you with fast and top-notch essays that will get you high grades all at a cheap rate. You will be provided with custom, amazing assignments that will attain you high grades.

Make PhD experience your own

1 1. Science and social work

Chapter outline.

How do social workers know what to do? (12 minute read time)
The scientific method (16 minute read time)
Evidence-based practice (11 minute read time)
Social work research (10 minute read time)

Content warning: Examples in this chapter contain references to school discipline, child abuse, food insecurity, homelessness, poverty and anti-poverty stigma, anti-vaccination pseudoscience, autism, trauma and PTSD, mental health stigma, susto and culture-bound syndromes, gender-based discrimination at work, homelessness, psychiatric hospitalizations, substance use, and mandatory treatment.

1.1 How do social workers know what to do?

Learning objectives.

Learners will be able to…

Reflect on how we, as social workers, make decisions
Differentiate between micro-, meso-, and macro-level analysis
Describe the concept of intuition, its purpose in social work, and its limitations
Identify specific errors in thinking and reasoning

What would you do?

Case 1: Imagine you are a clinical social worker at a children’s mental health agency. One day, you receive a referral from your town’s middle school about a client who often skips school, gets into fights, and is disruptive in class. The school has suspended him and met with the parents on multiple occasions, who say they practice strict discipline at home. Yet the client’s behavior has worsened. When you arrive at the school to meet with your client, who is also a gifted artist, you notice he seems to have bruises on his legs, has difficulty maintaining eye contact, and appears distracted. Despite this, he spends the hour painting and drawing, during which time you are able to observe him.

Given your observations of your client’s strengths and challenges, what intervention would you select, and how could you determine its effectiveness?

Case 2: Imagine you are a social worker working in the midst of an urban food desert (a geographic area in which there is no grocery store that sells fresh food). As a result, many of your low-income clients either eat takeout, or rely on food from the dollar store or a convenience store. You are becoming concerned about your clients’ health, as many of them are obese and say they are unable to buy fresh food. Your clients tell you that they have to rely on food pantries because convenience stores are expensive and often don’t have the right kinds of food for their families. You have spent the past month building a coalition of community members to lobby your city council. The coalition includes individuals from non-profit agencies, religious groups, and healthcare workers.

How should this group address the impact of food deserts in your community? What intervention(s) do you suggest? How would you determine whether your intervention was effective?

Case 3: You are a social worker working at a public policy center whose work focuses on the issue of homelessness. Your city is seeking a large federal grant to address this growing problem and has hired you as a consultant to work on the grant proposal. After interviewing individuals who are homeless and conducting a needs assessment in collaboration with local social service agencies, you meet with city council members to talk about potential opportunities for intervention. Local agencies want to spend the money to increase the capacity of existing shelters in the community. In addition, they want to create a transitional housing program at an unused apartment complex where people can reside upon leaving the shelter, and where they can gain independent living skills. On the other hand, homeless individuals you interview indicate that they would prefer to receive housing vouchers to rent an apartment in the community. They also fear the agencies running the shelter and transitional housing program would impose restrictions and unnecessary rules and regulations, thereby curbing their ability to freely live their lives. When you ask the agencies about these client concerns, they state that these clients need the structure and supervision provided by agency support workers.

Which kind of program should your city choose to implement? Which is most likely to be effective and why?

Assuming you’ve taken a social work course before, you will notice that these case studies cover different levels of analysis in the social ecosystem—micro, meso, and macro. At the micro-level , social workers examine the smallest levels of interaction; in some cases, just “the self” alone (e.g. the child in case one).

When social workers investigate groups and communities, such as our food desert in case 2, their inquiry is at the meso-level .

At the macro-level , social workers examine social structures and institutions. Research at the macro-level examines large-scale patterns, including culture and government policy.

These three domains interact with one another, and it is common for a research project to address more than one level of analysis. For example, you may have a study about individuals at a case management agency (a micro-level study) that impacts the organization as a whole (meso-level) and incorporates policies and cultural issues (macro-level). Moreover, research that occurs on one level is likely to have multiple implications across domains.

How do social workers know what to do?

Welcome to social work research. This chapter begins with three problems that social workers might face in practice, and three questions about what a social worker should do next. If you haven’t already, spend a minute or two thinking about the three aforementioned cases and jot down some notes. How might you respond to each of these cases?

I assume it is unlikely you are an expert in the areas of children’s mental health, community responses to food deserts, and homelessness policy. Don’t worry, I’m not either. In fact, for many of you, this textbook will likely come at an early point in your graduate social work education, so it may seem unfair for me to ask you what the ‘right’ answers are. And to disappoint you further, this course will not teach you the ‘right’ answer to these questions. It will, however, teach you how to answer these questions for yourself, and to find the ‘right’ answer that works best in each unique situation.

Assuming you are not an experienced practitioner in the areas described above, you likely used intuition (Cheung, 2016). [1] when thinking about what you would do in each of these scenarios. Intuition is a “gut feeling” about what to think about and do, often based on personal experience. What we experience influences how we perceive the world. For example, if you’ve witnessed representations of trauma in your practice, personal life, or in movies or television, you may have perceived that the child in case one was being physically abused and that his behavior was a sign of trauma. As you think about problems such as those described above, you find that certain details stay with you and influence your thinking to a greater degree than others. Using past experiences, you apply seemingly relevant knowledge and make predictions about what might be true.

Over a social worker’s career, intuition evolves into practice wisdom . Practice wisdom is the “learning by doing” that develops as a result of practice experience. For example, a clinical social worker may have a “feel” for why certain clients would be a good fit to join a particular therapy group. This idea may be informed by direct experience with similar situations, reflections on previous experiences, and any consultation they receive from colleagues and/or supervisors. This “feel” that social workers get for their practice is a useful and valid source of knowledge and decision-makin – do not discount it.

On the other hand, intuitive thinking can be prone to a number of errors. We are all limited in terms of what we know and experience. One’s economic, social, and cultural background will shape intuition, and acting on your intuition may not work in a different sociocultural context. Because you cannot learn everything there is to know before you start your career as a social worker, it is important to learn how to understand and use social science to help you make sense of the world and to help you make sound, reasoned, and well-thought out decisions.

Social workers must learn how to take their intuition and deepen or challenge it by engaging with scientific literature. Similarly, social work researchers engage in research to make certain their interventions are effective and efficient (see Section 1.4 for more information). Both of these processes–consuming and producing research–inform the social justice mission of social work. That’s why the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), who accredits the MSW program you are in, requires that you engage in social science.

Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers: • use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research; • apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings; and • use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery. (CSWE, 2015). [2]

Errors in thinking

We all rely on mental shortcuts to help us figure out what to do in a practice situation. All people, including you and me, must train our minds to be aware of predictable flaws in thinking, termed cognitive biases . Here is a link to the Wikipedia entry on cognitive biases, as well as an interactive list . As you can see, there are many types of biases that can results in irrational conclusions.

The most important error in thinking for social scientists to be aware of is the concept of confirmation bias . Confirmation bias involves observing and analyzing information in a way that confirms what you already believe to be true. We all arrive at each moment with a set of personal beliefs, experiences, and worldviews that have been developed and ingrained over time. These patterns of thought inform our intuitions, primarily in an unconscious manner. Confirmation bias occurs when our mind ignores or manipulates information to avoid challenging what we already believe to be true.

In our second case study, we are trying to figure out how to help people who receive SNAP (sometimes referred to as Food Stamps) who live in a food desert. Let’s say we have arrived at a policy solution and are now lobbying the city council to implement it. There are many who have negative beliefs about people who are “on welfare.” These people may believe individuals who receive social welfare benefits spend their money irresponsibly, are too lazy to get a job, and manipulate the system to maintain or increase their government payout.

Those espousing this belief may point to an example such as Louis Cuff , who bought steak and lobster with his SNAP benefits and resold them for a profit. However, they are falling prey to assuming that one person’s bad behavior reflects upon an entire group of people. City council members who hold these beliefs may ignore the truth about the client population—that people experiencing poverty usually spend their money responsibly and that they genuinely need help accessing fresh and healthy food. In this way, confirmation bias often makes people less capable of empathizing with one another because they have difficulty accepting alternative perspectives.

Errors in reasoning

Because the human mind is prone to errors, when anyone makes a statement about what is true or what should be done in a given situation, errors in logic may abound. Think back to the case studies at the beginning of this section. You most likely had some ideas about what to do in each case. Below are some of the most common logical fallacies and the ways in which they may negatively influence a social worker:

Making hasty generalization : when a person draws conclusions before having enough information. A social worker may apply lessons from a handful of clients to an entire population of people (see Louis Cuff , above). It is important to examine the scientific literature in order to avoid this.
Confusing correlation with causation : when one concludes that because two things are correlated (as one changes, the other changes), they must be causally related. As an example, a social worker might observe both an increase in the minimum wage and higher unemployment in certain areas of the city. However, just because two things changed at the same time does not mean they are causally related. Social workers should explore other factors that might impact causality.
Going down a slippery slope : when a person concludes that we should not do something because something far worse will happen if we do so. For example, a social worker may seek to increase a client’s opportunity to choose their own activities, but face opposition from those who believe it will lead to clients making unreasonable demands. Clearly, this is nonsense. Changes that foster self-determination are unlikely to result in client revolt. Social workers should be skeptical of arguments opposing small changes because one argues that radical changes are inevitable.
Appealing to authority : when a person draws a conclusion by appealing to the authority of an expert or reputable individual, rather than through the strength of the claim. You have likely encountered individuals who believe they are correct because another in a position of authority told them so. Instead, we should work to build a reflective and critical approach to practice that questions authority.
Hopping on the bandwagon : when a person draws a conclusion consistent with popular belief. Just because something is popular does not mean it is correct. Fashionable ideas come and go. Social workers should engage with trendy ideas but must ground their work in scientific evidence rather than popular opinion.
Using a straw man : when a person does not represent their opponent’s position fairly or with sufficient depth. For example, a social worker advocating for a new group home may depict homeowners that are opposed to clients living in their neighborhood as individuals concerned only with their property values. However, this may not be the case. Social workers should instead engage deeply with all sides of an issue and represent them accurately.

Key Takeaways

Social work research occurs at the micro-, meso-, and macro-level.
Intuition is a powerful, though limited, source of information when making decisions.
All human thought is subject to errors in thinking and reasoning.
Scientific inquiry accounts for cognitive biases by applying an organized, logical way of observing and theorizing about the world.
Think about a social work topic you might want to study this semester as part of a research project. How do individuals commit specific errors in logic or reasoning when discussing a specific topic (e.g. Louis Cuff)? How can using scientific evidence help you combat popular myths that are based on erroneous thinking?
Reflect on the strengths and limitations of your personal experiences as a way to guide your work with diverse populations. Describe an instance when your intuition may have resulted in biased or misguided thinking or behavior in a social work practice situation.

1.2 The scientific method

Learning objectives.

Define science and social science
Describe the differences between objective and subjective truth(s)
Identify how qualitative and quantitative data are analyzed differently and how they can be used together
Delineate the features of science that distinguish it from pseudoscience

If I asked you to draw a picture of science, what would you draw? My guess is it would be something from a chemistry or biology classroom, like a microscope or a beaker. Maybe something from a science fiction movie. All social workers use scientific thinking in their practice. However, social workers have a unique understanding of what science means, one that is (not surprisingly) more open to the unexpected and human side of the social world.

Science and not-science

In social work, science is a way of ‘knowing’ that attempts to systematically collect and categorize facts or truths. A key word here is systematically –conducting science is a deliberate process. Scientists gather information about facts in a way that is organized and intentional, and usually follows a set of predetermined steps. Social work is not a science, but social work is informed by social science ; the science of humanity, social interactions, and social structures. In other words, social work research uses organized and intentional procedures to uncover facts or truths about the social world. And social workers rely on social scientific research to promote change.

Science can also be thought of in terms of its impostor, pseudoscience. Pseudoscience refers to beliefs about the social world that are unsupported by scientific evidence. These claims are often presented as though they are based on science. But once researchers test them scientifically, they are demonstrated to be false. A scientifically uninformed social work practitioner using pseudoscience may recommend any number of ineffective, misguided, or harmful interventions. Pseudoscience often relies on information and scholarship that has not been reviewed by experts or offers a selective and biased reading of reviewed literature.

An example of pseudoscience comes from anti-vaccination activists. Despite overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism, a very vocal minority of people continue to believe that they do. Anti-vaccination advocates present their information as based in science, as seen here at Green Med Info . The author of this website shares real abstracts from scientific journal articles and studies but will only provide information on articles that show the potential dangers of vaccines, without showing any research that prevents the positive and safe side of vaccines. Green Med Info is an example of confirmation bias, as all data presented on the website supports what the pseudo-scientific researcher believes to be true. For more information on assessing causal relationships, consult Chapter 6 , where we discuss causality in detail.

The values and practices associated with the scientific method work to overcome common errors in thinking (such as confirmation bias). First, the scientific method uses established techniques from the literature to determine the likelihood of something being true or false. The research process often cites these techniques, reasons for their use, and how researchers came to the decision to use said techniques. However, each technique comes with its own strengths and limitations. Rigorous science is about making the best choice, being open about your process, and allowing others to check your work. It is important to remember that there is no “perfect” study – all research has limitations because all scientific methods come with limitations.

Skepticism and debate

Unfortunately, the “perfect” researcher does not exist. Scientists are human, so they are subject to error and bias, such as gravitating toward fashionable ideas and thinking their work is more important than others’ work. Theories and concepts fade in and out of use and may be tossed aside when new evidence challenges their truth. Part of the challenge in your research projects will be finding what you believe about an issue, rather than summarizing what others think about the topic. Good science, just like good social work practice, is authentic. When I see students present their research projects, those that are the strongest deliver both passionate and informed arguments about their topic area.

Good science is also open to ongoing questioning. Scientists are fundamentally skeptical. As such, they are likely to pursue alternative explanations. They might question the design of a study or replicate it to see if it works in another context. Scientists debate what is true until they arrive at a majority consensus. If you’ve ever heard that 97% of climate scientists agree that global warming is due to human activity [3] or that 99% of economists agree that tariffs make the economy worse [4] , you are seeing this sociology of science in action. This skepticism will help to catch situations in which scientists who make the oh-so-human mistakes in thinking and reasoning reviewed in Section 1.1.

Skepticism also helps to identify unethical scientists, as with Andrew Wakefield’s study linking the MMR vaccination and autism. When other researchers looked at his data, they found that he had altered the data to match his own conclusions and sought to benefit financially from the ensuing panic about vaccination (Godlee, Smith, & Marcovitch, 2011). [5] This highlights another key value in science: openness.

Through the use of publications and presentations, scientists share the methods used to gather and analyze data. The trend towards open science has also prompted researchers to share data as well. This in turn enables other researchers to re-run, replicate, and validate analyses and results. A major barrier to openness in science is the paywall. When you’ve searched online for a journal article (we will review search techniques in Chapter 3), you have likely run into the $25-$50 price tag. Don’t despair – your university should subscribe to these journals. However, the push towards openness in science means that more researchers are sharing their work in open access journals, which are free for people to access (like this textbook!). These open access journals do not require a university subscription to view.

Openness also means engaging the broader public about your study. Social work researchers conduct studies to help people, and part of scientific work is making sure your study has an impact. For example, it is likely that many of the authors publishing in scientific journals are on Twitter or other social media platforms, relaying the importance of study findings. They may create content for popular media, including newspapers, websites, blogs, or podcasts. It may lead to training for agency workers or public administrators. Regrettably, academic researchers have a reputation for being aloof and disengaged from the public conversation. However, this reputation is slowly changing with the trend towards public scholarship and engagement. For example, see this recent section of the Journal of the Society of Social Work and Research on public impact scholarship .

Science supported by empirical data

Pseudoscience is often doctored up to look like science, but the surety with which its advocates speak is not backed up by empirical data. Empirical data refers to information about the social world gathered and analyzed through scientific observation or experimentation. Theory is also an important part of science, as we will discuss in Chapter 5 . However, theories must be supported by empirical data–evidence that what we think is true really exists in the world.

There are two types of empirical data that social workers should become familiar with. Quantitative data refers to numbers and qualitative data usually refers to word data (like a transcript of an interview) but can also refer to pictures, performances, and other means of expressing oneself. Researchers use specific methods designed to analyze each type of data. Together, these are known as research methods , or the methods researchers use to examine empirical data.

Objective truth

In our vaccine example, scientists have conducted many studies tracking children who were vaccinated to look for future diagnoses of autism (see Taylor et al. 2014 for a review). This is an example of using quantitative data to determine whether there is a causal relationship between vaccination and autism. By examining the number of people who develop autism after vaccinations and controlling for all of the other possible causes, researchers can determine the likelihood of whether vaccinations cause changes in the brain that are eventually diagnosed as autism.

In this case, the use of quantitative data is a good fit for disproving myths about the dangers of vaccination. When researchers analyze quantitative data, they are trying to establish an objective truth. An objective truth is always true, regardless of context. Generally speaking, researchers seeking to establish objective truth tend to use quantitative data because they believe numbers don’t lie. If repeated statistical analyses don’t show a relationship between two variables, like vaccines and autism, that relationship almost certainly does not exist. By boiling everything down to numbers, we can minimize the biases and logical errors that human researchers bring to the scientific process. That said, the interpretation of those numbers is always up for debate. That process can be subjective.

This approach to finding truth probably sounds similar to something you heard in your middle school science classes. When you learned about gravitational force or the mitochondria of a cell, you were learning about the theories and observations that make up our understanding of the physical world. We assume that gravity is real and that the mitochondria of a cell are real. Mitochondria are easy to spot with a powerful microscope and we can observe and theorize about their function in a cell. The gravitational force is invisible, but clearly apparent from observable facts, such as watching an apple fall. If we were unable to perceive mitochondria or gravity, they would still be there, doing their thing, because they exist independent of our observation of them.

Let’s consider a social work example. Scientific research has established that children who are subjected to severely traumatic experiences are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder (e.g., Mahoney, Karatzias, & Hutton, 2019). [6] A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is considered objective, and may refer to a mental health issue that exists independent of the individual observing it and is highly similar in its presentation across clients. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, 2017) [7] identifies a group of criteria which is based on unbiased, neutral client observations. These criteria are based in research, and render an objective diagnosis more likely to be valid and reliable. Through the clinician’s observations and the client’s description of their symptoms, an objective determination of a mental health diagnosis can be made.

Subjective truth(s)

For those of you skeptics, you may ask yourself: but does a diagnosis tell a client’s whole story? No. It does not tell you what the client thinks and feels about their diagnosis, for example. Receiving a diagnosis of PTSD may be a relief for a client. The diagnosis may suggest the words to describe their experiences. In addition, this diagnosis may provide a direction for therapeutic work, as there are evidence-based interventions clinicians can use with each diagnosis. On the other hand, a client may feel shame and view the diagnosis as a label, defining them in a negative way and limiting their potential (Barsky, 2015). [8]

Imagine if we surveyed people with PTSD to see how they interpreted their diagnosis. Objectively, we could determine whether more people said the diagnosis was, overall, a positive or negative event for them. However, it is unlikely that the experience of receiving a diagnosis was either completely positive or completely negative. In social work, we know that a client’s thoughts and emotions are rarely binary, either/or situations. Clients likely feel a mix of positive and negative thoughts and emotions during the diagnostic process. These messy bits are subjective truths , or the thoughts and feelings that arise as people interpret and make meaning of situations. Uniquely, looking for subjective truths can help us see the contradictory and multi-faceted nature of people’s thoughts, and qualitative data allows us to avoid oversimplifying them into negative and positive feelings that could be counted, as in quantitative data. It is the role of a researcher, just like a practitioner, to seek to understand things from the perspective of the client. Unlike with objective truth, this will not lead to a general sense of what is true for everyone, but rather what is true for that one person.

Subjective truths are best expressed through qualitative data, or through the use of words (not numbers). For example, we might invite a client to tell us how they felt after they were first diagnosed, after they spoke with family, and over the course of the therapeutic process. While it may look different from what we normally think of as science (e.g. pharmaceutical studies), these stories are indeed a rich source of data for scientific analysis. However, it is impossible to analyze what this client said without also considering the sociocultural context in which they live. For example, the concept of PTSD is generated from Western thought and philosophy. How might people from other cultures understand trauma differently?

In the DSM-5 classification of mental health disorders, there is a list of culture-bound syndromes which appear only in certain cultures. For example, susto describes a unique cluster of symptoms experienced by Latin Americans after a traumatic event (Nogueira, Mari, & Razzouk, 2015). [9] Susto involves more physical symptoms than a traditional PTSD diagnosis. Indeed, many of these syndromes do not fit within a Western conceptualization of mental health because they differentiate less between the mind and body. To a Western scientist, susto may seem less real than PTSD. To someone from Latin America, their symptoms may not fit neatly into the PTSD framework developed in Western nations . Science has historically privileged knowledge from the United States and other nations in the West and Global North , marking them as objectively true. The objectivity of Western science as universally applicable to all cultures has been increasingly called into question as science has become less dominated by white males, and interaction between cultures and groups becomes broadly more democratic. Clearly, what is true depends in part on the context in which it is observed.

