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Social Work Research Methods
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Social Work Research Methods
Learning by Doing

First Edition
January 2019 | 544 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Social Work Research Methods is a step-by-step journey through the process of conducting research. With over 30 years of teaching experience, author Reginald O. York helps readers discover how research can enable them to better serve clients in the field. Each chapter features a hands-on approach to producing research, with practical chapter exercises that reinforce methods mastery. Using their own data, students engage in realistic research activities and gain an appreciation for science-informed practice as a means of evaluating client outcomes.

 


 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Part 1: The Fundamentals of Science and Social Work Research
 
Chapter 1: Science, Research, and Social Work Practice
How do we Know what we Know?

 
Avoiding Errors in Decision Making

 
Science as a Way of Knowing

 
Science and Critical Thinking

 
Social Work Practice and Science

 
Common Sense and the Scientific Method

 
Pseudoscience as an Alternative to Science

 
Applying the Basic Principles of Science: Does the Full Moon Make Us Different?

 
 
Chapter 2: Purposes and Processes of Social Work Research
Four Purposes of Social Work Research

 
Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement

 
The Research Process

 
 
Chapter 3: Ethics and Cultural Competence in Social Work Research
Section A: Ethics in the Use of Human Subjects in Research

 
Section B: Cultural Competence in Social Work Research

 
 
Chapter 4: Evidence-based Practice
The Nature of Evidence and Evidence-based Practice

 
Steps in the Process of Evidence-based Practice

 
Critical Appraisal of Evidence-based Practice

 
 
Part 2: Conducting Different Types of Social Work Research
 
Chapter 5: Conducting Research that Employs Social Surveys
The Nature of the Social Survey

 
Types of Social Surveys

 
When to Use Each Type of Survey

 
Conducting Your Own Social Survey

 
Composing Your Own Questionnaire

 
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Survey

 
 
Chapter 6: Conducting Research That Describes People: What Are the Traits That Describe the Good Manager?
Preliminary Step for Practice Exercise 2 for This Chapter

 
Types of Social Work Research

 
The Phases of Descriptive Research

 
 
Chapter 7: Conducting Research That Explains Things: What Explains Life Satisfaction?
The Four Major Phases of Explanatory Research

 
An Explanatory Research Study Example: Does Stress or Social Support Explain Life Satisfaction?

 
Chapter Appendix: Questionnaire for Study of Life Satisfaction

 
 
Chapter 8: Conducting Research that Evaluates Services
The Parts of the Evaluation System

 
The Phases of Outcome Evaluation Research

 
Research Example: Are the Services of the New Horizons Treatment Program Effective in the Reduction of Depression for Adult Clients?

 
Chapter Appendix: Statistical Analysis of the Data for the New Horizons Treatment Program

 
 
Chapter 9: Conducting Qualitative Research that Explores the Unknown
Exploratory Research and Qualitative Research Methods

 
What Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Research Have in Common

 
The Phases of Exploratory Research Employing Qualitative Research Methods

 
Approaches to Qualitative Research

 
Data Collection in Qualitative Research

 
Data Analysis in Qualitative Research

 
 
Chapter 10: Conducting Program Evaluations
What Does Your Agency Do to Evaluate Programs?

 
The Nature of Program Evaluations

 
Advantages of Program Evaluations

 
Characteristics of Good Programs

 
Finding Evidence for Human Service Programs

 
Types of Program Evaluations

 
The Logic Model as a Way of Portraying Critical Aspects of the Program Evaluation

 
Some Qualitative Approaches for Program Evaluation

 
Issues in Program Evaluation

 
 
Part 3: Conducting Each Phase of Social Work Research
 
Chapter 11: Developing Your Knowledge Base and Intervention
Purpose and Knowledge as the Foundation for the Research Study

 
The Literature Review for a Research Study

 
Describing the Intervention or Program

 
Preliminary Information for the Practice Exercises

 
 
Chapter 12: Drawing Your Study Sample
The Study Sample and the Study Population

 
Generalization of Study Results

 
Sampling Error

 
Sampling Elements, Sampling Frames, and Sampling Intervals

 
Random Samples and Scientific Generalization

 
Nonrandom Samples and Logical Generalization

 
 
Chapter 13: Measuring Your Study Variables
Why Fret Over Measurement?

 
The Nature of Measurement in Social Work Research

 
Standardized Tools and Individualized Tools

 
Measurement Error

 
Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Measurement

 
Securing the Tool for Measuring Your Study Variables

 
Evaluating Measurement Tools

 
Tips for Developing Your Own Measurement Tool

 
Computing the Score for Your Scale

 
Describing Your Measurement Tool

 
Determining Practical Significance With Your Measurement Method

 
Special Challenges of the Single-Subject Research Study

 
Individualized Scales as an Option

 
 
Chapter 14: Selecting a Research Design for a Group Evaluation Study
The Nature of Causation in Research

 
Threats to Internal Validity

 
What Threats Should Be of Special Concern in My Situation?

 
Two General Types of Research Designs

 
Group Research Designs

 
Preexperimental Designs That Fail to Address Threats to Internal Validity

 
Quasi-Experimental Designs That Address Causation Minimally

 
Experimental Designs That Address Threats Optimally

 
Summary of Group Research Designs

 
 
Chapter 15: Selecting a Research Design for a Single Client
The Nature of the Single-Subject Research Study

 
Single-Subject Designs that Fail to Address Maturation or History

 
Single-Subject Designs that Address Maturation

 
Single-Subject Designs That Address Both Maturation and History

 
Data Analysis for Single-Subject Research

 
 
Chapter 16: Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions
Using Descriptive Statistics to Describe People

 
Using Inferential Statistic to Test Your Hypothesis in Explanatory Research

 
Questions You Must Answer to Find Your Statistic in Explanatory Research

 
Finding Your Statistic in Explanatory Research

 
Interpreting Data in Explanatory Research

 
Using Inferential Statistics to Test Your Hypothesis When You Are Evaluating Practice

 
Presenting Your Study Conclusions

 
Chapter Appendix: Instructions for Using an Internet Website to Analyze Data

 
 
Chapter 17: Analyzing Qualitative Data
An Overview of Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Narrative Analysis

 
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site

study.sagepub.com/yorkswrm

Free online resources for instructors accompany this text on a password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation.

"This book provides hands-on knowledge to student learners in a way that grounds their classroom learning with professional practice expectations."

Dione Moultrie King
University of Alabama at Birmingham

"This is a research book for social workers that has social work cases and explains in detail the applicability to research situations. Research is explained in a simple way for social work students."

Claudia Moreno
Dominican College

"A solid text that addresses the goals of the course and competencies in the field."

Julie Schroeder
Jackson State University
Key features
KEY FEATURES:
  • A “learn by doing” approach woven throughout the text helps students apply knowledge to practice.
  • A three-part structure introduces the fundamentals of research methods, the different types of social work research, and the use of data analysis for evaluation of social work practice.
  • Chapter-opening vignettes illustrate the value of chapter content to the practicing social worker.
  • Chapter-ending practice exercises provide opportunities to apply chapter knowledge and gain a better understanding of research competencies.
  • Practical guidelines for data analysis show students how to use the Internet to analyze data with simple step-by-step instructions.
  • Discussion questions provide opportunities to spark class discussions and help students reflect on critical concepts.
  • Chapter tests, lists of key learnings, and glossaries at the end of chapters serve as convenient tools for reviewing key concepts and definitions.

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