In this way, social scientists have a unique task. People are both objects and subjects. Objectively, you could quantify how tall a person is, what car they drive, how many adverse childhood experiences they had, or their score on a PTSD checklist. Subjectively, you could understand how a person made sense of a traumatic incident or how it contributed to certain patterns in thinking, negative feelings, or opportunities for growth, for example. It is this added dimension that renders social science unique to natural science, which focuses almost exclusively on quantitative data and objective truth. For this reason, this book is divided between projects using qualitative data and quantitative data.

There is no “better” or “more true” way of approaching social science. Instead, the methods a researcher chooses should match the question they ask. If you want to answer, “do vaccines cause autism?” you should choose methods appropriate to answer that question. It seeks an objective truth–one that is true for everyone, regardless of context. Studies like these use quantitative data and statistical analyses to test mathematical relationships between variables. If, on the other hand, you wanted to know “what does a diagnosis of PTSD mean to clients?” you should collect qualitative data and seek subjective truths. You will gather stories and experiences from clients and interpret them in a way that best represents their unique and shared truths. Where there is consensus, you will report that. Where there is contradiction, you will report that as well.

Mixed methods

In this textbook, we will treat quantitative and qualitative research methods separately. However, it is important to remember that a project can include both approaches. A mixed methods study, which we will discuss more in chapter 6, requires thinking through a more complicated project that includes at least one quantitative component, one qualitative component, and a plan to incorporate both approaches together. As a result, mixed methods projects may require more time for conceptualization, data collection, and analysis.

Finding patterns

Regardless of whether you are seeking objective or subjective truths, research and scientific inquiry aim to find and explain patterns. Most of the time, a pattern will not explain every single person’s experience, a fact about social science that is both fascinating and frustrating. Even individuals who do not know each other can create patterns that persist over time. Those new to social science may find these patterns frustrating because they may believe that the patterns describing their sex, age, or some other facet of their lives don’t represent their experience. It’s true. A pattern can exist among your cohort without your individual participation in it. There is diversity within diversity.

Let’s consider some specific examples. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a person’s social class background has an impact on their educational attainment and achievement. You may be surprised to learn that people select romantic partners that have similar educational attainment, which in turn, impacts their children’s educational attainment (Eika, Mogstad, & Zafar, 2019). [10] . People who have graduated college pair off with other college graduates, as so forth. This, in turn, reinforces existing inequalities, stratifying society by those who have the opportunity to complete college and those who don’t.

People who object to these findings tend to cite evidence from their own personal experience. However, the problem with this response is that objecting to a social pattern on the grounds that it doesn’t match one’s individual experience misses the point about patterns. Patterns don’t perfectly predict what will happen to an individual person. Yet, they are a reasonable guide that, when systematically observed, can help guide social work thought and action. When we don’t investigate these patterns scientifically, we are subject to developing stereotypes, biases, and other harmful beliefs.

A final note on qualitative and quantitative methods

There is not one superior way to find patterns that help us understand the world. As we will learn about in Chapter 5 , there are multiple philosophical, theoretical, and methodological ways to approach scientific truth. Qualitative methods aim to provide an in-depth understanding of a relatively small number of cases. They also provide a voice for the client. Quantitative methods offer less depth on each case but can say more about broad patterns because they typically focus on a much larger number of cases. A researcher should approach the process of scientific inquiry by formulating a clear research question and using the methodological tools best suited to that question.

Believe it or not, there are still significant methodological battles being waged in the academic literature on objective vs. subjective social science. Usually, quantitative methods are viewed as “more scientific” and qualitative methods are viewed as “less scientific.” Part of this battle is historical. As the social sciences developed, they were compared with the natural sciences, especially physics, which rely on mathematics and statistics to come to a truth. It is a hotly debated topic whether social science should adopt the philosophical assumptions of the natural sciences—with its emphasis on prediction, mathematics, and objectivity—or use a different set of tools—contextual understanding, language, and subjectivity—to find scientific truth.

You are fortunate to be in a profession that values multiple scientific ways of knowing. The qualitative/quantitative debate is fueled by researchers who may prefer one approach over another, either because their own research questions are better suited to one particular approach or because they happened to have been trained in one specific method. In this textbook, we’ll operate from the perspective that qualitative and quantitative methods are complementary rather than competing. While these two methodological approaches certainly differ, the main point is that they simply have different goals, strengths, and weaknesses. A social work researcher should select the method(s) that best match(es) the question they are asking.

Social work is informed by science.
Social science is concerned with both objective and subjective knowledge.
Social science research aims to understand patterns in the social world.
Social scientists use both qualitative and quantitative methods, which, while different, are often complementary.

Examine a pseudoscientific claim you’ve heard on the news or in conversation with others. Why do you consider it to be pseudoscientific? What empirical data can you find from a quick internet search that would demonstrate it lacks truth?

Consider a topic you might want to study this semester as part of a research project. Provide a few examples of objective and subjective truths about the topic, even if you aren’t completely certain they are correct. Identify how objective and subjective truths differ.

1.3 Evidence-based practice

Explain how social workers produce and consume research as part of practice
Review the process of evidence-based practice and how social workers apply research knowledge with clients and groups

“Why am I in this class?”

“When will I ever use this information?”

While students aren’t always so direct, I would wager a guess that these questions are on the mind of almost every student in a research methods class. And they are valid and important questions to ask! While it may seem strange, the answer is that you will probably use these skills often. Social workers engage with research on a daily basis by consuming it through popular media, social work education, and advanced training. They also often contribute to research projects, adding new scientific information to what we know. As professors, we also sometimes hear from field supervisors who say that research competencies are unimportant in their setting. One might wonder how these organizations measure program outcomes, report the impact of their program to board members or funding agencies, or create new interventions grounded in social theory and empirical evidence.

Social workers as research consumers

Whether you know it or not, your life is impacted by research every day. Many of our laws, social policies, and court proceedings are grounded in some degree of empirical research and evidence (Jenkins & Kroll-Smith, 1996). [11] That’s not to say that all laws and social policies are good or make sense. But you can’t have an informed opinion about any of them without understanding where they come from, how they were formed, and what their evidence base is. In order to be effective practitioners across micro, meso, and macro domains, social workers need to understand the root causes and policy solutions to social problems their clients are experiencing.

A recent lawsuit against Walmart provides an example of social science research in action. A sociologist named Professor William Bielby was enlisted by plaintiffs to conduct an analysis of Walmart’s personnel policies in order to support their claim that Walmart engages in gender discriminatory practices. Bielby’s analysis shows that Walmart’s compensation and promotion decisions may indeed have been vulnerable to gender bias. In June 2011, the United States Supreme Court decided against allowing the case to proceed as a class-action lawsuit ( Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes , 2011). [12] While a class-action suit was not pursued in this case, consider the impact that such a suit against one of our nation’s largest employers could have had on companies, their employees, and even consumers around the country. [13]

A social worker might learn about this lawsuit through popular media, news media websites or television programs. Social science knowledge allows a social worker to apply a critical eye towards new information, regardless of the source. Unfortunately, popular media does not always report on scientific findings accurately. A social worker armed with scientific knowledge would be able to search for, read, and interpret the original study as well as other information that might challenge or support the study. As social work graduate students, you should be comfortable in your information literacy abilities, and your advocacy and practice should be grounded in these skills. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of this textbook focus on information literacy , or how to understand what we already know about a topic and contribute to that body of knowledge.

When social workers consume research, they are usually doing so to inform their practice. Clinical social workers are required by a state licensing board to complete continuing education classes in order to remain informed on the latest information in their field. On the macro side, social workers at public policy think tanks consume information to inform advocacy and public awareness campaigns. Regardless of the role of the social worker, practice must be informed by research.

Evidence-based practice

Consuming research is the first component of evidence-based practice (EBP). Drisko and Grady (2015) [14] present EBP as a process composed of “four equally weighted parts: 1) current client needs and situation, (2) the best relevant research evidence, (3) client values and preferences, and (4) the clinician’s expertise” (p. 275). It is not simply “doing what the literature says,” but is rather a process by which practitioners examine the literature, client, self, and context to inform interventions with clients and systems (McNeese & Thyer, 2004). [15] It is a collaboration between social worker, client, and context. As we discussed in Section 1.2, the patterns discovered by scientific research are not applicable to all situations. Instead, we rely on our critical thinking skills to apply scientific knowledge to real-world situations.

The bedrock of EBP is a proper assessment of the client or client system. Once we have a solid understanding of what the issue is, we can evaluate the literature to determine whether there are any interventions that have been shown to treat the issue, and if so, which have been shown to be the most effective. You will learn those skills in the next few chapters. Once we know what our options are, we should be upfront with clients about each option, what the interventions look like, and what the expected outcome will be. Once we have client feedback, we use our expertise and practice wisdom to make an informed decision about how to move forward.

If this sounds familiar, it’s the same approach a doctor, physical therapist, or other health professional would use. This highlights a common critique of EBP: it is too focused on micro-level, clinical social work practice. Not every social worker is a clinical social worker. While there is a large body of literature on EBP for clinical practice, the same concepts apply to other social work roles as well. A social work manager should endeavor to be familiar with evidence-based management styles, and a social work policy advocate should argue for evidence-based policies.

In agency-based social work practice, EBP can take on a different role due to the complexities of the grant funding process. Funders naturally require agencies to demonstrate that their practice is effective. Agencies are almost always required to document that they are achieving the outcomes they intended. However, funders sometimes require agencies to choose from a limited list of interventions determined to be evidence-based practices. Not included in this model are clinical expertise and client values, which are key components of EBP and the therapeutic process. According to some funders, EBP is not a process conducted by a practitioner but instead consists of a list of interventions. Similar dynamics are at play in private clinical practice, in which insurance companies may specify the modality of therapy offered. For example, insurance companies may favor short-term, solution-focused therapy which minimizes cost. But what happens when someone has an idea for a new kind of intervention? How do new approaches get “on the list” of EBPs of grant funders?

Social workers as research producers

Innovation in social work is incredibly important. Social workers work on wicked problems for their careers. For those of you who have practice experience, you may have had an idea of how to better approach a practice situation. That is another reason you are here in a research methods class. You (really!) will have bright ideas about what to do in practice. Sam Tsemberis relates an “ Aha! ” moment from his practice in this Ted talk on homelessness . While a faculty member at the New York University School of Medicine, he noticed a problem with people cycling in and out of the local psychiatric hospital wards. Clients would arrive in psychiatric crisis, stabilize under medical supervision in the hospital, and end up back at the hospital in psychiatric crisis shortly after discharge.

When he asked the clients what their issues were, they said they were unable to participate in homelessness programs because they were not always compliant with medication for their mental health diagnosis and they continued to use drugs and alcohol. The housing supports offered by the city government required abstinence and medication compliance before one was deemed “ready” for housing. For these clients, the problem was a homelessness service system that was unable to meet clients where they were–ready for housing, but not ready for abstinence and psychiatric medication. As a result, chronically homeless clients were cycling in and out of psychiatric crises, moving back and forth from the hospital to the street.

The solution that Sam Tsemberis implemented and popularized is called Housing First , and is an approach to homelessness prevention that starts by, you guessed it, providing people with housing first and foremost. Tsemberis’s model addresses chronic homelessness in people with co-occurring disorders (those who have a diagnosis of a substance use and mental health disorder). The Housing First model states that housing is a human right: clients should not be denied their right to housing based on substance use or mental health diagnoses.

In Housing First programs, clients are provided housing as soon as possible. The Housing First agency provides wraparound treatment from an interdisciplinary team, including social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, and former clients who are in recovery. Over the past few decades, this program has gone from a single program in New York City to the program of choice for federal, state, and local governments seeking to address homelessness in their communities.

The main idea behind Housing First is that once clients have a residence of their own, they are better able to engage in mental health and substance use treatment. While this approach may seem logical to you, it is the opposite of the traditional homelessness treatment model. The traditional approach began with the client abstaining from drug and alcohol use and taking prescribed medication. Only after clients achieved these goals were they offered group housing. If the client remained sober and medication compliant, they could then graduate towards less restrictive individual housing.

Conducting and disseminating research allows practitioners to establish an evidence base for their innovation or intervention, and to argue that it is more effective than the alternatives, and should therefore be implemented more broadly. For example, by comparing clients who were served through Housing First with those receiving traditional services, Tsemberis could establish that Housing First was more effective at keeping people housed and at addressing mental health and substance use goals. Starting first with smaller studies and graduating to larger ones, Housing First built a reputation as an effective approach to addressing homelessness. When President Bush created the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness in 2003, Housing First was used in a majority of the interventions and its effectiveness was demonstrated on a national scale. In 2007, it was acknowledged as an evidence-based practice in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) EBP resource center. [16]

We suggest browsing around the SAMHSA EBP Resource Center and looking for interventions on topics that interest you. Other sources of evidence-based practices include the Cochrane Reviews digital library and Campbell Collaboration . In the next few chapters, we will talk more about how to search for and locate literature about clinical interventions. The use of systematic reviews , meta-analyses , and randomized controlled trials are particularly important in this regard, types of research we will describe more in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

So why share the story of Housing First? Well, we want you to think about what you hope to contribute to our knowledge of social work practice. What is your bright idea and how can it change the world? Practitioners innovate all the time, often incorporating those innovations into their agency’s approach and mission. Using scientific research methods, agency-based social workers can demonstrate to policymakers and other social workers that their innovations should be more widely used. Without this wellspring of new ideas, social services would not be able to adapt to the changing needs of their communities. Social workers in agency-based practice may also participate in research projects taking place at their agency. Partnerships between schools of social work and agencies are a common way of testing and implementing innovations in social work. In such a case, all parties receive an advantage: clinicians receive specialized training, clients receive additional services, agencies gain prestige, and researchers can illustrate the effectiveness of an intervention.

Evidence-based practice highlights the unique perspective that social work brings to research. Social work both “holds” and critiques evidence. With regard to the former, “holding” evidence refers to the fact that the field of social work values scientific information. The Housing First example demonstrates how this interplay between valuing and critiquing science works–first by critiquing existing research and conducting research to establish a new approach to a problem. It also demonstrates the importance of listening to your target population and privileging their understanding and perception of the issue. While their understanding is not the result of scientific inquiry, it is deeply informed through years of direct experience with the issue and embedded within the relevant cultural and historical context. Although science often searches for the “one true answer,” social work researchers must remain humble about the degree to which we can really know, and must begin to engage with other ways of knowing that may originate from clients and communities.

See the video below for an example of how “one true answer” about a population can often oversimplify things and overstate how much we know about how to intervene in a given situation.

Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices – Part 1 of 4 by Vivian Chavez is adapted under a Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b…

While you may not become a scientist in the sense of wearing a lab coat and using a microscope, social workers must understand science in order to engage in ethical practice. In this section, we reviewed ways in which research is a part of social work practice, including:

Determining the best intervention for a client or system
Ensuring existing services are accomplishing their goals
Satisfying requirements to receive funding from private agencies and government grants
Testing a new idea and demonstrating that it should be more widely implemented

Using a social work practice situation that you have experienced, walk through the four steps of the evidence-based practice process and how they informed your decision-making. Reflect on some of the difficulties applying EBP in the real world.

Talk with a social worker about how he or she produces and consumes research as part of practice. Consider asking them about articles that changed their practice or helped them think about a problem in a new way. They may talk more about a training or a book, rather than academic journal articles. Reflect on your personal career goals and how research will fit into your future practice.

1.4 Social work research

Differentiate between formal and informal research roles
Describe common barriers to engaging with social work research
Identify alternative ways of thinking about research methods

Formal and informal research roles

I’ve been teaching research methods for six years and have found that many students struggle to see the connection between research and social work practice. First of all, it’s important to mention that social work researchers exist! The authors of this textbook are social work researchers across university, government, and non-profit institutions. Matt and Cory are researchers at universities, focusing on disability policy, wellness & mental health, and intimate partner violence. Dalia is a behavioral health researcher at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, where she studies the opioid epidemic. Kate is a researcher at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission in Virginia, where she studies policies related to criminal justice. The career path for social workers in formal research roles is bright and diverse, as we each bring a unique perspective with our ethical and theoretical orientation.

Formal research results in written products like journal articles, government reports, or policy briefs. To get a sense of formal research roles in social work, consider asking a professor about their research. You can also browse around the top journals in social work: Trauma, Violence & Abuse , Child Maltreatment , Child Abuse & Neglect , Social Service Review , Family Relations , Journal of Social Policy , Social Policy & Administration , Research on Social Work Practice , Health & Social Care in the Community , Health & Social Work , British Journal of Social Work , Child & Family Social Work , International Journal of Social Welfare , Qualitative Social Work , Children & Youth Services Review , Social Work , Social Work in Health Care , Journal of Social Work Practice , International Social Work , Affilia Journal of Women and Social Work , and Clinical Social Work Journal . Additionally, the websites to most government agencies, foundations, think tanks, and advocacy groups contain formal research often conducted by social workers.

But let’s be clear, studies show that most social work students are not interested in becoming social work researchers who publish journal articles or research reports (DeCarlo et al., 2019; Earley, 2014). [17] Once you enter post-graduate practice, you will need to apply your formal research skills to the informal research conducted by practitioners and agencies every day. Every time you are asking who, what, when, where and why, you are conducting informal research. Informal research can be more involved. Social workers may be surprised when they are asked to engage in research projects such as needs assessments, community scans, program and policy evaluations, and single system designs, to name a few. Macro-oriented students may have to conduct research on programs and policies as part of advocacy or administration. I cannot tell you the number former students who have contacted me looking for research resources or wanting to “pick my brain” about research they are doing as part of their employment.

Research for action

Regardless of whether a social worker conducts formal research that results in journal articles or informal research that is used within an agency, all social work research is distinctive in that it is active (Engel & Schutt, 2016). [18] We want our results to be used to effect social change. Sometimes this means using findings to change how clients receive services. Sometimes it means using findings to show the benefits of programs or policies. Sometimes it means using findings to speak with those oppressed and marginalized persons who have been left out of the policy creation process. Additionally, it can mean using research as the mode with which to engage a constituency to address a social justice issue. All of these research activities differ; however, the one consistent ingredient is that these activities move us towards social and economic justice.

Student anxieties and beliefs about research

Unfortunately, students generally arrive in research methods classes with a mixture of dread, fear, and frustration. If you attend any given social work education conference, there is probably a presentation on how to better engage students in research. There is an entire body of academic research that verifies what any research professor knows to be true. Honestly, this is why the authors of this textbook started this project. We want to make research more enjoyable and engaging for students. Generally, we have found some common myths and misconceptions get in the way of student success in research. Let’s see if any of these match with what you are thinking.

I’m never going to use this crap!

Students who tell me that research methods is not useful to them are saying something important. As a student scholar, your most valuable asset is your time. You give your time to the subjects you consider important to you and for your career. Because most social workers don’t become researchers or practitioner-researchers, students may feel that a research methods class is a waste of time. Our discussion of evidence-based practice and the ways in which social workers use research in practice brought home the idea that social workers play an important role in creating and disseminating new knowledge about social services.

On a more immediate level, learning about research methods and completing an individual research project allow students to focus in on a specific topic. This class is an invitation to conduct an independent study on a social work topic of interest to you. In this book, you will learn how to understand and apply the scientific method to that topic. Not only that, but the skills you learn in literature search and review will help you in every class in your MSW program.

Research is only for super-smart people

Research methods involves a lot of terminology that may be entirely new to social work students. Other domains of social work, such as practice, are easier to apply your intuition towards. You understand how to be an empathetic person, and your experiences in life can help guide you through a practice situation or even a theoretical or conceptual question. Research may seem like a totally new area in which you have no previous experience. In research methods there can be “wrong” answers. Depending on your research question, some approaches to data analysis or measurement, for example, may not help you find the correct answer.

The fear is entirely understandable. Research is not straightforward. As Figure 1.1 shows, it is a process that is non-linear, involving multiple revisions, wrong turns, and dead ends before you figure out the best question and research approach. You may have to go back to chapters after having read them or even peek ahead at chapters your class hasn’t covered yet.

Research is more of a squiggle than a straight line, so jump around the book as you need to

Moreover, research is something you learn by doing…and stumbling a few times. It’s an iterative process, or one that requires many tries to get right. There isn’t a shortcut for learning research, but if you follow along with the exercises in this book, you can break down a student research project and accomplish it piece by piece. No one just knows research. It’s something you pick up by doing it, reflecting on the experiences and results, redoing your work, and revising it in consultation with your professor and peers. Research involves exploration, risk taking, and a willingness to say, “Let’s see what we will find!”

Research is designed to suck the joy from my life

We’ve talked already about the arcane research terminology, so I won’t go into it again here. But students sometimes perceive research methods as boring. Practice knowledge and even theory are fun to learn because they are easy to apply and provide insights into the world around you. Research just seems like its own weirdly shaped and ill-fitting puzzle piece.

I completely understand where this perspective comes from and hope there are a few things you will take away from this course that aren’t boring to you. In the first section of this textbook, you will learn how to take any topic and learn what is known about it. It may seem trivial, but this is actually a superpower. Your social work education will teach you basic knowledge that can be applied to nearly all social work practice situations as well as some applied material applicable to specific social work practice situations. However, no education will provide you with everything you need to know. And certainly, no professor can tell you what will be discovered over the next few decades of your practice. Our work on literature reviews in the next few chapters will help you increase your skills and knowledge to become a strong social work student and practitioner. Following that, our exploration of research methods will help you understand how theories, practice models, and techniques you learn in other classes are created and tested scientifically. Like a colorful puzzle, you’ll see how all of the pieces fit together.

Get out of your own way

Together, these misconceptions and myths can create a self-fulfilling prophecy for students. If you believe research is boring, you won’t find it interesting. If you believe research is hard, you will struggle more with assignments. If you believe research is useless, you won’t see its utility. If you’re afraid that you will make mistakes, then you won’t want to try. While we certainly acknowledge that students aren’t going to love research as much as we do (we spent over a year writing this book, so we like it a lot!), we suggest reframing how you think about research using the following touchstones:

All social workers rely on social science research to engage in competent practice.
No one already knows research. It’s something I’ll learn through practice. And it’s challenging for everyone, not just me.
Research is relevant to me because it allows me to figure out what is known about any topic I want to study.
If the topic I choose to study is important to me, I will be more interested in exploring research to help me understand it further.

Students should be intentional about managing any anxiety coming from a research project. Here are some suggestions:

Talk to your professor if you are feeling lost. We like students!
Talk to a librarian if you are having trouble finding information about your topic.
Seek support from your peers or mentors.

The structure of this textbook

The textbook is divided into five parts. In the first part (Chapters 1-4), we will review how to orient your research proposal to a specific question you want to answer and review the literature to see what we know about it. Student research projects come with special limitations, as you don’t have many resources, so our chapters are designed to help you think through those limitations and think of a project that is doable. In the second part (Chapters 5-8), we will bring in theory, causality, ethics to help you conceptualize your research project and what you hope to achieve. By the end of the second part, you will create a quantitative and qualitative research question. Parts 3 and 4 will walk you through how to conduct quantitative and qualitative research, respectively. These parts run through how to recruit people to participate in your study, what to ask them, and how to interpret the results of what they say. Finally, the last part of the textbook reviews how to connect research and practice. For some, that will mean completing program evaluations as part of agency-based practice. For others, it will mean consuming research as part of continuing education as a practitioner. We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed writing it!

If you are still figuring out how to navigate the book using your internet browser, consider watching our tutorial [LINK NEEDED]. Also, the exercises in each chapter offer you an opportunity to apply what you wrote to your own research project, so consider completing these as you read.

Social workers engage in formal and informal research production as part of practice.
If you feel anxious, bored, or overwhelmed by research, you are not alone!
Becoming more familiar with research methods will help you become a better scholar and social work practitioner.
With your peers, explore your feelings towards your research methods classes. Describe some themes that come up during your conversations. Identify which issues can be addressed by your professor and which can be addressed by students.
Browse social work journals and identify an article of interest to you. Look up the author’s biography or curriculum vitae on their personal website or the website of their university.
Cheung, J. C. S. (2016). Researching practice wisdom in social work. Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice , 25 (3), 24-38. ↵
For more on the CSWE accreditation standards see https://www.cswe.org/CSWE/media/AccredidationPDFs/2015-epas-and-glossary_1.pdf and the EPAS index in this book. ↵
See: https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/17/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/ ↵
See: http://www.igmchicago.org/surveys/import-duties ↵
Godlee F. , Smith J. , & Marcovitch H . (2011) Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent. British medical journal, 342 , 64-66. ↵
Mahoney, A., Karatzias, T., & Hutton, P. (2019). A systematic review and meta-analysis of group treatments for adults with symptoms associated with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of affective disorders , 243 , 305-321. ↵
American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) . Washington, DC ↵
Barsky, A. (2015). DSM-5 and the ethics of diagnosis. New social worker . Retrieved from: https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/dsm-5-and-ethics-of-diagnosis/ ↵
Nogueira, B. L., Mari, J. D. J., & Razzouk, D. (2015). Culture-bound syndromes in Spanish speaking Latin America: the case of Nervios, Susto and Ataques de Nervios. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 42( 6), 171-178. ↵
Eika, L., Mogstad, M., & Zafar, B. (2019). Educational assortative mating and household income inequality. Journal of Political Economy, 127 (6), 2795-2835. ↵
Jenkins, P. J., & Kroll-Smith, S. (Eds.). (1996). Witnessing for sociology: Sociologists in court . Westport, CT: Praeger. ↵
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes , 564 U.S. (2011). The American Sociological Association (ASA) subsequently filed an amicus brief in support of what would be the class of individuals claiming gender discrimination. You can read the brief at http://asanet.org/images/press/docs/pdf/Amicus_Brief_Wal-Mart_v Dukes_et_al.pdf. For other recent amicus briefs filed by the ASA, see http://asanet.org/about/amicus_briefs.cfm . ↵
Want to know more about the suit against Walmart or about Bielby’s analysis for the case? Check out the following source: Hart, M., & Secunda, P. M. (2009). A matter of context: Social framework evidence in employment discrimination class actions. Fordham Law Review , 78 , 37-70. (2009). A matter of context: Social framework evidence in employment discrimination class action. Fordham Law Review, 78 , 37–70. Retrieved from: http://www.fordhamlawreview.org/assets/pdfs/Vol_78/Hart_Secunda_October_2009.pdf ↵
Drisko, J. W., & Grady, M. D. (2015). Evidence-based practice in social work: A contemporary perspective. Clinical Social Work Journal , 43 (3), 274-282. ↵
McNeece, C. A., & Thyer, B. A. (2004). Evidence-based practice and social work. Journal of evidence-based social work , 1 (1), 7-25. ↵
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2007). Pathways' housing first program . Retrieved from:https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources/hpr-resources/housing-first-supports-recovery ↵
DeCarlo, M. P., Schoppelrey, S., Crenshaw, C., Secret, M. C., & Stewart, M. (2020, January 1). Open educational resources and graduate social work students: Cost, outcomes, use, and perceptions. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/k4ytd; Earley, M. A. (2014). A synthesis of the literature on research methods education. Teaching in Higher Education, 19 (3), 242-253. ↵
Engel, R. J. & Schutt, R. K. (2016) The practice of research in social work (4th edition) . Washington, DC: Sage Publications ↵

examining the smallest levels of interaction, usually individuals

examining interaction between groups and within communities

examining social structures and institutions

a “gut feeling” about what to do based on previous experience

“learning by doing” that guides social work intervention and increases over time

predictable flaws in thinking

observing and analyzing information in a way that agrees with what you already think is true and excludes other alternatives

a way of knowing that attempts to systematically collect and categorize facts or truths

the science of humanity, social interactions, and social structures

claims about the world that appear scientific but are incompatible with the values and practices of science

information about the social world gathered and analyzed through scientific observation or experimentation

numerical data

data derived from analysis of texts. Usually, this is word data (like a conversation or journal entry) but can also include performances, pictures, and other means of expressing ideas.

the methods researchers use to examine empirical data

a single truth, observed without bias, that is universally applicable

one truth among many, bound within a social and cultural context

a process composed of "four equally weighted parts: 1) current client needs and situation, (2) the best relevant research evidence, (3) client values and preferences, and (4) the clinician’s expertise" (Drisko & Grady, 2015, p. 275)

a study that combines raw data from multiple quantitative studies and analyzes the pooled data using statistics

Graduate research methods in social work Copyright © 2020 by Matthew DeCarlo, Cory Cummings, Kate Agnelli is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions

The search for empirical evidence typically begins with a question or hypothesis. The nature of the questions asked determine many features of the studies that lead to answers: the study approach, design, measurement, participant selection, data collection, data analysis, and reporting of results. Not just any type of question will do, however:

“When the question is poorly formulated, the design, analysis, sample size calculations, and presentation of results may not be optimal. The gap between research and clinical practice could be bridged by a clear, complete, and informative research question” (Mayo, Asano, & Barbic, 2013, 513).

The topic concerning the nature of social work research questions has two parts: what constitutes a research question, and what makes it a social work question. We begin this chapter by examining a general model for understanding where different types of questions fit into the larger picture of knowledge building explored in Module 1. We then look at research questions and social work questions separately. Finally, we reassemble them to identify strong social work research questions.

In this chapter, you will learn:

4 types of social work research for knowledge building,
characteristics of research questions,
characteristics of social work research questions.

Translational Science

The concept of translational science addresses the application of basic science discoveries and knowledge to routine professional practice. In medicine, the concept is sometimes described as “bench to trench,” meaning that it takes what is learned at the laboratory “bench” to practitioners’ work in the real-world, or “in the trenches.” This way of thinking is about applied science—research aimed at eventual applications to create or support change. Figure 1-1 assembles the various pieces of the translational science knowledge building enterprise:

Figure 1-1. Overview of translational science elements

Basic Research . Federal policy defines basic research as systematic study that is directed toward understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific applications in mind (adapted from 32 CFR 272.3). Basic research efforts are those designed to describe something or answer questions about its nature. Basic research in social and behavioral science addresses questions of at least two major types: epidemiology and etiology questions.

Epidemiology questions. Questions about the nature of a population, problem, or social phenomenon are often answered through epidemiological methods. Epidemiology is the branch of science (common in public health) for understanding how a problem or phenomenon is distributed in a population. Epidemiologists also ask and address questions related to the nature of relationships between problems or phenomena—such as the relationship between opioid misuse and infectious disease epidemics (NAS, 2018). One feature offered by epidemiological research is a picture of trends over time. Consider, for example, epidemiology data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) regarding trends in suicide rates in the state of Ohio over a four-year period (see Figure 1-2, created from data presented by CDC WONDER database).

Figure 1-2. Graph reflecting Ohio trend in suicide rate, 2012-2016

Since the upward trend is of concern, social workers might pursue additional questions to examine possible causes of the observed increases, as well as what the increase might mean to the expanded need for supportive services to families and friends of these individuals. The epidemiological data can help tease out some of these more nuanced answers. For example, epidemiology also tells us that firearms were the recorded cause in 46.9% of known suicide deaths among individuals aged 15-24 years across the nation during 2016 (CDC, WONDER database). Not only do we now know the numbers of suicide deaths in this age group, we know something about a relevant factor that might be addressed through preventive intervention and policy responses.

Epidemiology also addresses questions about the size and characteristics of a population being impacted by a problem or the scope of a problem. For example, a social worker might have a question about the “shape” of a problem defined as sexual violence victimization. Data from the United States’ 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) indicated that over 36% of woman (1 in 3) and 17% of men (1 in 6) have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact at some point in their lives; the numbers vary by state, from 29.5% to 47.5% for women and 10.4% to 29.3% for men (Smith et al., 2017).

In developing informed responses to a problem, it helps to know for whom it is a problem. Practitioners, program administrators, and policy decision makers may not be aware that the problem of sexual violence is so prevalent, or that men are victimized at worrisome rates, as well as women. It is also helpful to know how the problem of interest might interface with other problems. For example, the interface between perpetrating sexual assault and alcohol use was examined in a study of college men (Testa & Cleveland, 2017). The study investigators determined that frequently attending parties and bars was associated with a greater probability of perpetrating sexual assault. Thus, epidemiological research helps answer questions about the scope and magnitude of a problem, as well as how it relates to other issues or factors, which can then inform next steps in research to address the problem.

Etiology questions. Etiology research tests theories and hypotheses about the origins and natural course of a problem or phenomenon. This includes answering questions about factors that influence the appearance or course of a problem—these may be factors that mediate or moderate the phenomenon’s development or progression (e.g., demographic characteristics, co-occurring problems, or other environmental processes). To continue with our intimate partner violence example, multiple theories are presented in the literature concerning the etiology of intimate partner violence perpetration—theories also exist concerning the etiology of being the target of intimate partner violence (Begun, 2003). Perpetration theories include:

personality/character traits
biological/hereditary/genetic predisposition
social learning/behavior modeling
social skills
self-esteem
cultural norms (Begun, 2003, p. 642).

Evidence supporting each of these theories exists, to some degree; each theory leads to the development of a different type of prevention or intervention response. The “best” interventions will be informed by theories with the strongest evidence or will integrate elements from multiple evidence-supported theories.

Etiology research is often about understanding the mechanisms underlying the phenomena of interest. The questions are “how” questions—how does this happen (or not)? For example, scientists asked the question: how do opioid medications (used to manage pain) act on neurons compared to opioids that naturally occur in the brain (Stoeber et al., 2018)? They discovered that opioid medications used to treat pain bind to receptors inside n erve cells, which is a quite different mechanism than the conventional wisdom that they behave the same way that naturally occurring (endogenous) opioids do—binding only on the surface of nerve cells. Understanding this mechanism opens new options for developing pain relievers that are less- or non-addicting than current opioid medicines like morphine and oxycodone. Once these mechanisms of change are understood, interventions can be developed, then tested through intervention research approaches.

Intervention Research. Interventions are designed around identified needs: epidemiology research helps to support intervention design by identify the needs. Epidemiology research also helps identify theories concerning the causes and factors affecting social work problems. Intervention development is further supported by later theory-testing and etiology research. However, developing an intervention is not sufficient: interventions need to be tested and evaluated to ensure that they are (1) safe, (2) effective, and (3) cost-efficient to deliver. This is where intervention research comes into play. Consider the example of Motivational Interviewing (MI) approaches to addressing client ambivalence about engaging in a behavior change effort. Early research concerning MI addressed questions about its effectiveness. For example, a meta-analytic review reported that “MI should be considered as a treatment for adolescent substance abuse” because the evidence demonstrated small, but significant effect sizes, and that the treatment gains were retained over time (Jensen et al., 2011). Subsequently, when its safety and effectiveness were consistently demonstrated through this kind of evidence, investigators assessed MI as cost-efficient or cost-effective. For example, MI combined with providing feedback was demonstrated to be cost-effective in reducing drinking among college students who engaged in heavy drinking behavior (Cowell et al., 2012).

Intervention research not only is concerned with the outcomes of delivering an intervention, but may also address the mechanisms of change through which an intervention has its effects—not only what changes happen, but how they happen. For example, investigators are exploring how psychotherapy works, moving beyond demonstrating that it works (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011; Kazdin, 2007; Wampold, 2015). One mechanism that has garnered attention is the role of therapeutic alliance—the relationships, bonds, and interactions that occur in the context of treatment—on treatment outcomes.

Therapeutic alliance is one common factor identified across numerous types of effective psychotherapeutic approaches (Wampold, 2015). Authors summarizing a number of studies about therapeutic alliance and its positive relationship to treatment outcomes concluded that the quality of therapeutic alliance may be a more powerful predictor of positive outcome than is the nature or type of intervention delivered (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011). However, it is important to determine the extent to which (a) therapeutic alliance enhances clients’ symptom improvement, (b) gradual improvements in symptoms lead to enhanced therapeutic alliance, or (c) the relationship between therapeutic alliance and symptom improvement are iterative—they go back and forth, influencing each other over time (Kazdin, 2007).

Implementation Science . Social work and other disciplines have produced a great deal of evidence about “what works” for intervening around a great number of social work problems. Unfortunately, many best practices with this kind of evidence support are slow to become common practices. Implementation science is about understanding facilitators and barriers to these evidence-supported interventions becoming adopted into routine practice: characteristics of the interventions themselves, conditions and processes operating in the organizations where interventions are implemented, and factors external to these organizations all influence practitioners’ adoption of evidence supported interventions.

Even under optimal internal organizational conditions, implementation can be undermined by changes in organizations’ external environments, such as fluctuations in funding, adjustments in contracting practices, new technology, new legislation, changes in clinical practice guidelines and recommendations, or other environmental shifts” (Birken, et al, 2017).

Research for/about Research . In addition, social work investigators engage in research that is specifically about scientific methodology. This is where advances in measurement, participant recruitment and retention, and data analysis emerge. The results of these kinds of research studies are used to improve the research in basic, intervention, and implementation research. Later in the course you will see some of these products in action as we learn about best practices in research and evaluation methodology. Here are a few examples related to measurement methods:

Concept mapping to assess community needs of sexual minority youth (Davis, Saltzburg, & Locke, 2010)
Field methodologies for measuring college student drinking in natural environments (Clapp et al., 2007)
Intergenerational contact measurement (Jarrott, Weaver, Bowen, & Wang, 2018)
Perceived Social Competence Scale-II (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2016)
Safe-At-Home Instrument to measure readiness to change intimate partner violence behavior (Begun et al., 2003; 2008; Sielski, Begun, & Hamel, 2015)
Teamwork Scale for Youth (Lower, Newman, & Anderson-Butcher, 2016)

And, here are a few examples related to involving participants in research studies:

Conducting safe research with at risk populations (Kyriakakis, Waller, Kagotho, & Edmond, 2015)
Recruitment strategies for non-treatment samples in addiction studies (Subbaraman et al., 2015)
Variations in recruitment results across Internet platforms (Shao et al., 2015)

Take a moment to complete the following activity.

Research Questions

In this section, we take a closer look at research questions and their relationship to the types of research conducted by investigators. It may be easier to understand research questions by first ruling out what are not research questions. In that spirit, let’s begin with examples of questions where applying research methods will not help to find answers:

Trauma informed education. The first issue with this example is obvious: it is not worded as a question. The second is critically important: this is a general topic, it is not a research question. This topic is too vague and broad making it impossible to determine what answers would look like or how to approach finding answers.
How is my client feeling about what just happened? This type of question about an individual is best answered by asking clinical questions of that individual, within the context of the therapeutic relationship, not by consulting research literature or conducting a systematic research study.
Will my community come together in protest of a police-involved shooting incident? This type of question may best be answered by waiting to see what the future brings. Research might offer a guess based on data from how other communities behaved in the past but cannot predict how groups in individual situations will behave. A better research question might be: What factors predict community protest in response to police-involved shooting incidents?
Should I order salad or soup to go with my sandwich? This type of question is not of general interest, making it a poor choice as a research question. The question might be reframed as a general interest question: Is it healthier to provide salad or soup along with a sandwich? The answer to that researchable question might inform a personal decision.
Why divorce is bad for children. There are two problems with this example. First, it is a statement, not a question, despite starting with the word “why.” Second, this question starts out with a biased assumption—that divorce is bad for children. Research questions should support unbiased investigation, leading to evidence and answers representative of what exists rather than what someone sets out wanting to prove is the case. A better research question might be: How does divorce affect children?

Tuning back to our first example of what is not a research question, consider several possible school social work research questions related to that general topic:

To what extent do elementary school personnel feel prepared to engage in trauma informed education with their students?
What are the barriers and facilitators of integrating trauma informed education in middle school?
Does integrating trauma informed education result in lower rates of suicidal ideation among high school students?

Is there a relationship between parent satisfaction and the implementation of trauma informed education in their children’s schools?

Does implementing trauma informed education in middle schools affect the rate of student discipline referrals?

What is the difference between these research questions and the earlier “not research” questions? First, research questions are specific. This is an important distinction between identifying a topic of interest (e.g., trauma informed education) and asking a researchable question. For example, the question “How does divorce affect children?” is not a good research question because it remains too broad. Instead, investigators might focus their research questions on one or two specific effects of interest, such as emotional or mental health, academic performance, sibling relationships, aggression, gender role, or dating relationship outcomes.

Image of a family with a tear seperating a father from a mother with children

Related to a question being “researchable” is its feasibility for study. Being able to research a question requires that appropriate data can be collected with integrity. For example, it may not be feasible to study what would happen if every child was raised by two parents, because (a) it is impossible to study every child and (2) this reality cannot ethically be manipulated to systematically explore it. No one can ethically conduct a study whereby children are randomly assigned by study investigators to the compared conditions of being raised by two parents versus being raised by one or no parents. Instead, we settle for observing what has occurred naturally in different families.

Second, “good” research questions are relevant to knowledge building. For this reason, the question about what to eat was not a good research question—it is not relevant to others’ knowledge development. Relevance is in the “eye of the beholder,” however. A social work researcher may not see the relevance of using a 4-item stimulus array versus a 6-item stimulus array in testing children’s memory, but this may be an important research question for a cognitive psychology researcher. It may, eventually, have implications for assessment measures used in social work practice.

Third, is the issue of bias built into research questions. Remembering that investigators are a product of their own developmental and social contexts, what they choose to study and how they choose to study it are socially constructed. An important aspect at the heart of social work research relates to a question’s cultural appropriateness and acceptability. To demonstrate this point, consider an era (during the 1950s to early 1970s) when research questions were asked about the negative effects on child development of single-parent, black family households compared to two-parent, white family households in America. This “majority comparison” frame of reference is not culturally appropriate or culturally competent. Today, in social work, we adopt a strengths perspective, and avoid making comparisons of groups against a majority model. For example, we might ask questions like: What are the facilitators and barriers of children’s positive development as identified by single parents of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds? What strengths do African American parents bring to the experience of single-parenting and how does it shape their children’s development? What are the similar and different experiences of single-parenting experienced by families of different racial/ethnic composition?

Research Questions versus Research Hypotheses . You have now seen examples of “good” research questions. Take, for example, the last one we listed about trauma informed education:

Based on a review of literature, practice experience, previous research efforts, and the school’s interests, an investigator may be prepared to be even more specific about the research question (see Figure 1-3). Assume that these sources led the investigator to believe that implementing the trauma informed education approach will have the effect of reducing the rate of disciplinary referrals. The investigator may then propose to test the following hypothesis:

Implementing trauma informed education in middle schools will result in a reduction in the number of student discipline referrals.

The research hypothesis is a clear statement that can be tested with quantitative data and will either be rejected or not, depending on the evidence. Research hypotheses are predictions about study results—what the investigator expects the results will show. The prediction, or hypothesis, is based on theory and/or other evidence. A study hypothesis is, by definition, quantifiable—the answer lies in numerical data, which is why we do not generally see hypotheses in qualitative, descriptive research reports.

Hypotheses are also specific to one question at a time. Thus, an investigator would need to state and test a second hypothesis to answer the question:

The stated hypothesis might be:

Parent satisfaction is higher in middle schools where trauma informed education is implemented.

Figure 1-3. Increasing specificity from research topic to question to hypothesis

Social Work Questions

It is difficult to find a simple way to characterize social work research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) described social work research in the following way:

Historically, social work research has focused on studies of the individual, family, group, community, policy and/or organizational level, focusing across the lifespan on prevention, intervention, treatment, aftercare and rehabilitation of acute and chronic conditions, including the effects of policy on social work practice (OBSSR, 2003, p. 5) .

For all the breadth expressed in this statement, it reflects only how social work research relates to the health arena—it does not indicate many other domains and service delivery systems of social work influence:

physical, mental, and behavioral health
substance misuse/addiction and other addictive behaviors
income/poverty
criminal justice
child and family welfare
housing and food security/insecurity
environmental social work
intimate partner, family, and community violence
and others.

In addition to breadth of topic, social work research is characterized by its biopsychosocial nature. This means that social work researchers not only pursue questions relating to biological, psychological, and social context factors, but also questions relating to their intersections and interactions. Related to this observation is that social work not only addresses questions related to the multiple social system levels, social work also addresses the ways multiple levels intersect and interact (i.e., those levels represented in the NIH statement about individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, and policy).

It is worth noting that research need not be conducted by social workers to be relevant to social work–many disciplines and professions contribute to the knowledge base which informs social work practice (medicine, nursing, education, occupational therapy, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, political science, economics, and more). Authors of one social work research textbook summarize the relevance issue in the following statement:

“To social workers, a relevant research question is one whose answers will have an impact on policies, theories, or practices related to the social work profession” (Grinnell & Unrau, 2014, p. 46).

Social Work Research Questions and Specific Aims

The kinds of questions that help inform social work practice and policy are relevant to understanding social work problems, diverse populations, social phenomena, or interventions. Most social work research questions can be divided into two general categories: background questions and foreground questions . The major distinction between these two categories relates to the specific aims that emerge in relation to the research questions.

Background Questions. This type of question is answerable with a fact or set of facts. Background questions are generally simple in structure, and they direct a straightforward search for evidence. This type of question can usually be formulated using the classic 5 question words: who, what, when, where, or why. Here are a few examples of social work background questions related to the topic of fetal alcohol exposure:

Who is at greatest risk of fetal alcohol exposure?
What are the developmental consequences of fetal alcohol exposure?
When in gestation is the risk of fetal alcohol exposure greatest?
Where do women get information about the hazards of drinking during pregnancy?
Why is fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) presented as a spectrum disorder, different from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?

These kinds of questions direct a social worker to review literature about human development, human behavior, the distribution of the problem across populations, and factors that determine the nature of a specific social work problem like fetal exposure to alcohol. Where the necessary knowledge is lacking, investigators aim to explore or describe the phenomenon of interest. Many background questions can be answered by epidemiology or etiology evidence.

Image of glasses of wine on the left and an outline of a woman with a baby inside of her on the right

Foreground Questions. This type of question is more complex than the typical background question. Foreground questions typically are concerned with making specific choices by comparing or evaluating options. These types of questions required more specialized evidence and may lead to searching different types of resources than would be helpful for answering background questions. Foreground questions are dealt with in greater detail in our second course, SWK 3402 which is about understanding social work interventions. A quick foreground question example related to the fetal exposure to alcohol topic might be:

Which is the best tool for screening pregnant women for alcohol use with the aim of reducing fetal exposure, the T-ACE, TWEAK, or AUDIT?

This type of question leads the social worker to search for evidence that compares different approaches. These kinds of evidence are usually found in comparative reviews, or require the practitioner to conduct a review of literature, locating individual efficacy and effectiveness studies. Where knowledge is found to be lacking, investigators aim to experiment with different approaches or interventions.

Three Question Types and Their Associated Research Aims

Important distinctions exist related to different types of background questions. Consider three general categories of questions that social workers might ask about populations, problems, and social phenomena: exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory. The different types of questions matter because the nature of the research questions determines the specific aims and most appropriate research approaches investigators apply in answering them.

Exploratory Research Questions. Social workers may find themselves facing a new, emerging problem where there is little previously developed knowledge available—so little, in fact, that it is premature to begin asking any more complex questions about causes or developing testable theories. Exploratory research questions open the door to beginning understanding and are basic; answers would help build the foundation of knowledge for asking more complex descriptive and explanatory questions. For example, in the early days of recognition that HIV/AIDS was emerging as a significant public health problem, it was premature to jump to questions about how to treat or prevent the problem. Not enough was known about the nature and scope of the problem, for whom it was a problem, how the problem was transmitted, factors associated with risk for exposure, what factors influenced the transition from HIV exposure to AIDS as a disease state, and what issues or problems might co-occur along with either HIV exposure or AIDS. In terms of a knowledge evolution process, a certain degree of exploration had to occur before intervention strategies for prevention and treatment could be developed, tested, and implemented.

In 1981, medical providers, public health officials, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began to circulate and publish observations about a disproportionate, unexpectedly high incidence rate of an unusual pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma appearing in New York City and San Francisco/California among homosexual men (Curran, & Jaffe, 2011). As a result, a task force was formed and charged with conducting an epidemiologic investigation of this outbreak; “Within 6 months, it was clear that a new, highly concentrated epidemic of life threatening illness was occurring in the United States” (Curran & Jaffe, 2011, p. 65). The newly recognized disease was named for its symptoms: acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Exploratory research into the social networks of 90 living patients in 10 different cities indicated that 40 had a sexual contact link with another member of the 90-patient group (Auerbach, Darrow, Jaffe, & Curran, 1984). Additionally, cases were identified among persons who had received blood products related to their having hemophilia, persons engaged in needle sharing during substance use, women who had sexual contact with a patient, and infants born to exposed women. Combined, these pieces of information led to an understanding that the causal infectious factor (eventually named the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV) was transmitted by sexual contact, blood, and placental connection. This, in turn, led to knowledge building activities to develop both preventive and treatment strategies which could be implemented and studied. Social justice concerns relate to the slow rate at which sufficient resources were committed for evolving to the point of effective solutions for saving lives among those at risk or already affected by a heavily stigmatized problem.

The exploratory research approaches utilized in the early HIV/AIDS studies were both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Qualitative studies included in-depth interviews with identified patients—anthropological and public health interviews about many aspects of their living, work, and recreational environments, as well as many types of behavior. Quantitative studies included comparisons between homosexually active men with and without the diseases of concern. In addition, social network study methods combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. These examples of early exploratory research supported next steps in knowledge building to get us to where we are today. “Today, someone diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can live nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV” (hiv.gov). While HIV infection cannot (yet) be “cured,” it can be controlled and managed as a chronic condition.

Descriptive Research Questions. Social workers often ask for descriptions about specific populations, problems, processes, or phenomena. Descriptive research questions might be expressed in terms of searching to create a profile of a group or population, create categories or types (typology) to describe elements of a population, document facts that confirm or contradict existing beliefs about a topic or issue, describe a process, or identify steps/stages in a sequential process (Grinnell & Unrau, 2014). Investigators may elect to approach the descriptive question using qualitative methods that result in a rich, deep description of certain individuals’ experiences or perceptions (Yegidis, Weinbach, & Meyers, 2018). Or, the descriptive question might lead investigators to apply quantitative methods, assigning numeric values, measuring variables that describe a population, process, or situation of interest. In descriptive research, investigators do not manipulate or experiment with the variables; investigators seek to describe what naturally occurs (Yegidis, Weinbach, & Meyers, 2018). As a result of studies answering descriptive questions, tentative theories and hypotheses may be generated.

Here are several examples of descriptive questions.

How do incarcerated women feel about the option of medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders?
What barriers to engaging in substance misuse treatment do previously incarcerated persons experience during community reentry?
How often do emerging adults engage in binge drinking in different drinking contexts (e.g., bars, parties, sporting events, at home)?
What percent of incarcerated adults experience a substance use disorder?
What is the magnitude of racial/ethnic disparities in access to treatment for substance use disorders?
Who provides supervision or coordination of services for aging adults with intellectual or other developmental disabilities?
What is the nature of the debt load among students in doctoral social work programs?

Image of a prison cell from outside of the bars

An example of descriptive research, derived from a descriptive question, is represented in an article where investigators addressed the question: How is the topic of media violence and aggression reported in print media (Martins et al., 2013)? This question led the investigators to conduct a qualitative content analysis, resulting in a description showing a shift in tone where earlier articles (prior to 2000) emphasized the link as a point of concern and later articles (since 2000) assumed a more neutral stance.

Correlational Research Questions. One important type of descriptive question asks about relationships that might exist between variables—looking to see if variable x and variable y are associated or correlated with each other. This is an example of a correlational research question; it does not indicate whether “x” causes “y” or “y” causes “x”, only whether these two are related. Consider again the topic of exposure to violence in the media and its relationship to aggression. A descriptive question asked about the existence of a relationship between exposure to media violence ( variable x ) and children’s expression of aggression ( variable y ). Investigators reported one study of school-aged children, examining the relationship between exposure to three types of media violence (television, video games, and movies/videos) and three types of aggression (verbal, relational, and physical; Gentile, Coyne, & Walsh, 2011). The study investigators reported that media violence exposure was, indeed, correlated with all three types of aggressive behavior (and less prosocial behavior, too).

For a positive correlation (the blue line), as the value of the “x” variable increases, so does the value of the “y” variable (see Figure 1-4 for a general demonstration). An example might be as age or grade in school increases (“x”), so does the number of preadolescent, adolescent, and emerging adults who have used alcohol (“y”). For a negative correlation (the orange line), as the value of the “x” variable increases, the value of the “y” variable decreases. An example might be as the number of weeks individuals are in treatment for depression symptoms (“x”), the reported depression symptoms decreases (“y”). The neutral of non-correlation line (grey) means that the two variables, “x” and “y” do not have an association with each other. For example, number of years of teachers’ education (“x”) might be unrelated to the number of students dropping out of high school (“y”).

Figure 1-4. Depicting positive, negative, and neutral correlation lines

Descriptive correlational studies are sometimes called comparison studies because the descriptive question is answered by comparing groups that differ on one of the variables (low versus high media violence exposure) to see how they might differ on the other variable (aggressive behavior).

Explanatory Research Questions. To inform the design of evidence-informed interventions, social workers need answers to questions about the nature of the relationships between potentially influential factors or variables. An explanatory research question might be mapped as: Does variable x cause, lead to or prevent changes in variable y (Grinnell & Unrau, 2014)? These types of questions often test theory related to etiology.

Comparative research might provide information about a relationship between variables. For example, the difference in outcomes between persons experiencing a substance use disorder and have been incarcerated compared to others with the same problem but have not been incarcerated may be related to their employability and ability to generate a living-wage income for themselves and their families. However, to develop evidence-informed interventions, social workers need to know that variables are not only related, but that one variable actually plays a causal role in relation to the other. Imagine, for example, that evidence demonstrated a significant relationship between adolescent self-esteem and school performance. Social workers might spend a great deal of effort developing interventions to boost self-esteem in hopes of having a positive impact on school performance. However, what if self-esteem comes from strong school performance? The self-esteem intervention efforts will not likely have the desired effect on school performance. Just because research demonstrates a significant relationship between two variables does not mean that the research has demonstrated a causal relationship between those variables. Investigators need to be cautious about the extent to which their study designs can support drawing conclusions about causality; anyone reviewing research reports also needs to be alert to where causal conclusions are properly and improperly drawn.

Person at desk with stack of books and papers

The questions that drive intervention and evaluation research studies are explanatory in nature: does the intervention ( x ) have a significant impact on outcomes of interest ( y )? Another type of explanatory question related to intervention research concerns the mechanisms of change. In other words, not only might social workers be interested to find out what outcomes or changes can be attributed to an intervention, they may also be interested to learn how the intervention causes those changes or outcomes.

$Cartoon of confusing math with man pointing at center that says "Then a Miracle Occurs" and caption below stating "I think you should be more explicit here in step two"$

Chapter Summary

In this chapter, you learned about different aspects of the knowledge building process and where different types of research questions might fit into the big picture. No single research study covers the entire spectrum; each study contributes a piece of the puzzle as a whole. Research questions come in many different forms and several different types. What is important to recall as we move through the remainder of the course is that the decisions investigators make about research approaches, designs, and procedures all start with the nature of the question being asked. And, the questions being asked are influenced by multiple factors, including what is previously known and remains unknown, the culture and context of the questioners, and what theories they have about what is to be studied. That leads us to the next chapter.

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Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

(9 reviews)

Matthew DeCarlo, Radford University

ISBN 13: 9781975033729

Publisher: Open Social Work Education

Language: English

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Reviewed by Shannon Blajeski, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 3/10/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book provides an introduction to research and inquiry in social work with an applied focus geared for the MSW student. The text covers 16 chapters, including several dedicated to understanding how to begin the research process, a chapter on ethics, and then eight chapters dedicated to research methods. The subchapters (1-5 per chapter) are concise and focused while also being tied to current knowledge and events so as to hold the reader's attention. It is comprehensive, but some of the later chapters covering research methods as well as the final chapter seem a bit scant and could be expanded. The glossary at the end of each chapter is helpful as is the index that is always accessible from the left-hand drop-down menu.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The author pulls in relevant current and recent public events to illustrate important points about social research throughout the book. Each sub-chapter reads as accurate. I did not come across any inaccuracies in the text, however I would recommend a change in the title of Chapter 15 as "real world research" certainly encompasses more than program evaluation, single-subject designs, and action research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Another major strength of this book is that it adds currency to engage the reader while also maintaining its relevance to research methods. None of the current events/recent events that are described seem dated nor will they fade from relevance in a number of years. In addition, the concise nature of the modules should make them easy to update when needed to maintain relevancy in future editions.

Clarity rating: 5

Clarity is a major strength of this textbook. As described in the interface section, this book is written to be clear and concise, without unnecessary extra text that detracts from the concise content provided in each chapter. Any lengthy excerpts are also very engaging which lends itself to a clear presentation of content for the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

The text and content seems to be presented consistently throughout the book. Terminology and frameworks are balanced with real-world examples and current events.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters of this textbook are appropriately spaced and easily digestible, particularly for readers with time constraints. Each chapter contains 3-5 sub-chapters that build upon each other in a scaffolding style. This makes it simple for the instructor to assign each chapter (sometimes two) per weekly session as well as add in additional assigned readings to complement the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The overall organization of the chapters flow well. The book begins with a typical introduction to research aimed at social work practitioners or new students in social work. It then moves into a set of chapters on beginning a research project, reviewing literature, and asking research questions, followed by a chapter on ethics. Next, the text transitions to three chapters covering constructs, measurement, and sampling, followed by five chapters covering research methods, and a closing chapter on dissemination of research. This is one of the more logically-organized research methods texts that I have used as an instructor.

Interface rating: 5

The modular chapters are easy to navigate and the interface of each chapter follows a standard presentation style with the reading followed by a short vocabulary glossary and references. This presentation lends itself to a familiarity for students that helps them become more efficient with completing reading assignments, even in short bursts of time. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may juggle their assignment time with family and work obligations.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

At first glance at the table of contents, the book doesn't seem to be overtly committed to cultural representation, however, upon reading the chapters, it becomes clear that the author does try to represent and reference marginalized groups (e.g., women, individuals with disabilities, racial/ethnic/gender intersectionality) within the examples used. I also am very appreciative that the bottom of each introduction page for each chapter contains content trigger warnings for any possible topics that could be upsetting, e.g., substance abuse, violence.

As the author likely knows, social work students are eager to engage in learning that is current and relevant to their social causes. This book is written in a way that engages a non-researcher social worker into reading about research by weaving research information into topics that they might find compelling. It also does this in a concise way where short bits of pertinent information are presented, making the text accessible without needing to sustain long periods of attention. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may need to sit with their readings in short bursts due to attending school while juggling work and family obligations.

Reviewed by Lynn Goerdt, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 9/17/21

Text appears to be comprehensive in covering steps for typical SWK research class, taking students from the introduction of the purpose and importance of research to how to design and analyze research. Author covers the multitude of ways that social workers engage in research as way of building knowledge and ways that social work practitioners conduct research to evaluate their practice, including outcome evaluation, single subject design, and action research. I particularly appreciated the last section on reporting research, which should be very practical.

Overall, content appears mostly accurate which few errors. Definitions and citations are mostly thorough and clear. Author does cite Wikipedia in at least one occasion which could be credible, depending on the source of the Wikipedia content. There were a few references within the text to comic or stories but the referenced material was not always apparent.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content of Scientific Inquiry for Social Work is relevant, as the field of social work research methods does not appear to change quickly, although there are innovations. The author referenced examples which appear to be recent and likely relatable to interests of current students. Primary area of innovation is in using technology for the collection and analysis of data, which could be expanded, particularly using social media for soliciting research participants.

Style is personable and content appears to be accessible, which is a unique attribute for a research textbook. Author uses first person in many instances, particularly in the beginning to present the content as relatable.

Format appears to be consistent in format and relative length. Each chapter includes learning objectives, content advisory (if applicable), key takeaways and glossary. Author uses color and text boxes to draw attention to these sections.

Modularity rating: 4

Text is divided into modules which could easily be assigned and reviewed in a class. The text modules could also be re-structured if desired to fit curricular uniqueness’s. Author uses images to illuminate the concepts of the module or chapter, but they often take about 1/3 of the page, which extends the size of the textbook quite a bit. Unclear if benefit of images outweighs additional cost if PDF version is printed.

Textbook is organized in a very logical and clear fashion. Each section appears to be approximately 6-10 pages in length which seems to be an optimal length for student attention and comprehension.

Interface rating: 4

There were some distortions of the text (size and visibility) but they were a fairly minor distraction and did not appear to reduce access to the content. Otherwise text was easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

No grammatical errors were noted but hyperlinks to outside content were referenced but not always visible which occasionally resulted in an awkward read. Specific link may be in resources section of each chapter but occasionally they were also included in the text.

I did not recognize any text which was culturally insensitive or offensive. Images used which depicted people, appeared to represent diverse experiences, cultures, settings and persons. Did notice image depicting homelessness appeared to be stereotypical person sleeping on sidewalk, which can perpetuate a common perception of homelessness. Would encourage author to consider images representing a wider range of experiences of a social phenomena. Content advisories are used for each section, which is not necessarily cultural relevance but is respectful and recognizes the diversity of experiences and triggers that the readers may have.

Overall, I was very impressed and encouraged with the well organized content and thoughtful flow of this important textbook for social work students and instructors. The length and readability of each chapter would likely be appreciated by instructors as well as students, increasing the extent that the learning outcomes would be achieved. Teaching research is very challenging because the content and application can feel very intimidating. The author also has provided access to supplemental resources such as presentations and assignments.

Reviewed by elaine gatewood, Adjunct Faculty, Bridgewater State University on 6/15/21

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with examples. read more

Content Accuracy rating: 5

From my perspective, content is highly accurate in the field of learning research method and unbiased. It's all there!

The content is highly relevant and up-to-date in the field. The book is written and arranged in a way that its easy to follow along with adding updates.

The book is written in clear and concise. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used along with examples which readers are able to follow along and understand.

The contents of the book flow quite well. The framework in the book is consistent.

The text appears easily adaptable for readers and the author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation tools for readers to use and implement.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The contents of the book flow very well. Readers would be able to put into practice the key reading strategies shared in the book ) because its organization is laid out nicely

Interface rating: 3

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. This may present issues for some student readers.

There are no grammatical errors.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from sexamples of intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses for students to consider in their practice.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW/MSW research course.

Reviewed by Taylor Hall, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/30/20

This text is more comprehensive than the text I currently use in my Research Methods in Social Work course, which students have to pay for. This text not only covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, but also all parts of the research process from thinking about research ideas to questions all the way to evaluation after social work programs/policies have been employed.

Not much to say here- with research methods, things are black and white; it is or isn't. This content is accurate. I also like to way the content is explained in light of social work values and ethics. This is something our students can struggle with, and this is helpful in terms of showing why social work needs to pay attention to research.

There are upcoming changes to CSWE's competencies, therefore lots of text materials are going to need to be updated soon. Otherwise, case examples are pertinent and timely.

Clarity rating: 4

I think that research methods for social workers is a difficult field of study. Many go into the field to be clinicians, and few understand (off the bat) the importance of understanding methods of research. I think this textbook makes it clear to me, but hard to rate a 5 as I know from a student's perspective, lots of the terminology is so new.

Appears to be so- I was able to follow, seems consistent.

Yes- and I think this is a strong point of this text. This was easy to follow and read, and I could see myself easily divvying up different sections for students to work on in groups.

Yes- makes sense to me and the way I teach this course. I like the 30,000 ft view then honing in on specific types of research, all along the way explaining the different pieces of the research process and in writing a research paper.

I sometimes struggle with online platforms versus in person texts to read, and this OER is visually appealing- there is not too much text on the pages, it is spaced in a way that makes it easier to read. Colors are used well to highlight pertinent information.

Not something I found in this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

This is a place where I feel the text could use some work. A nod to past wrongdoings in research methods on oppressed groups, and more of a discussion on social work's role in social justice with an eye towards righting the wrongs of the past. Updated language re: person first language, more diverse examples, etc.

This is a very useful text, and I am going to recommend my department check it out for future use, especially as many of our students are first gen and working class and would love to save money on textbooks where possible.

Reviewed by Olubunmi Oyewuwo-Gassikia, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 5/5/20

This text is an appropriate and comprehensive introduction to research methods for BSW students. It guides the reader through each stage of the research project, including identifying a research question, conducting and writing a literature review, research ethics, theory, research design, methodology, sampling, and dissemination. The author explains complex concepts - such as paradigms, epistemology, and ontology - in clear, simple terms and through the use of practical, social work examples for the reader. I especially appreciated the balanced attention to quantitative and qualitative methods, including the explanation of data collection and basic analysis techniques for both. The text could benefit from the inclusion of an explanation of research design notations.

The text is accurate and unbiased. Additionally, the author effectively incorporates referenced sources, including sources one can use for further learning.

The content is relevant and timely. The author incorporates real, recent research examples that reflects the applicability of research at each level of social practice (micro, meso, and macro) throughout the text. The text will benefit from regular updates in research examples.

The text is written in a clear, approachable manner. The chapters are a reasonable length without sacrificing appropriate depth into the subject manner.

The text is consistent throughout. The author is effective in reintroducing previously explained terms from previous chapters.

The text appears easily adaptable. The instructions provided by the author on how to adapt the text for one's course are helpful to one who would like to use the text but not in its entirety. The author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation but will likely require tailoring based on the teaching style of the instructor.

Generally, the text flows well. However, chapter 5 (Ethics) should come earlier, preferably before chapter 3 (Reviewing & Evaluating the Literature). It is important that students understand research ethics as ethical concerns are an important aspect of evaluating the quality of research studies. Chapter 15 (Real-World Research) should also come earlier in the text, most suitably before or after chapter 7 (Design and Causality).

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. The setup of the .pdf is difficult to navigate, especially if one wants to jump from chapter to chapter. This may present issues for the student reader.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from more critical research examples, such as examples of research studies that incorporate intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW level research course.

Reviewed by Smita Dewan, Assistant Professor, New York City College of Technology, Department of Human Services on 12/6/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a very good introductory research methodology textbook for undergraduate students of social work or human services. For students who might be intimidated by social research, the text provides assurance that by learning basic concepts of research methodology, students will be better scholars and social work or human service practitioners. The content and flow of the text book supports a basic assignment of most research methodology courses which is to develop a research proposal or a research project. Each stage of research is explained well with many examples from social work practice that has the potential to keep the student engaged.

The glossary at the end of each chapter is very comprehensive but does not include the page number/s where the content is located. The glossary at the end of the book also lacks page numbers which might make it cumbersome for students seeking a quick reference.

The content is accurate and unbiased. Suggested exercises and prompts for students to engage in critical thinking and to identify biases in research that informs practice may help students understand the complexities of social research.

Content is up-to-date and concepts of research methodology presented is unlikely to be obsolete in the coming years. However, recent trends in research such as data mining, using algorithms for social policy and practice implications, privacy concerns, role of social media are topics that could be considered for inclusion in the forthcoming editions.

Content is presented very clearly for undergraduate students. Key takeaways and glossary for each section of the chapter is very useful for students.

Presentation of content, format and organization is consistent throughout the book.

Subsections within each chapter is very helpful for the students who might be assigned readings just in parts for the class.

Students would benefit from reading about research ethics right after the introductory chapter. I would also move Chapter 8 to right after the literature review which might inform creating and refining the research question. Content on evaluation research could also be moved up to follow the chapter on experimental designs. Regardless of the organization, the course instructors can assign chapters according to the course requirements.

PDF version of the book is very easy to use especially as students can save a copy on their computers and do not have to be online. Charts and tables are well presented but some of the images/photographs do not necessarily serve to enhance learning. Image attributions could be provided at the end of the chapter instead of being listed under the glossary. Students might also find it useful to be able to highlight the content and make annotations. This requires that students sign-in. Students should be able to highlight and annotate a downloaded version through Adobe Reader.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Content is not insensitive or offensive in any way. Supporting examples in chapters are very diverse. Students would benefit from some examples of international research (both positive and negative examples) of protection of human subjects.

Reviewed by Jill Hoffman, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 10/29/19

This text includes 16 chapters that cover content related to the process of conducting research. From identifying a topic and reviewing the literature, to formulating a question, designing a study, and disseminating findings, the text includes research basics that most other introductory social work research texts include. Content on ethics, theory, and to a lesser extent evaluation, single-subject design, and action research are also included. There is a glossary at the end of the text that includes information on the location of the terms. There is a practice behaviors index, but not an index in the traditional sense. If using the text electronically, search functions make it easy to find necessary information despite not having an index. If using a printed version, this would be more difficult. The text includes examples to illustrate concepts that are relevant to settings in which social workers might work. As most other introductory social work research texts, this book appears to come from a mainly positivist view. I would have appreciated more of a discussion related to power, privilege, and oppression and the role these play in the research topics that get studied and who benefits, along with anti-oppressive research. Related to evaluations, a quick mention of logic models would be helpful.

The information appears to be accurate and error free. The language in the text seems to emphasize "right/wrong" choices/decisions instead of highlighting the complexities of research and practice. Using gender-neutral pronouns would also make the language more inclusive.

Content appears to be up-to-date and relevant. Any updating would be straightforward to carry out. I found at least one link that did not work (e.g., NREPP) so if you use this text it will be important to check and make sure things are updated.

The content is clearly written, using examples to illustrate various concepts. I appreciated prompts for questions throughout each chapter in order to engage students in the content. Key terms are bolded, which helps to easily identify important points.

Information is presented in a consistent manner throughout the text.

Each chapter is divided into subsections that help with readability. It is easy to pick and choose various pieces of the text for your course if you're not using the entire thing.

There are many ways you can organize a social work research text. Personally, I prefer to talk about ethics and theory early on, so that students have this as a framework as they read about other's studies and design their own. In the case of this text, I'd put those two chapters right after chapter 1. As others have suggested, I'd also move up the content on research questions, perhaps after chapter 4.

In the online version, no significant interface issues arose. The only thing that would be helpful is to have chapter titles clearly presented when navigating through the text in the online version. For example, when you click through to a new chapter, the title simply says "6.0 Chapter introduction." In order to see the chapter title you have to click into the contents tab. Not a huge issue but could help with navigating the online version. In the pdf version, the links in the table of contents allowed me to navigate through to various sections. I did notice that some of the external links were not complete (e.g., on page 290, the URL is linked as "http://baby-").

Cultural representation in the text is similar to many other introductory social work research texts. There's more of an emphasis on white, western, cis-gendered individuals, particularly in the images. In examples, it appeared that only male/female pronouns were used.

Reviewed by Monica Roth Day, Associate Professor, Social Work, Metropolitan State University (Saint Paul, Minnesota) on 12/26/18

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, then developing research as producers of knowledge. It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with appropriate examples. More specific social work links would be helpful as students learn more about the field and the uses of research.

The book is accurate and communicates information and largely without bias. Numerous examples are provided from varied sources, which are then used to discuss potential for bias in research. The addition of critical race theory concepts would add to this discussion, to ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness.

The book is highly relevant. It provides historical and current examples of research which communicate concepts using accessible language that is current to social work. The text is written so that updates should be easy. Links need to be updated on a regular basis.

The book is accessible for students at it uses common language to communicate concepts while helping students build their research vocabulary. Terminology is communicate both within the text and in glossaries, and technical terms are minimally used.

The book is consistent in its use of terminology and framework. It follows a pattern of development, from consuming research to producing research. The steps are predictable and walk students through appropriate actions to take.

The book is easily readable. Each chapter is divided in sections that are easy to navigate and understand. Pictures and tables are used to support text.

Chapters are in logical order and follow a common pattern.

When reading the book online, the text was largely free of interface issues. As a PDF, there were issues with formatting. Be aware that students who may wish to download the book into a Kindle or other book reader may experience issues.

The text was grammatically correct with no misspellings.

While the book is culturally relevant, it lacks the application of critical race theory. While students will learn about bias in research, critical race theory would ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness. It would also help students understand why the background of researchers is important in relation to the ways of knowing.

Reviewed by Jennifer Wareham, Associate Professor, Wayne State University on 11/30/18

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to research methods from the perspective of the discipline of Social Work. The book borrows heavily from Amy Blackstone’s Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods open textbook. The book is divided into 16 chapters, covering: differences in reasoning and scientific thought, starting a research project, writing a literature review, ethics in social science research, how theory relates to research, research design, causality, measurement, sampling, survey research, experimental design, qualitative interviews and focus groups, evaluation research, and reporting research. Some of the more advanced concepts and topics are only covered at superficial level, which limits the intended population of readers to high school students, undergraduate students, or those with no background in research methods. Since the book is geared toward Social Work undergraduate students, the chapters and content address methodologies commonly used in this field, but ignore methodologies that may be more popular in other social science fields. For example, the material on qualitative methods is narrow and focuses on commonly used qualitative methods in Social Work. In addition, the chapter on evaluation is limited to a general overview of evaluation research, which could be improved with more in-depth discussion of different types of evaluation (e.g., needs assessment, evaluability assessment, process evaluation, impact/outcomes evaluation) and real-world examples of different types of evaluation implemented in Social Work. Overall, the author provides examples that are easy for practitioners in Social Work to understand, which are also easily relatable for students in similar disciplines such as criminal justice. The book provides a glossary of key terms. There is no index; however, users can search for terms using the find (Ctrl-F) function in the PDF version of the book.

Overall, the content inside this book is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. However, the content is limited to the Social Work perspective, which may be considered somewhat biased or inaccurate from the perspective of others in different disciplines.

The book describes classic examples used in most texts on social science research methods. It also includes contemporary and relevant examples. Some of the content (such as web addresses and contemporary news pieces) will need to be updated every few years. The text is written and arranged in such a way that any necessary updates should be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The book is written in clear and accessible prose. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used. Readers from any social science discipline should be able to understand the content and context of the material presented in the book.

The framework and use of terminology in the book are consistent.

This book is highly modular. The author has even improved upon the modularity of the book from Blackstone’s open text (which serves as the basis of the present text). Each chapter is divided into short, related subsections. The design of the chapters and their subsections make it easy to divide the material into units of study across a semester or quarter of instruction.

Generally, the book is organized in a similar manner as other texts on social science research methods. However, the organization could be improved slightly. Chapters 2 through 4 describe the process of beginning a research project and conducting a literature review. Chapter 8 describes refining a research question. This chapter could be moved to follow the Chapter 4. Chapter 12 describes experimental design, while Chapter 15 provides a description and examples of evaluation research. Since evaluation research tends to rely on experimental and quasi-experimental design, this chapter should follow the experimental design chapter.

For the online version of the book, there were no interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. The hyperlinks to sources mentioned in the text worked. The Contents menu allowed for easy and quick access to any section of the book. For the PDF version of the book, there were interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. However, the URLs and hyperlinks were not active in the PDF version. Furthermore, the PDF version was not bookmarked, which made it more difficult to access specific sections of the book.

I did not find grammatical errors in the book.

Overall, the cultural relevance and sensitivity were consistent with other social science research methods texts. The author does a good job of using both female and male pronouns in the prose. While there are pictures of people of color, there could be more. Most of the pictures are of white people. Also, the context is generally U.S.-centric.

Chapter 1: Introduction to research
Chapter 2: Beginning a research project
Chapter 3: Reading and evaluating literature
Chapter 4: Conducting a literature review
Chapter 5: Ethics in social work research
Chapter 6: Linking methods with theory
Chapter 7: Design and causality
Chapter 8: Creating and refining a research question
Chapter 9: Defining and measuring concepts
Chapter 10: Sampling
Chapter 11: Survey research
Chapter 12: Experimental design
Chapter 13: Interviews and focus groups
Chapter 14: Unobtrusive research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches
Chapter 15: Real-world research: Evaluation, single-subjects, and action research
Chapter 16: Reporting and reading research

Ancillary Material

Open Social Work Education

About the Book

As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the design, interpret quantitative or qualitative results, and disseminate their findings to a variety of audiences. Examples are drawn from the author's practice and research experience, as well as topical articles from the literature.

There are ancillary materials available for this book.

About the Contributors

Matt DeCarlo earned his PhD in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University and is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Radford University. He earned an MSW from George Mason University in 2010 and a BA in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2007. His research interests include open educational resources, self-directed Medicaid supports, and basic income. Matt is an Open Textbook Network Campus Leader for Radford University. He is the founder of Open Social Work Education, a non-profit collaborative advancing OER in social work education.

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Social Work Research: Literature Reviews

Getting Started
Finding Scholarly Articles
Citation Searching
Evaluating Sources This link opens in a new window
Literature Reviews
Evidence-Based This link opens in a new window
Finding Instruments This link opens in a new window
Writing & Citing

Using A Literature Review

A literature review is a very practical part of the research process. It's how you build on other research in the field - identify best practices and tools and learn what doesn't work. The resources on the page are here to help you structure you literature review so it's as useful as possible.

Also take a look at any literature reviews you find as you search for articles - in addition to content and further references they'll also provide helpful structural hints.

Social Work Literature Review Guidelines Literature reviews are designed to do two things: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and 2) demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study, in this case, social work.
Considerations in Writing a Literature Review This article will briefly outline key points for you to keep in mind when writing literature reviews for social work.
Undertaking a literature review: a step-by-step approach The purpose of this article is to present a step-by-step guide to facilitate understanding by presenting the critical elements of the literature review process. While reference is made to different types of literature reviews, the focus is on the traditional or narrative review that is undertaken, usually either as an academic assignment or part of the research process.

Conducting a Literature Review & Other Research Methods

What is a Literature Review?

"Literature reviews are systematic syntheses of previous work around a particular topic. Nearly all scholars have written literature reviews at some point; such reviews are common requirements for class projects or as part of theses, are often the first section of empirical papers, and are sometimes written to summarize a field of study. Given the increasing amount of literature in many fields, reviews are critical in synthesizing scientific knowledge." - Encyclopedia of Research Design

APA Style Sample Papers (seventh edition) by the APA
Sample APA Paper (lit. review begins page 3)
Dissertations and Theses Full-Text Global Search here for examples of literature reviews from masters and doctoral theses.

Thinking About A Literature Review

Structuring a literature review diagram, outlining taking each article and breaking it down by its main concepts

Literature Reviews: An Overview

Additional How-To Guides

CSU, Chico Office of Graduate Studies - Thesis Assistance Instructions, policies, and guidelines for graduate studies theses/projects.
CSU, Chico Writing Center Make a one-on-one appointment with a writing tutor to help with your writing assignments.
Learn How to Write a Review of the Literature University of Wisconsin-Madison
Literature Review: An Overview for Graduate Students Video overview by North Carolina State University Libraries
Literature Review: The What, Why and How-to Guide University of Connecticut University Libraries
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Next: Evidence-Based >>
Last Updated: Apr 2, 2024 9:49 AM
URL: https://simmons.libguides.com/SSWResearch

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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Social Justice and the Urban Obesity Crisis: Implications for Social Work

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13 Implications for Social Work Practice and Research

Published: April 2013
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This chapter discusses seven key, cross-cutting themes related to obesity that have direct implications for social work: community participation, assets of marginalized communities, program evaluation, social justice and obesity, schools as part of the community, the role of social work, and cultural competence. These seven cross-cutting themes provide valuable insights for those in social work and other helping professions as they strive to gain an in-depth understanding of the rewards and challenges associated with having communities play an instrumental role in efforts to reduce and prevent excessive weight in urban communities of color. The chapter also considers the interconnectedness of values, theory, and field examples, the implications for social work practice, and the appropriateness of employing a social justice lens.

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Research Guides
Sources by Subject

Social Work

Evidence-Based Practice
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Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Evidence-based practice resources, databases with a methodology filter, levels of evidence, what to look for.

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Cite Sources - APA Style

NASW on EBP

"In social work, most agree that EBP is a process involving creating an answerable question based on a client or organizational need, locating the best available evidence to answer the question, evaluating the quality of the evidence as well as its applicability, applying the evidence, and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution. EBP is a process in which the practitioner combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services."

Excerpt from the National Association of Social Workers' Evidence-Based Practice web page . The NASW defines Evidence-Based Practices, Evidence-Based Treatments, Evidence-Based Interventions, and Evidence-Informed Interventions and lists links to EBP resources.

EBP - Encyclopedia of Social Work

"Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an educational and practice paradigm that includes a series of predetermined steps aimed at helping practitioners and agency administrators identify, select, and implement efficacious interventions for clients. This entry identifies definitions of EBP and traces the evolution of EBP from its origins in the medical profession to its current application in social work. Essential steps in the process of EBP and challenges associated with applying EBP to social work practice, education, and research are noted."

Jenson, J., & Howard, M. (2013). Evidence-Based Practice . In Encyclopedia of Social Work. : Oxford University Press.

View All Research and Evidence-Based Practice entries in Encyclopedia of Social Work.

EPB - Social Work Dictionary

Evidence-Based Practice is "the use of the best available scientific knowledge derived from randomized controlled outcome studies, and meta-analyses of existing outcome studies, as one basis for guiding professional interventions and effective therapies, combined with professional ethical standards, clinical judgment, and practice wisdom."

The Social Work Dictionary, 6th Edition (2014, NASW Press)

From the Campbell Collaboration

Podcast -- Four useful principles for evidence-based policy and practice The Campbell Collaboration i s an international social science research network that produces high quality, open and policy-relevant evidence syntheses, plain language summaries and policy briefs.

Evidence-Based Social Work books & media and journals

Journal of evidence-based social work (2004-2014)
Journal of evidence-based social work (2019-)

Cover image for SAGE Handbook of Social Work

Grand challenges for society : evidence-based social work practice Publication Date: 2019. Print
The Evidence-Based Social Work Skills Book by Barry R. Cournoyer. Publication Date: 2004. Print. This book explores the skills needed for evidence-based social work (EBSW). Readers will learn the fundamentals of the EBSW skills and practice them. Read free online at Internet Archive
More EBP Social Work Books & Media results in Library Search. Evidence-based Social Work (LCSH) was entered as a subject field in the advanced Library Search.

Databases and Websites with Evidence-Based Resources

California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare The mission of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) is to advance the effective implementation of evidence-based practices for children and families involved with the child welfare system.
Campbell Collaboration Online Library Contains Campbell Systematic Reviews, a collection of peer-reviewed online monographs summarizing international research evidence on the effects of interventions in crime and justice, education, international development, and social welfare.
Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window The Cochrane Library contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. It includes reliable evidence from Cochrane and other systematic reviews, clinical trials, and more.
DARE (Database of Abstract of Reviews of Effect) Full-text database containing structured abstracts of systematic reviews from a variety of medical journals. DARE is produced by the National Health Services' Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (NHS CRD) at the University of York. DARE records cover topics such as diagnosis, prevention, rehabilitation, screening, and treatment.
Heath Evidence Health Evidence helps the public health workforce and policy makers search for, interpret, and apply research evidence to their local context. We began with the launch of the healthevidence.org registry of reviews in March 2005 and in 2007 expanded to include training and consultation services.
NREPP (SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) promotes the adoption of scientifically established behavioral health interventions. It is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
Social Work Policy Institute's Evidence-Based Practice resource page Provides tools that can be used to identify EBPs. Links to resources like CDC: The Community Guide , Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence , EBP Substance Abuse Database , Social Programs That Work , and many others.
TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) TRIP simultaneously searches evidence-based sources of systematic reviews, practice guidelines, and critically appraised topics and articles, and searches across other content types including images, videos, patient information leaflets, educational courses and news.
What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse Scores specific reentry programs and practices for beneficial harmful evidence.

Several library databases have a way to filter search results for empirical methodologies. Try the techniques in bold in the following databases, in combination with other search terms for the topic you are researching.

It is also useful to search for the controlled vocabulary in the thesaurus or subject headings of the databases and use those terms and variants in searching. Look up a research method or search using terms like empirical, qualitative, quantitative, evaluation, correlation, intervention, or observation or browse by available categories. The Cochrane Library also has suggested Search strategies to identify observational studies in MEDLINE and Embase that can be used for other sources as well.

For databases and search engines without a methodology filter, such as Web of Science and Google Scholar, try (1) copying and pasting one or more of the types of studies listed for the Sociological Abstracts database or enter "study" to be broad with your search terms; and (2) include the operator AND (e.g. ("domestic violence" OR "intimate partner violence") AND study ).

Left image: Methodology filter on the search form Right image: Methodology filter within Refine Results

APAPsycInfo Search form page with Empirical study selected in Methodology filter

CINAHL [via EBSCOhost] This link opens in a new window CINAHL Provides indexing for nursing and health journals. The database contains records dating back to 1982. In addition, the database offers access to health care books, nursing dissertations, and selected conference proceedings. Search for the CINAHL subject headings: Clinical Trials, Empirical Research, Experimental Studies, Nonexperimental Studies, Qualitative Studies, Quantitative Studies, or Quasi-Experimental Studies to limit to empirical research .
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window Sociological Abstracts provides coverage of the world's literature on sociology and applied aspects of sociology. In the Advanced Search, search for Subject Headings such as: Action Research, Archival Research, Case Studies, Content Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Empirical Methods, Ethnography, Experiments, Fieldwork, Grounded Theory, Interviews, Longitudinal Studies, Models, Observation, Qualitative Methods, Quantitative Methods, Research, Surveys, Empirical Research, Qualitative Research, Questionnaires, Research, Surveys, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Studies, Statistical Surveys, Telephone Surveys, Use Studies, to limit to empirical research. This approach may also work with for the ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection, which includes the Sociological Abstracts.
Embase This link opens in a new window EMBASE contains references to journal articles in biomedicine. The references consist of authors, title, journal data, abstract and keywords. EMBASE contains European literature, and coverage in the field of drug research, pharmacology and pharmaceutics. The database can be searched back to 1974.

Embase also has MEDLINE records. In the results filters, look at Study types, and check the ones you want, such as controlled study, case report, retrospective study, cohort analysis, cross sectional study, systematic review, comparative study, prospective study, interview, longitudinal study, randomized controlled trial, observational study, meta analysis, qualitative research, semi structured interview, pilot study . Read also about General Study Types Hedges

Six Levels of Evidence

In medical and nursing literature, a level of evidence may be assigned to a research article based on the quality of their methodological design, validity, and applicability to patient care.

Correlational studies might fall into Level IV or V on this chart, whereas intervention studies might fall into Levels II, III, or IV.

Adapted from Melnyk, B. M., & In Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice .

Systematic reviews offer the highest quality of evidence

"A systematic review attempts to collect and analyze all evidence that answers a specific question. The question must be clearly defined and have inclusion and exclusion criteria. A broad and thorough search of the literature is performed and a critical analysis of the search results is reported and ultimately provides a current evidence-based answer to the specific question."

Source: Systematic Reviews . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2020)

Social Work and Systematic Reviews

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods . Littell, J. H., Corcoran, J., & Pillai, V. K. (2008). Oxford University Press.

Searching for systematic reviews:

Add a search line limited to the Title field > review OR meta
Apply systematic review filters in databases that have them, such as PubMed and Embase
Search collections that publish systematic reviews, such as Campbell Collection , Cochrane Library and the evidence-based resources listed above.

Interventions studies

Intervention studies are experimental studies that test the effectiveness of a preventative or therapeutic measure.

Read more: Usher, C. (2008). Experimental and Quasi- Experimental Design . In Encyclopedia of Social Work. : Oxford University Press.

Searching for intervention studies

Look for Methodology or Publication Types that use terms like clinical trial, randomised-controlled (RCT), experimental, quasi-experimental, treatment outcome study.

Correlational studies

Correlational studies are observational studies that look at the relationships between two or more variables that are not controlled by the researcher. These studies can reveal if a relationship exists between variables, but are limited because they do not prove causation. They are often used for gathering information about a topic or in situations where performing an experiment is not possible.

Searching for correlational studies

Look for Methodology or Publication Types that use terms like cohort, case-control, descriptive, or observational, longitudinal study.

Some additional resources are provided below.

Study designs - Center for Evidence Based Medicine (Oxford)
Study designs: Part 1 – An overview and classification
Study designs: Part 2 – Descriptive studies
Study designs: Part 3 - Analytical observational studies
Study designs: Part 4 – Interventional studies

Empirical research articles refer to articles reporting on the findings of research or studies that collect and analyze qualitative and/or quantitative data, gathered from experience, experiments, interviews, observations and other senses, following the scientific method, to provide knowledge or evidence to the specific questions being studied or researched.

A empirical or scientific research paper will often have the following sections:

Abstract (indexing databases will often include just the abstract)
Introduction and research question(s)
Methods or Methodology (data collection may be included or as separate section)
Discussion/Interpretations
Conclusions based on the data

Some journals have additional Supplementary Online Information with important details of the research.

Some approaches to reading scientific/empirical papers

How to Read a Scientific Paper by Michael Fosmire of Purdue University.
How to Read & Comprehend Scientific Research Articles Video (Arizona State University)
How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists (London School of Economics blog)

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Article contents

Evidence-based practice.

Jeffrey M. Jenson Jeffrey M. Jenson University of Denver
and Matthew O. Howard Matthew O. Howard University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.137
Published online: 11 June 2013

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an educational and practice paradigm that includes a series of predetermined steps aimed at helping practitioners and agency administrators identify, select, and implement efficacious interventions for clients. This entry identifies definitions of EBP and traces the evolution of EBP from its origins in the medical profession to its current application in social work. Essential steps in the process of EBP and challenges associated with applying EBP to social work practice, education, and research are noted.

evidence-based practice
social work education

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a five-step process used to select, deliver, and evaluate individual and social interventions aimed at preventing or ameliorating client problems and social conditions. At its most basic level, EBP seeks to systematically integrate evidence about the efficacy of interventions in clinical decision-making. Adhering to EBP, however, is a complex process that requires practitioners to be skilled at posing practice-relevant questions and proficient at accessing evidence that answers these questions. Importantly, practitioners must have the requisite methodological skills to evaluate evidence about the efficacy of interventions from clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Finally, to teach the process of EBP, social work educators must be competent in tasks associated with information retrieval and interpretation of evidence.

A recent surge of interest in EBP is raising awareness about the importance of considering empirical evidence in selecting interventions among practitioners who may not have considered such evidence in the past. At the same time, the sudden growth of EBP gives rise to a cautionary note about the many different ways that EBP is being defined in published works and taught in the classroom. A consistent definition of EBP and an educational commitment to the process steps required in EBP are critical at this juncture to prevent the misuse or misunderstanding of this new paradigm.

Definitions and Evolution of EBP

EBP appeared in the medical profession in the 1990s as a process to help physicians select effective treatments for their patients. The introduction of EBP in medicine was viewed by many scholars and practitioners as an effective way to bring research findings to medical practice decisions. The rapid diffusion of EBP since then has been attributed to advances in knowledge about the prevention and treatment of medial conditions and to economic forces that emphasize the selection of efficacious treatments as a strategy to reduce health care costs (Gray, 2001 ).

The growth of EBP in medicine has also been a product of an increasingly active and well-informed patient population. Unlike prior generations, a significant portion of today's patients are well educated about their medical problems and demand that they receive the most optimal treatments for their conditions. The sophistication of medical consumers has required physicians to become more skilled at evaluating and applying evidence to medical practice decisions (Gambrill, 2006 ; Gray, 2001 ; Wennberg, 2002 ).

Definitions and perceptions of what EBP is—and what it is not—vary widely. In what is arguably the most widely accepted definition of EBP, Sackett and colleagues (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000 ) state that EBP is “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and [client] values” (p. 1). In this definition, EBP is implied to be a process characterized by specific steps and actions. In an earlier publication, Sackett, Richardson, Rosenberg, and Haynes ( 1997 ) had defined EBP as “the conscientious, explicit, judicious, use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual [clients]” (p. 2).

The introduction of EBP in medicine has created considerable interest in the process of applying evidence to medical practice decision-making. Importantly, scholars also believe that EBP has moved the medical profession away from its long-standing reliance on authority-based decision-making processes that fail to adequately consider empirical evidence (Gambrill, 1999 , 2005 ).

Essential Steps of EBP

As the above definitions imply, EBP is both a philosophy of practice and a process that implies a series of structured steps. Sackett et al. ( 2000 ) have been credited with developing the five essential steps of EBP.

Step 1: Converting Practice Information Needs into Answerable Questions

An important first step in the process of EBP requires practitioners to define information needs about a particular client problem. Sackett et al. ( 2000 ) suggest that this information needs to be framed in the form of answerable questions. Further, they recommend that questions identify the client population, intervention type, and anticipated outcomes.

Several scholars have brought elements of this first step in the EBP process to social work. In an important book on the subject of EBP, Gibbs ( 2003 ) identified a framework for posing questions that emphasizes the need for practicality. According to Gibbs, questions must be client-oriented and they must be specific enough to guide a search for evidence using electronic resources. Gambrill ( 2005 ) summarized effectively the types of questions that are generally posed in EBP processes. Her synopsis includes the following question types: 1) effectiveness, 2) prevention, 3) assessment, 4) description, 5) prediction, 6) harm, and 7) cost-benefit.

Framing practice-relevant questions is the foundation of the EBP process. Questions must be specific and posed in terms that lead to a rational search for evidence. An illustration of an effectiveness question may be helpful in understanding the importance of this point. Suppose a practitioner in a substance abuse program is interested in knowing whether a cognitive-behavioral intervention is more effective than a 12-step treatment program for addressing alcohol abuse in adults. In this case, a logical practice question might be: Is a structured cognitive-behavioral intervention more effective than a self-help program in treating alcohol abuse in adults? In a second example, suppose practitioners and teachers in a local elementary school are concerned about the negative effects of bullying behaviors in the classroom. In this example, a school social worker might pose a question about the best way to address aggression. A typical question might be: Is a universal prevention approach aimed at changing social norms about aggression more effective than a skills training approach that seeks to reduce aggression by targeting only high-risk youth?

Posing answerable questions requires precision and practice. Students and practitioners must be trained to pose different types of practice-relevant questions and learn ways to retrieve evidence that is critical in answering such questions.

Step 2: Locating Evidence to Answer Questions

Step 2 requires practitioners to search for and locate evidence pertaining to the questions they pose. At least four sources are available currently to search for empirical evidence: 1) books and journals, 2) systematic reviews organized by client problem or treatment approach that detail the effects of interventions on specified outcomes, 3) published “lists” of effective programs by federal entities and research centers, and 4) practice guidelines that offer treatment protocols based on empirical evidence.

Books and Journals

Books and journals represent a traditional approach to answering practice-relevant questions identified in step 1. Printed books and journal articles are readily available and have traditionally been helpful information sources. However, practitioners must also be aware of the limitations inherent in books and journals. For example, there is often a significant time lag between the submission and subsequent publication of a book or journal article. Practitioners must also have the skills to identify and discern published findings that pertain to their questions. This requires knowing how to select and search appropriate databases for information. In addition, practitioners must be trained to recognize that findings reported in book chapters and other outlets are quite likely not subject to peer review processes.

A final limitation of books and journals as information sources relates to the types of articles commonly published in social work. For example, at least one investigation has revealed that relatively few intervention outcome studies are published in social work literature (Rosen, Proctor, & Staudt, 1999 ). The lack of outcome studies poses a limitation to practitioners searching for evidence pertaining to the efficacy of interventions.

Systematic Reviews

Systematic reviews are comprehensive evaluations that examine evidence about the effectiveness of interventions targeted to a range of client populations and problems. Leadership in disseminating knowledge of effective prevention and treatment approaches through the publication of systematic treatment outcome reviews has come from international interdisciplinary teams organized under the Campbell Collaboration ( 2007 , http://www.campbellcollaboration.org ) and the Cochrane Collaboration ( 2007 , http://www.cochrane.org ). Each of these groups disseminates the results of systematic reviews to inform practitioners about the effects of interventions in health, behavioral, and educational settings. Importantly, systematic reviews of treatment outcomes are also becoming more available in social science literature (Vaughn & Howard, 2004 ).

Lists of Efficacious Programs

A third dissemination approach has been organized by federal entities and independent research centers such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA ) and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence ( CSPV ) at the University of Colorado. For example, SAMHSA ( 2007 , http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov ) publishes a list of efficacious substance abuse prevention and treatment programs in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices . The agency identifies promising, effective, and model programs on the basis of methodological rigor and client outcomes. CSPV ( 2007 , http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/ ) identifies effective violence prevention programs as part of its Blueprints for Violence Prevention dissemination effort. At least one group concerned with the effects of school-based educational programs for high-risk youth has also published lists of effective interventions (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2003 ).

In psychology, concern about the failure of many therapists to use empirically supported treatments led to the establishment of the American Psychological Association ( APA ) Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures in 1993 (Barlow, Levitt, & Bufka, 1999 ). The Task Force was established by the APA Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12) to identify efficacious treatments across a range of mental health disorders and problems. Task Force members with expertise in diverse therapeutic approaches and populations developed criteria for treatments deemed to be well established and empirically validated and for treatments considered to be probably efficacious. Well-established treatments were those therapies that evidenced efficacy in at least two independent and rigorous experimental studies. Probably efficacious treatments were therapies in which only one study supported a treatment's efficacy, or therapies that had been tested by a single investigator (Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures, 1995).

The Task Force recognized randomized clinical trials as the most rigorous and acceptable method of producing empirically supported treatments. In lieu of randomized trials, findings from a large series of single case design experiments were accepted as criteria. The Task Force initiated a search for efficacious and probably efficacious treatments in 1993 (Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures, 1995). The subsequent list of efficacious therapies has since been updated twice (Chambless et al., 1996 ; Chambless et al., 1998 ).

Compilations of effective programs allow practitioners to access considerable information about the efficacy of interventions targeted to a wide range of client groups and problems. Credible lists such as those identified above use rigorous selection criteria to identify effective programs. For example, to be included on the program list compiled by the CSPV at the University of Colorado, intervention studies must use strong research designs and demonstrate sustained effects. Replication of effects is also required to meet criteria for the highest level of evidence. Similarly, APA criteria clearly identify the levels of research rigor that are necessary to meet standards for efficacious or probably efficacious treatments.

Lists of EBPs lead practitioners to potentially effective interventions. However, such lists cannot simply be accepted uncritically. In all cases, practitioners should scrutinize the criteria used to identify effective programs and interventions when they consider selecting and implementing programs from lists of EBPs.

Practice Guidelines

Practice guidelines are a fourth method of disseminating knowledge of efficacious interventions to practitioners. Proctor and Rosen ( 2003 ) defined practice guidelines as “a set of systematically compiled and organized knowledge statements designed to enable practitioners to find, select, and use appropriately the interventions that are most effective for a given task” (p. 108). Guidelines offer specific treatment protocols for practitioners that, when followed, mirror the strategies used in efficacious interventions with similar types of clients. Clinical practice guidelines were introduced in medicine and have recently spread to psychology and social work. Guidelines in social work have been met with mixed reaction and their development and application have been limited to date (see Howard & Jenson, 1999a , 1999b , 2003 and Rosen & Proctor, 2003 for a discussion of practice guidelines in social work).

Sources of information and evidence have proliferated widely in recent years. Practitioners must possess a range of information retrieval skills to identify appropriate sources of credible evidence. The appraisal of such evidence, discussed next, is a critical next step in the EBP process.

Steps 3 & 4: Appraising and Applying Evidence to Practice and Policy Decisions

EBP requires practitioners to use their knowledge of research design and methodology to evaluate and apply evidence to practice situations. These steps require familiarity with research methodology and the ability to draw conclusions about the utility of information on the basis of levels of evidence. The scientific community recognizes findings produced by randomized controlled trials as the most rigorous and acceptable level of evidence. However, results from studies using correlation, single-subject, quasi-experimental, experimental, and meta-analytic designs must also be considered and evaluated in steps 3 and 4 (Thyer, 2004 ).

Evaluating the rigor of studies and selecting interventions that meet high research standards require advanced training in methodology and intervention research. Unfortunately, current standards for research training in most Master of Social Work programs fall short of assuring the advanced skills necessary to critically evaluate the validity and applicability of research reports. Additional course work in evaluating evidence should be included in the graduate social work curriculum.

A second concern in appraising and applying evidence to practice situations comes from studies suggesting that practitioners fail to routinely consult research evidence when selecting interventions. For example, several studies show that practitioners often choose interventions for reasons other than empirical evidence (Elliott & Mihalic, 2004 ; Rosen, Proctor, Morrow-Howell, & Staudt, 1995 ). In addition, agency and organizational policies that limit the choice of intervention approaches available to practitioners often constrain practitioners' ability to use EBP.

The flurry of activity associated with EBP is not confined to selecting and implementing well-tested programs. To develop new knowledge about the effects of interventions, a small but increasing number of social work researchers are testing the effects of interventions across different problem areas in controlled efficacy trials (Reid & Fortune, 2003 ). This is a promising development in view of findings suggesting there is a dearth of intervention studies in social work (Fraser, 2003 ; Jenson, 2005 ; Rosen et al., 1995 ). More intervention research by social work investigators is needed to contribute to the knowledge base of efficacious prevention and treatment approaches.

Step 5: Evaluating the Process

The steps in EBP appear deceptively simple at first glance. However, the process of EBP requires knowledge of current literature about the onset, prevention, and treatment of client or social problems, the ability to search for relevant information and data, and skills to evaluate and apply knowledge obtained in systematic searches. The complexity involved in steps one to four demands an ongoing evaluation of one's knowledge of current literature, familiarity with constantly changing electronic databases, and skills in drawing conclusions based on methodological rigor.

Gibbs ( 2003 ) summarizes effectively the process of EBP: “Placing the client's benefits first, evidence-based practitioners adopt a process of lifelong learning that involves continually posing specific questions of direct and practical importance to clients, searching effectively for the current best evidence to each question, and taking appropriate action guided by evidence” (p. 6). Most scholars would agree that the social work profession is in the beginning stage of implementing the process defined by Gibbs in practice, and education and research settings.

Challenges and Implications

The promotion of EBP in social work was attributed initially to individual scholars and small groups of researchers (e.g., Gambrill, 1999 , 2003 ; Howard & Jenson, 1999a ; Proctor & Rosen, 2003 ; Thyer, 2004 ). These early efforts were aimed largely at exposing social workers to definitions of EBP and to concurrent developments in evidence-based medicine. Discussion of the process of applying EBP principles to social work practice and policy soon followed (for example, Bilson, 2005 ; Gambrill, 2003 , 2006 ; Gibbs, 2003 ).

A significant number of social work researchers and educators have since acknowledged the importance of EBP. Support is evident in the exponential growth in the number of books and articles on EBP since 2003 (see Gambrill, 2005 , 2007 ; Howard, Himle, Jenson, & Vaughn, in press ; Rosenthal, 2004 for reviews). Sessions on EBP have increased significantly at recent national social work conferences sponsored by the Society for Social Work and Research and the Council on Social Work Education. Further, a 2006 University of Texas at Austin symposium on EBP signaled an increasing recognition of the importance of teaching EBP in the social work curriculum. The Austin conference led to the publication of a 2007 special issue of Research on Social Work Practice that summarized the viewpoints of presenters at the symposium. Transparency in the use of EBP in practice and education (Gambrill, in press ), steps required to teach EBP (Mullen, Bellamy, Bledsoe, & Francois, in press), and structural curricular reforms consistent with EBP (Howard & Allen-Meares, in press ; Jenson, in press) are among the topics discussed in that issue.

An increase in attention to EBP by social work educators is indisputable. However, EBP is not without its critics. There have been voices of skepticism (Taylor & White, 2002 ) and even rejection (Webb, 2001 ) characterized by claims that EBP offers nothing new to the field. Others point to the lack of an effective knowledge base for certain client problems and populations, which hinders the advancement of EBP in the field.

EBP is at an important turning point in social work. To some, it reflects a new and revolutionary practice approach that holds great promise for building stronger bridges between science and social work (Gambrill, 2007 ; Jenson, 2005 ). Others view EBP as a repackaged attempt to integrate research and practice that is fraught with educational and implementation problems (Webb, 2001 ). Regardless, the challenges of EBP to social work education, practice, and research are varied and complex.

EBP and Social Work Education

The challenge of educational reform.

Rubin and Parrish ( 2007 ) reported that more than 70% of respondents from a survey of social work educators were in favor of teaching EBP in the MSW curriculum. Rapp-Paglicci ( 2007 ) noted that as many as 40 social work programs have created classes that incorporate principles of EBP. At least one school of social work—the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University—has identified EBP as the organizational framework for its graduate curriculum (Edmond, Rochman, Megivern, Howard, & Williams, 2006 ; Howard, McMillen, & Pollio, 2003 ). Importantly, the Council on Social Work Education has identified EBP as an important principle in its educational policy and accreditation documents (Council on Social Work Education, 2004 ). These and other examples illustrate the increasing attention being paid to EBP in the social work curriculum.

It is also clear, however, that interest in EBP has not yet resulted in the adoption or implementation of significant curriculum reform. To illustrate, Woody, D'Souza, and Dartman ( 2006 ) reported less than encouraging findings from a survey of social work deans and directors examining whether and how their programs teach empirically supported interventions. Woody et al. ( 2006 ) noted that, “only 31 programs, less than half, had endorsed teaching specific ESI [Empirically Supported Interventions] content; still fewer, 26, had designated courses to teach specific ESI content; and of the 31 programs that had endorsed teaching ESI, very small numbers required ESI training materials designed for teaching students the skills and techniques for implementing the interventions” (p. 474).

Significant structural and pedagogical changes in social work education are necessary to teach EBP. For example, a new generation of students must be exposed to the complexities involved in posing relevant practice and policy questions. Students must become experts in information retrieval and possess the methodological skills necessary to evaluate and apply evidence. New and innovative teaching approaches will be required to systematically teach EBP. Faculty will need to be trained, and in some cases retrained, to teach EBP. Finally, the appropriate location for teaching the actual process of EBP must be determined in undergraduate and graduate curricula.

Teaching the Process of EBP

Above all, EBP is a process characterized by the five specific steps discussed above. Thus, a logical assumption is that educators should focus their efforts on teaching the actual process of conducting EBP. However, the degree to which faculty members in schools of social work are teaching the five-step process of EBP—or simply informing students of effective interventions—is unclear. Several scholars, most notably Gambrill ( 2007 ), caution that exposing students to only EBPs identified on compiled lists and national registries is inconsistent with the fundamental premise of EBP. She accurately notes that a singular focus on effective interventions, expressed through commonly used terms such as best practices , is taking focus away from teaching students the actual process of EBP. Gambrill ( 2007 ) further suggests that emphasizing EBPs at the cost of understanding the process of EBP is inconsistent with the original intent of EBP as an approach that fosters transparency and systematic decision-making with clients.

The importance of teaching students the actual process steps of EBP cannot be overstated. EBP is a philosophy and an approach to practice that requires students and practitioners to understand and apply its essential steps. Teaching students to identify and use lists of established EBPs to select interventions is but one small part of the EBP process. As Gambrill ( 2007 ) so eloquently states, the emphasis on EBPs “ignores the process of EBP that describes skills designed to help practitioners to integrate external findings with other vital information (e.g., concerning client characteristics and circumstances) such as posing well-structured questions, and ignores the importance of creating tools practitioners need such as access to high-speed computers with relevant databases” (p. 430).

Schools of social work must take bold steps to integrate EBP across the curriculum. Training in EBP occurs sporadically in most schools, with little consistent application across key parts of the curriculum. Therefore, discussions about the best place (e.g., practice or research courses) to teach the process of EBP in the curriculum are needed. In addition, new teaching techniques such as problem-based learning that are compatible with EBP should be examined for applicability in social work education (Gambrill, in press; Sackett et al., 2000 ). Finally, structural changes in long-held traditions such as advanced standing may need to be considered in the interest of increasing students' exposure to the complexities of EBP (Jenson, in press).

EBP and Social Work Practice

EBP is receiving considerable attention from local, state, and federal policy makers and funding sources. State and local systems of care, private foundations, and federal entities have entered the debate about the best ways to select and implement effective interventions for clients and client systems. Agency administrators and practitioners are working diligently to understand EBP in an effort to develop competitive research proposals and implement effective program components.

One significant practice challenge is how to teach principles of EBP to practitioners and agency administrators. Community agencies vary widely with respect to their awareness, understanding, and acceptance of EBP. Community partnerships and collaborative research projects such as those being developed at the University of Toronto (Regehr, Stern, & Shlonksy, 2007 ) are needed to help practitioners apply EBP principles in a wide variety of practice settings. At Toronto, the faculty of social work at the University of Toronto has created an institute for evidence-based social work that aims to develop and foster community collaborations (Regehr et al., 2007 ). This and similar models should be further developed and tested.

EBP and Research

EBP relies on the availability of accrued knowledge about a range of individual and social problems. Thus, it is imperative that new knowledge about the etiology, prevention, and treatment of problems be consistently developed. In this regard, rigorous research is needed across many or all substantive areas in social work. Intervention research to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of social interventions is particularly lacking. Such studies are necessary to advance the etiological and intervention knowledge bases available to practitioners who are interested in implementing EBP.

The translation of research evidence to practice and policy is a second important area of research. In many service sectors there is a considerable lag between the identification of efficacious treatments and the application of such treatments to practice and policy. Recently, entities such as the National Institute of Mental Health have emphasized the importance of translating research findings to the field (Brekke, Ell, & Palinkas, 2007 ). Models for translating research evidence to practice and policy in health care and adolescent service sectors have been offered by Gray ( 2001 ) and Jenson and Fraser ( 2006 ) respectively.

The careful translation of research into practice is particularly important in view of the rapid increase in practices and publications that are promoted as EBP but in reality fall short of the principles implied in EBP. For example, the sudden infusion and proliferation of terms that resemble EBP, but are not EBP, may have an adverse effect on the profession's interest in using EBP to enhance the connection between science and intervention. Phrases such as “best practices” and “exemplary programs” are frequently used for marketing clinical and community interventions. On closer examination, these terms may or may not reflect the underlying processes of EBP. In many cases, interventions packaged under such names are not based on empirical evidence and have not been subject to rigorous evaluation. Promoting untested interventions as evidence-based promotes a false sense of efficacy, erodes the basic principles of EBP, and dilutes commonly accepted definitions of EBP used in medicine and psychology.

Finally, research is needed to systematically assess the effects of implementing EBP with clients. Embedded in EBP is the notion that client outcomes will be improved significantly by using EBP. As EBP becomes more widely applied in practice, studies will be needed to assess the relationship between its use and client outcomes.

EPB offers the promise of a new approach to social work education and practice that will dramatically alter the profession for years to come. The move to EBP as a guiding educational framework will require schools of social work to include the essential elements of EBP training (e.g., posing practice-relevant questions, gaining sophisticated information retrieval skills, interpreting systematic reviews, applying clinical practice guidelines, etc.) in graduate courses. In addition, schools of social work must also assume leadership in assisting community-based and human service sectors to understand and apply EBP in practice and policy settings. The challenge and risk of such comprehensive change represents an exciting new opportunity in social work practice and education. The endorsement of EBP is a risk well worth taking.

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Survey Research

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Survey Research by Jorge Delva , Debora S. Tauiliili LAST REVIEWED: 30 July 2014 LAST MODIFIED: 30 July 2014 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0182

In its simplest term, a survey refers to the administration of questions to obtain information about people’s behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs about a topic. A survey may include a single question by asking, for example, if respondents approve of child spanking, or if they ever smoked cigarettes; or a survey may consist of a battery (a compilation) of questions to assess, measure, or determine, for example, whether the respondent has ever experienced depressive symptoms. When more than one question is asked, the set of questions is often referred to as an instrument or questionnaire. Questionnaires may include stand-alone questions and multiple questions about the same topic and constructs. Examples of stand-alone questions include asking someone to disclose his or her age or to describe his or her attitude toward abortion. Questionnaires may also include a measure, (a set of related questions that, when combined, may better assess the intended construct). Thousands of measures exist, and most can be found on the Internet. A survey can be administered once or repeatedly, to a handful of individuals or to hundreds of thousands, and it can be administered by mail, in person, by phone, email, Internet, or through mobile devices. A considerable amount of survey research in social work, and in several social science disciplines and allied fields (e.g., education and public health) is devoted to measuring a construct with a high degree of validity and reliability. Validity refers to ensuring that the question(s) do measure the construct they are purported to measure, and reliability refers to measuring the construct consistently. The authors’ experience is that most education about survey research in social work and the social sciences and allied disciplines focuses on measurement issues; there is less concern with best practices to draw samples that are representative of the larger population. The analytic methods that are needed to properly analyze these data also tend to be neglected. To address these gaps, in this annotated bibliography we review books, manuscripts, reports, and Internet sites on the administration and analyses of surveys that rely on samples drawn to be generalizable to the larger population. From time to time, we also provide examples of surveys conducted with samples that were not drawn to be representative of the larger populations to illustrate some aspect of survey research, data collection, or analytic methods, with some of the most nascent approaches such as those studies using real-time data capture and social media.

Healey 2002 , Henry 1990 , Kalton 1983 , and Rubin and Babbie 2014 provide excellent introductions to the various survey sampling and survey (or questionnaire) administration methods that survey researchers can use without relying on advanced statistical terms. Stone, et al. 2007 and Thyer 2010 include chapters on various sampling methods, but Lavrakas 2008 provides the most comprehensive coverage of survey methods and analytic approaches.

Healey, J. F. 2002. Statistics: A tool for social research . 2d ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

This book has a chapter that provides a clear introductory description of the concepts of sampling and sampling distribution for those interested in conducting survey research by drawing samples that can be representative of the general population.

Henry, G. T. 1990. Practical sampling . Newbury Park, CA: SAGE.

This book provides an easy-to-read description of various sampling strategies that can help the survey researcher draw representative samples, leading to the most precise estimate. It includes numerous examples of various sampling strategies. This book does not require advanced knowledge of statistics for the reader to get a general overview of representative samples.

Kalton, G. 1983. Introduction to survey sampling . Newbury, CA: SAGE.

This book also provides an easy-to-read description of various sampling strategies (proportionate and disproportionate stratification, cluster and multistage sampling, probability proportional to size sampling, sampling frames) as well as a description of nonresponse, sample size calculations, and survey analysis. This book will be of interest to those who desire to have a general knowledge of the ways survey research may be conducted with sampling methods that can generalize the findings of the survey to the larger population.

Lavrakas, P. J. ed. 2008. Encyclopedia of survey research methods . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

This encyclopedia, over one thousand pages with over 320 contributors, provides what is perhaps the most comprehensive and detailed coverage of survey research methods, covering a considerably wide range of methodological and statistical topics. Available online by subscription.

Rubin, A., and E. R. Babbie. 2014. Research methods for social work . Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

This book includes chapters, with an excellent introduction to sampling methods with easy-to-follow examples. A chapter called “Survey Research” essentially refers to survey (or questionnaire) administration methods (interviews, self-administered Internet, telephone).

Stone, A. A., S. Shiffman, A. A. Atienza, and L. Nebeling, eds. 2007. The science of real-time data capture . New York: Oxford Univ. Press.

This edited book provides a comprehensive discussion and review of real-time data capture methods, focusing on one that is called ecological momentary assessment (EMA). This is an excellent book for anyone interested in detailed methodological and some statistical considerations of EMA.

Thyer, B. 2010. The handbook of social work research methods . 2d ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

This edited book includes a chapter, “Probability and Sampling” (pp. 37–50), that provides a clear description of the concept of probability and different types of sampling procedures (random, stratified, systematic), with easy-to-understand examples. Those with introductory knowledge of statistics will be able to more easily understand the basic statistical concepts that are included as part of the examples. However, those without statistical knowledge will still be able to gain an understanding of different sampling procedures.

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2.2: Concepts, Constructs, and Variables

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Anol Bhattacherjee
University of South Florida via Global Text Project

We discussed in Chapter 1 that although research can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory, most scientific research tend to be of the explanatory type in that they search for potential explanations of observed natural or social phenomena. Explanations require development of concepts or generalizable properties or characteristics associated with objects, events, or people. While objects such as a person, a firm, or a car are not concepts, their specific characteristics or behavior such as a person’s attitude toward immigrants, a firm’s capacity for innovation, and a car’s weight can be viewed as concepts.

Knowingly or unknowingly, we use different kinds of concepts in our everyday conversations. Some of these concepts have been developed over time through our shared language. Sometimes, we borrow concepts from other disciplines or languages to explain a phenomenon of interest. For instance, the idea of gravitation borrowed from physics can be used in business to describe why people tend to “gravitate” to their preferred shopping destinations. Likewise, the concept of distance can be used to explain the degree of social separation between two otherwise collocated individuals. Sometimes, we create our own concepts to describe a unique characteristic not described in prior research. For instance, technostress is a new concept referring to the mental stress one may face when asked to learn a new technology.

Concepts may also have progressive levels of abstraction. Some concepts such as a person’s weight are precise and objective, while other concepts such as a person’s personality may be more abstract and difficult to visualize. A construct is an abstract concept that is specifically chosen (or “created”) to explain a given phenomenon. A construct may be a simple concept, such as a person’s weight , or a combination of a set of related concepts such as a person’s communication skill , which may consist of several underlying concepts such as the person’s vocabulary , syntax , and spelling . The former instance (weight) is a unidimensional construct , while the latter (communication skill) is a multi-dimensional construct (i.e., it consists of multiple underlying concepts). The distinction between constructs and concepts are clearer in multi-dimensional constructs, where the higher order abstraction is called a construct and the lower order abstractions are called concepts. However, this distinction tends to blur in the case of unidimensional constructs.

Constructs used for scientific research must have precise and clear definitions that others can use to understand exactly what it means and what it does not mean. For instance, a seemingly simple construct such as income may refer to monthly or annual income, before-tax or after-tax income, and personal or family income, and is therefore neither precise nor clear. There are two types of definitions: dictionary definitions and operational definitions. In the more familiar dictionary definition, a construct is often defined in terms of a synonym. For instance, attitude may be defined as a disposition, a feeling, or an affect, and affect in turn is defined as an attitude. Such definitions of a circular nature are not particularly useful in scientific research for elaborating the meaning and content of that construct. Scientific research requires operational definitions that define constructs in terms of how they will be empirically measured. For instance, the operational definition of a construct such as temperature must specify whether we plan to measure temperature in Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin scale. A construct such as income should be defined in terms of whether we are interested in monthly or annual income, before-tax or after-tax income, and personal or family income. One can imagine that constructs such as learning , personality , and intelligence can be quite hard to define operationally.

A term frequently associated with, and sometimes used interchangeably with, a construct is a variable. Etymologically speaking, a variable is a quantity that can vary (e.g., from low to high, negative to positive, etc.), in contrast to constants that do not vary (i.e., remain constant). However, in scientific research, a variable is a measurable representation of an abstract construct. As abstract entities, constructs are not directly measurable, and hence, we look for proxy measures called variables. For instance, a person’s intelligence is often measured as his or her IQ ( intelligence quotient ) score , which is an index generated from an analytical and pattern-matching test administered to people. In this case, intelligence is a construct, and IQ score is a variable that measures the intelligence construct. Whether IQ scores truly measures one’s intelligence is anyone’s guess (though many believe that they do), and depending on whether how well it measures intelligence, the IQ score may be a good or a poor measure of the intelligence construct. As shown in Figure 2.1, scientific research proceeds along two planes: a theoretical plane and an empirical plane. Constructs are conceptualized at the theoretical (abstract) plane, while variables are operationalized and measured at the empirical (observational) plane. Thinking like a researcher implies the ability to move back and forth between these two planes.

Depending on their intended use, variables may be classified as independent, dependent, moderating, mediating, or control variables. Variables that explain other variables are called independent variables , those that are explained by other variables are dependent variables , those that are explained by independent variables while also explaining dependent variables are mediating variables (or intermediate variables), and those that influence the relationship between independent and dependent variables are called moderating variables . As an example, if we state that higher intelligence causes improved learning among students, then intelligence is an independent variable and learning is a dependent variable. There may be other extraneous variables that are not pertinent to explaining a given dependent variable, but may have some impact on the dependent variable. These variables must be controlled for in a scientific study, and are therefore called control variables .

To understand the differences between these different variable types, consider the example shown in Figure 2.2. If we believe that intelligence influences (or explains) students’ academic achievement, then a measure of intelligence such as an IQ score is an independent variable, while a measure of academic success such as grade point average is a dependent variable. If we believe that the effect of intelligence on academic achievement also depends on the effort invested by the student in the learning process (i.e., between two equally intelligent students, the student who puts is more effort achieves higher academic achievement than one who puts in less effort), then effort becomes a moderating variable. Incidentally, one may also view effort as an independent variable and intelligence as a moderating variable. If academic achievement is viewed as an intermediate step to higher earning potential, then earning potential becomes the dependent variable for the independent variable academic achievement , and academic achievement becomes the mediating variable in the relationship between intelligence and earning potential. Hence, variable are defined as an independent, dependent, moderating, or mediating variable based on their nature of association with each other. The overall network of relationships between a set of related constructs is called a nomological network (see Figure 2.2). Thinking like a researcher requires not only being able to abstract constructs from observations, but also being able to mentally visualize a nomological network linking these abstract constructs.

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Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Evidence-Based? An Update 10 Years Later (2019) Kim, S. Smock Jordan, C. Franklin, & A. Froerer

In 2010, researchers published an article in Families in Society about the observed effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Several of the researchers from the original study reconnected 10 years later to provide an update on the evidence-based status of SFBT as this treatment has become more widely used.

Solution-focused brief therapy evolved from family therapy models led by social workers, and continues to be widely taught and used in social work practice.The SFBT’s core therapeutic process works to highlight the strengths of the client, establishes a cooperative helping relationship, and strives to set collaborative goals with clients to help them build their own solutions.

Furthermore, it’s a method of therapy used in school settings by school social workers. Dr. Cynthia Franklin, one of the publication’s researchers and a founding member of The Texas Social Social Work Network, implemented the first U.S. school-wide solution-focused approach to helping at-risk students at Garza High School in Austin, Texas. Seventeen years later, this school has become a model alternative program that demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of SFBT.

Researchers from this study conducted eight meta-analyses to test the effectiveness and analyze the growing evidence behind SFBT for treating anxiety, stress, depression, behavior problems, and social and interpersonal difficulties. Among these randomized-control studies, the researchers found SFBT to be a valuable intervention across many study sample populations including families, children, adolescents, and adults, in addition to diverse nationalities such as Chinese, Korean, North American, Europeans, Latino and African Americans. This suggests that SFBT is a tool that can be used in various countries with more clientele as it becomes widely accessible on a global scale. Researchers suggest that future studies scale up to include larger clinical trials, which has already begun to happen in studies conducted within child welfare and criminal justice, but needs to extend to other areas where SFBT has shown effectiveness.

Restorative Practices for Empowerment: A Social Work Lens (2020) Lustick, C. Norton, S. Rey Lopez, & J. H. Greene-Rooks

The 21st century marked a change from “zero tolerance” policies– known for exclusionary and punitive measures– towards a focused effort to improve school climates with preventative measures. These changes involve a shift towards restorative practices and a greater emphasis on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

This study observed roughly 900 hours of interviews with faculty, staff, and students at three small public middle schools in the same urban district with equivalent suspension rates to examine the successes and challenges of implementing community-building circles. Community-building circles are a component of restorative practice, which is a school-based version of restorative justice. It emphasizes healing and harm instead of punishing misbehavior. All school staff had undergone some level of restorative practice training for at least a year prior to the study, which included community-building circle facilitation.

The overarching finding from this study was that the success of the restorative practice implementation depended on teachers’ and students’ relationships with each other, the teachers’ familiarity with implementation, and the level of support they received for doing so. Researchers also found that there was a noticeable gap in teachers’ ability to fully implement community-building circles because of a lack of training and constraints associated with their role as teachers.

Teachers often described the circles as unique shared learning experiences to build trust and a capacity for growth. Other teachers reported feeling uncomfortable or disjointed in the circles given their lack of formal training on SEL.

The data from this study illustrated that while community-building circles can be transformative spaces for students and teachers, they can also be spaces for marginalization and distrust. Researchers from this study suggest integrating school social workers into teachers’ restorative practices so that social and emotional learning can be more widely supported, along with circle practices that are explicitly antiracist, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed.

Characteristics of Effective School-Based, Teacher-Delivered Mental Health Services for Children (2020) Park, S. Guz, A. Zhang, S. N. Beretvas, C. Franklin, & J. S. Kim

Access to mental health services is potentially greater for youth in public school settings when social workers and other healthcare services are more easily integrated into students’ lives. However, teachers typically spend much more time with their students than school mental health service professionals, which makes it imperative to build a collaborative relationship between teachers and school social workers.

This study evaluated different program characteristics of teacher-delivered school-based mental health services and how effective these clinical services were for youth. A meta-analysis was conducted using data from a systematic review of nine electronic databases and 19 intervention websites for studies published from 2000 to 2016 about randomized school interventions with teachers. Researchers were looking to answer the question: what role do teachers have in school-based mental health services?

Based on their findings, researchers concluded that the most effective mental and emotional support services teachers provide to their students at the classroom level is in medium length rather than brief interventions (e.g., 8 weeks of classroom instructions on a certain psycho-educational topic, such as substance use). Group and general mental health interventions, however, were seen as less effective when delivered by teachers. This could be for a variety of reasons, including a lack of formalized mental health training. Researchers suggest that this tier of intervention work may be more effective for school social workers or other mental health professionals. By combining teachers’ abilities to offer medium length interventions with school social workers’ expertise in group and brief interventions, school professionals have the opportunity to collaborate in ways that more fully support the behavioral and emotional needs of their students.

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How an MSW can improve your research skills

May 3, 2023

View all blog posts under Articles | View all blog posts under Master of Social Work

Research is a critical component of the social work field . Participating in and learning from research projects allows practitioners to contribute to advances in the industry and benefit from the efforts of their peers. Without research, the social work industry can be left without the big-picture awareness of trends and tendencies needed to develop innovative strategies and understand how macro-level issues impact individual cases. As such, developing research skills is often a key component of working in higher-level positions in the industry. Whether that position is in management or clinical practice, research skills can be helpful.

Pursuing a Master of Social Work degree can help you gain the research skills needed to engage with the analysis taking place in the sector, and coursework on research practices is critical as the social work industry presents unique considerations that aren’t present in other disciplines.

Research in the social work sector

There are certain elements of research that will apply across any industry. For example, professionals hoping to perform or interpret research will need a basic understanding of statistics best practices so they can understand how to make sense of the raw data associated with a study. However, most industries will have their own unique components to research. A report from the Social Care Institute for Excellence explains that social work research does incorporate many practices from other disciplines, such as anthropology and psychology , not to mention sociology. Besides borrowing from these fields, social work research is heavily dependent on a deep awareness of the ethical issues underpinning social work. Researchers must also be aware of their place in the research process, such as if they are providing clinical care to research subjects, potentially creating a bias.

Ultimately, the Social Care Institute for Excellence pointed out two key research priorities that are unique to social work: challenging inequality and oppression in the research process and understanding that the perspective of all participants must be properly incorporated into the research process.

Research and social work practice

The process of incorporating research into everyday social work operations is often built around the idea of evidence-based practice. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) explained that the idea of evidence-based practice has been applied in diverse ways across a wide range of industries. However, the social work sector has developed a fairly established definition of evidence-based practice that is supported by a wide consensus in the sector. In simplest terms, the NASW defines evidence-based practice as:

Identifying a client or organizational need that can be used to formulate a clear answerable question
Evaluating and gathering evidence to answer that question
Analyzing evidence for quality and applicability
Applying what has been learned in this process to practice
Assessing how the adjusted practices based on gathered evidence impacts the effectiveness of your solution

This process of completing research and applying it to practice requires a blend of clinical and research skills. The NASW explained that evidence-based practice also requires a deep understanding of ethics and industry culture.

The importance of evidence-based research creates a situation in which research not only directly informs clinical practice but also occurs in parallel with day-to-day social work operations. Research isn’t exclusively performed in backroom studies, but is often a matter of guided work with clients in which all parties know that the work being done may contribute to a research report. This situation was unpacked in Social Work Practice in Healthcare , from SAGE Publications. Chapter six of the book is centered around practice-based research in health care social work. It discusses how research provides empirical evidence to assess clinical strategies, such as in evidence-based practice, while also allowing for practice evaluation by building research methods into everyday social work tasks.

According to the publication, social workers often face pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of their efforts, especially when financial issues put a strain on resource availability. Performing practice evaluation using industry research best practices can help practitioners assess the work they are doing. This process requires working closely with clients to get them to participate in the research to gather the feedback necessary to inform conclusions.

Developing social work research skills through an MSW

Social work research is an expansive field, impacting everything from assessing big-picture health trends to performing niche analysis on the value of everyday practices. As such, individuals hoping to engage with research need highly specific skills and a deep understanding of the various industry issues that impact analysis. For example, the ethical issue of how to properly manage research that involves clients is a critical situation. How do you protect patient privacy? How do you organize the research project and integrate it into work with clients so that it doesn’t detract from meeting client goals? These types of questions highlight the kinds of discussions that you can expect to engage in as you pursue an MSW.

Most MSW programs, including the online MSW at Regis College , provide specific coursework on research in the social work field. These classes cover best practices, practical skills, industry regulations, and similar issues that professionals need to understand as they perform research studies or engage in peer review processes. For the most part, MSW programs will include a single course on research best practices and provide a foundation that could be built upon through more nuanced study for those particularly interested in the subject.

The dedicated study of research best practice in social work isn’t the only way MSW students can expect to develop skills associated with research in the industry. For example, courses will often discuss topics such as ethics and the overarching operational systems that dictate work in the social work sector. These topics are highly relevant to research and can provide critical context into research. Practical experience working under the supervision of a clinical social worker can also be helpful, as that experience may incorporate seeing a research project in action or discussing past research efforts with the supervisor.

Do you want to learn more about how an MSW can help you gain research skills? We’d love to talk some more about how we can help you develop these skills through our online masters social work degree .

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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.

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4.2 Writing a good research question

Learning objectives.

Identify and explain the seven key features of a good research question
Explain why it is important for social workers to be focused when creating a research question

Now that you’ve thought about what topics interest you and identified a topic that asks an empirical question about a target population, you need to form a research question about that topic. So, what makes a good research question? First, it is generally written in the form of a question. To say that your research question is “the opiate epidemic” or “animal assisted therapy” or “oppression” would not be correct. You need to frame your topic as a question , not a statement. A good research question is also one that is well-focused. A well-focused question helps you tune out irrelevant information and not try to answer everything about the world all at once. You could be the most eloquent writer in your class, or even in the world, but if the research question about which you are writing is unclear, your work will ultimately fall flat.

In addition to being written in the form of a question and being well-focused, a good research question is one that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. For example, if your interest is in gender norms, you could ask, “Does gender affect a person’s performance of household tasks?” but you will have nothing left to say once you discover your yes or no answer. Instead, why not ask, about the relationship between gender and household tasks. Alternatively, maybe we are interested in h ow or to what extent gender affects a person’s contributions to housework in a marriage? By tweaking your question in this small way, you suddenly have a much more fascinating question and more to say as you attempt to answer it.

a human head in silhouette with questions populating the inside of the head

A good research question should also have more than one plausible answer. The student who studied the relationship between gender and household tasks had a specific interest in the impact of gender, but she also knew that preferences might be impacted by other factors. For example, she knew from her own experience that her more traditional and socially conservative friends were more likely to see household tasks as part of the female domain and were less likely to expect their male partners to contribute to those tasks. Thinking through the possible relationships between gender, culture, and household tasks led that student to realize that there were many plausible answers to her questions about how gender affects a person’s contribution to household tasks. Because gender doesn’t exist in a vacuum, she wisely felt that she needed to consider other characteristics that work together with gender to shape people’s behaviors, likes, and dislikes. By doing this, the student considered the third feature of a good research question–she thought about the interconnections of several concepts. While she began with an interest in a single concept—household tasks—by asking herself what other concepts (such as gender or political orientation) might be related to her original interest, she was able to form a question that considered the associations among those concepts.

This student had one final component to consider. Social work research questions must contain a target population. Her study would be very different if she were to conduct it on older Americans or younger newly arrived immigrants. The target population is the group of people whose needs your study addresses. If the student noticed issues with household tasks as part of her work with first-generation immigrants, perhaps that would be her target population. Maybe she wants to address the needs of a community of older adults. Whatever the case, the target population should be chosen while keeping in mind social work’s responsibility to work on behalf of marginalized and oppressed groups.

In sum, a good research question generally has the following features:

It is written in the form of a question
It is clearly written
It is not a yes/no
It has more than one plausible answer
It considers connections among multiple variables
It is specific and clear about the concepts it addresses
It contains a target population

Key Takeaways

A poorly focused research question can lead to the demise of an otherwise well-executed study.
Research questions should address the needs of a target population.
Target population- group of people whose needs your study addresses

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Question by johnhain cc-0.

Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions Copyright © 2020 by Rebecca Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Social Work Literature Review Guidelines

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Literature reviews are designed to do two things: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and 2) demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study, in this case, social work.

Unlike annotated bibliographies which are lists of references arranged alphabetically that include the bibliographic citation and a paragraph summary and critique for each source, literature reviews can be incorporated into a research paper or manuscript. You may quote or paraphrase from the sources, and all references to sources should include in-text parenthetical citations with a reference list at the end of the document. Sometimes, however, an instructor may require a separate literature review document and will have specific instructions for completing the assignment.

Below you will find general guidelines to consider when developing a literature review in the field of social work. Because social work is a social science field, you will most likely be required to use APA style. Please see our APA materials for information on creating parenthetical citations and reference lists.

1. Choose a variety of articles that relate to your subject, even if they do not directly answer your research question. You may find articles that loosely relate to the topic, rather than articles that you find using an exact keyword search. At first, you may need to cast a wide net when searching for sources.

For example: If your research question focuses on how people with chronic illnesses are treated in the workplace, you may be able to find some articles that address this specific question. You may also find literature regarding public perception of people with chronic illnesses or analyses of current laws affecting workplace discrimination.

2. Select the most relevant information from the articles as it pertains to your subject and your purpose. Remember, the purpose of the literature review is to demonstrate how your research question fits into a larger field of study.

3. Critically examine the articles. Look at methodology, statistics, results, theoretical framework, the author's purpose, etc. Include controversies when they appear in the articles.

For example: You should look for the strengths and weaknesses of how the author conducted the study. You can also decide whether or not the study is generalizable to other settings or whether the findings relate only to the specific setting of the study. Ask yourself why the author conducted the study and what he/she hoped to gain from the study. Look for inconsistencies in the results, as well.

4. Organize your information in the way that makes most sense. Some literature reviews may begin with a definition or general overview of the topic. Others may focus on another aspect of your topic. Look for themes in the literature or organize by types of study.

For example: Group case studies together, especially if all the case studies have related findings, research questions, or other similarities.

5. Make sure the information relates to your research question/thesis. You may need to explicitly show how the literature relates to the research question; don't assume that the connection is obvious.

6. Check to see that you have done more than simply summarize your sources. Your literature review should include a critical assessment of those sources. For more information, read the Experimental Psychology - Writing a Literature Review handout for questions to think about when reading sources.

7. Be sure to develop questions for further research. Again, you are not simply regurgitating information, but you are assessing and leading your reader to questions of your own, questions and ideas that haven't been explored yet or haven't been addressed in detail by the literature in the field.

MSW Student Handbook
Section 3: MSW Curriculum and Degree Requirements

3.2 Social Work Core Competencies

The social work core competencies.

The MSW curriculum is organized around a set of social work core competencies, representing the dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. Berkeley MSW students are assessed throughout the course of their graduate study on progress to achieving each of the following social work competencies established for the Berkeley MSW Program:

Competency #1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:

make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context.
use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations.
demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication.
use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes.
use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.
infuse social work principles and interactions with clients and other relevant stakeholders.

Competency #2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:

apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences.
apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.
use inclusive strategies that carefully consider the context of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and/or communities and challenge common assumptions, solicit ideas, and gain inspiration from clients and other relevant stakeholders.

Competency #3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers:

apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels.
engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
facilitate team and coalition-building and other collaborative strategies for promoting system change designed to reduce social and economic inequities.

Competency #4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:

use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research.
apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings.
use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.
use strategies that reduce gaps between science and social work practice including the translation of research findings into social work practice and policy.

Competency #5: Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services.
assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services.
apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
assess and respond to the political, resource, and technology environments that shape policy practice to effectively advocate for social and economic justice.

Competency #6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. Social workers:

apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies.
use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.
demonstrate high quality, evidence-informed engagement skills to address complex systems related to client or community needs in different fields of practice.

Competency #7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making. Social workers:

collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies.
apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies.
develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies.
select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.
demonstrate high quality, evidence-informed assessment skills to address and monitor complex systems related to client or community needs in different fields of practice.

Competency #8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration. Social workers:

critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies.
apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies.
use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes.
negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies.
facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.
demonstrate high quality, evidence-informed intervention skills to address complex systems related to client or community needs in different fields of practice.

Competency #9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. Social workers:

select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes.
critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes.
apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
demonstrate evaluation skills to monitor complex systems related to client or community needs in different fields of practice.

IMAGES

Foundations of Social Work Research
(PDF) The Science of Social Work and Its Relationship to Social Work
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Social work research- Approaches of social science research
Research Design in Social Work, Part –I

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Back to the Future: Using Social Work Research to Improve Social Work
Abstract This article traces themes over time for conducting social work research to improve social work practice. The discussion considers 3 core themes: (a) the scientific practitioner, including different models for applying this perspective to research and practice; (b) intervention research; and (c) implementation science. While not intended to be a comprehensive review of these themes ...
233 Brilliant Social Work Research Topics To Use
Social works as a field of study fall within the social sciences, as a result of this the field of study deals with the use of questioning as an approach to arrive at a conclusive and reflective answer (empirical evidence). This is why research in this field deals with data collection, data analysis, experimentations, investigation, etc.
1. Science and social work
Chapter outline. How do social workers know what to do? (12 minute read time) The scientific method (16 minute read time); Evidence-based practice (11 minute read time); Social work research (10 minute read time); Content warning: Examples in this chapter contain references to school discipline, child abuse, food insecurity, homelessness, poverty and anti-poverty stigma, anti-vaccination ...
5.3 Social work research paradigms
For example, all social work research is a bit activist in that our research projects are designed to inform action for change on behalf of clients and systems. However, some projects will focus on the conclusions and implications of projects informing social change (i.e., positivist and constructivist projects) while others will partner with ...
Issues
An official journal of the National Association of Social Workers. Publishes exemplary research to advance the development of knowledge and inform social work practice.
Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions
For example, a social worker might have a question about the "shape" of a problem defined as sexual violence victimization. Data from the United States' 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) indicated that over 36% of woman (1 in 3) and 17% of men (1 in 6) have experienced sexual violence involving ...
11.1 Evaluation research
Evaluation research is a part of all social workers' toolkits. It ensures that social work interventions achieve their intended effects. This protects our clients and ensures that money and other resources are not spent on programs that do not work. Evaluation research uses the skills of quantitative and qualitative research to ensure clients ...
Scientific Inquiry in Social Work
Chapter 1: Introduction to research. Chapter 2: Beginning a research project. Chapter 3: Reading and evaluating literature. Chapter 4: Conducting a literature review. Chapter 5: Ethics in social work research. Chapter 6: Linking methods with theory. Chapter 7: Design and causality. Chapter 8: Creating and refining a research question.
LibGuides: Social Work Research: Literature Reviews
Social Work Literature Review Guidelines. Literature reviews are designed to do two things: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and 2) demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study, in this case, social work. Considerations in Writing a Literature Review.
Quantitative Research Methods for Social Work: Making Social Work Count
This book arose from funding from the Economic and Social Research Council to address the quantitative skills gap in the social sciences. The grants were applied for under the auspices of the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee to upskill social work academics and develop a curriculum resource with teaching aids.
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
13 Implications for Social Work Practice and Research
This final chapter highlights the interconnectedness of values, theory, and field examples, the implications for social work practice, and the appropriateness of employing a social justice lens. Pomeranz's (2008) poignant charge to society to pass obesity- and weight-bias laws challenges the social work profession to be a part of this movement.
Social Work Research and Its Relevance to Practice: "The Gap Between
The findings revealed that social work continues to lack a clear definition of research and produces research that only minimally influences practice, often due to the pressure for social work academics to research and publish in support of their career trajectory within academia versus writing for practitioners.
Heeding the Call: Advances in Social Work Intervention Research
For many years, numerous observers have lamented the paucity of high-quality social work research about what works, for whom, and under what conditions (see for example, Myers & Thyer, 1997; Reid, 2001; Rosen, 1983).However, in recent years a growing number of social work researchers have focused their efforts on investigating the effectiveness of a broad range of social work change strategies.
Research Guides: Social Work: Evidence-Based Practice
EBP - Encyclopedia of Social Work. "Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an educational and practice paradigm that includes a series of predetermined steps aimed at helping practitioners and agency administrators identify, select, and implement efficacious interventions for clients. This entry identifies definitions of EBP and traces the evolution ...
Evidence-Based Practice
In this example, a school social worker might pose a question about the best way to address aggression. ... More intervention research by social work investigators is needed to contribute to the knowledge base of efficacious prevention and treatment approaches. Step 5: Evaluating the Process ...
Survey Research
Research methods for social work. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. This book includes chapters, with an excellent introduction to sampling methods with easy-to-follow examples. A chapter called "Survey Research" essentially refers to survey (or questionnaire) administration methods (interviews, self-administered Internet, telephone).
2.2: Concepts, Constructs, and Variables
As shown in Figure 2.1, scientific research proceeds along two planes: a theoretical plane and an empirical plane. Constructs are conceptualized at the theoretical (abstract) plane, while variables are operationalized and measured at the empirical (observational) plane. Thinking like a researcher implies the ability to move back and forth ...
Integrating Practice Research into Social Work Field Education
Bringing Practice Research and Social Work Field Education Together. In recent years, many social work scholars have described how the profession requires incorporating a greater understanding of research into social work practice (Teater, 2017). ... One of Miller's (2019) strengths in this example is that the author presents the researcher ...
(PDF) Social Work Research and Its Relevance to Practice: "The Gap
The history of social work education may have also contributed to making it difficult for those teaching on university social work courses to engage routinely in research (Orme and Powell, 2007).
Research Practicum: An Experiential Model for Social Work Research
For example, in their quantitative study, Bolin et al. (2012) reported that social work students' beliefs about the usefulness of research was related to their level of interest in research; students who perceived research as important and useful also reported interest in learning about research.
Latest Research in School Social Work
Researchers from this study suggest integrating school social workers into teachers' restorative practices so that social and emotional learning can be more widely supported, along with circle practices that are explicitly antiracist, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed. Access to mental health services is potentially greater for youth ...
Developing research skills with an MSW
The dedicated study of research best practice in social work isn't the only way MSW students can expect to develop skills associated with research in the industry. For example, courses will often discuss topics such as ethics and the overarching operational systems that dictate work in the social work sector. These topics are highly relevant ...
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.
How to Become a Research Social Worker in 2023
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.
2.3 Inductive and deductive reasoning
Theories structure and inform social work research. So, too, does research structure and inform theory. ... There are many good examples of inductive research, but we'll look at just a few here. One fascinating study in which the researchers took an inductive approach is Katherine Allen, Christine Kaestle, and Abbie Goldberg's (2011) study ...
4.2 Writing a good research question
For example, she knew from her own experience that her more traditional and socially conservative friends were more likely to see household tasks as part of the female domain and were less likely to expect their male partners to contribute to those tasks. ... Social work research questions must contain a target population. Her study would be ...
Social Work Literature Review Guidelines
Because social work is a social science field, you will most likely be required to use APA style. ... For example: If your research question focuses on how people with chronic illnesses are treated in the workplace, you may be able to find some articles that address this specific question. You may also find literature regarding public ...
3.2 Social Work Core Competencies
The Social Work Core Competencies. The MSW curriculum is organized around a set of social work core competencies, representing the dimensions of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. ... research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction ...
3.3 Refining your question
Another mnemonic technique used in the social sciences for narrowing a topic is SPICE. An example of how SPICE factors can be used to develop a research question is given below: Setting - for example, a college campus Perspective - for example, college students Intervention - for example, text message reminders

233 Social Work Research Topics: Helpful List For Students

Social Work Research Topics

Social Work Research Questions

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Interesting Social Work Topics

Controversial Topics in Social Work

Social Work Thesis Topics

Social Work Topics for Presentation

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1 1. Science and social work

1.1 How do social workers know what to do?

What would you do?

How do social workers know what to do?

Errors in thinking

Errors in reasoning

Key Takeaways

1.2 The scientific method

Science and not-science

Skepticism and debate

Science supported by empirical data

Objective truth

Subjective truth(s)

Mixed methods

Finding patterns

A final note on qualitative and quantitative methods

1.3 Evidence-based practice

Social workers as research consumers

Evidence-based practice

Social workers as research producers

1.4 Social work research

Formal and informal research roles

Research for action

Student anxieties and beliefs about research

I’m never going to use this crap!

Research is only for super-smart people

Research is designed to suck the joy from my life

Get out of your own way

The structure of this textbook

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Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions

Translational Science

Research Questions

Social Work Questions

Three Question Types and Their Associated Research Aims

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Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

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Table of Contents

Ancillary Material

About the Book

About the Contributors

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Social Work Research: Literature Reviews

Using A Literature Review

Conducting a Literature Review & Other Research Methods

What is a Literature Review?

Thinking About A Literature Review

Literature Reviews: An Overview

Additional How-To Guides

Social Work Research

Getting Started with Social Work Research

Writing a Research Paper

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13 Implications for Social Work Practice and Research

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Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

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