NOTE: Before purchasing, check with your instructor to ensure you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab products exist for each title, and registrations are not transferable. To register for and use Pearson's MyLab products, you will also need a Course ID, which your instructor will provide.   Used books, rentals, and purchases made outside of Pearson If purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson, the access codes for Pearson's MyLab products may not be included, may be incorrect, or may be previously redeemed. Check with the seller before completing your purchase.   For courses in Research Methods in Social Work. This ISBN provides access to Pearson MyLab™ with Enhanced Pearson eText. Helps current and future social work professionals become evidence-based practitioners. Research Methods for Social Workers, Eighth Edition is written in a crisp, straightforward style and refers to contemporary social work practice on virtually every page. Examples are real and reflect situations that social workers encounter every day. The authors present research as a logical, non-intimidating activity that is inextricably linked to social work practice. The text contains no unnecessary research terminology or references to obscure understanding, and necessary terminology is italicized and explained. Even students with no prior research background will find it interesting and easy to understand.   All content is consistent with both current Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation standards and curriculum policy guidelines. This revision is now a part of Pearson Education’s Connecting Core Competencies series–comprised of foundation-level texts that foster student success in learning the core competencies as stated in 2015 by the Council on Social Work Education.

Table of Contents:
Brief Table of Contents 1. Toward Evidence-Based Practice   2. Ethical Issues in Research  3. Developing Research Problems and Research Questions  4. Conducting the Literature Review and Developing Research Hypotheses 5. Quantitative Research 6. Qualitative Research Methods   7. Evaluating Programs   8. Evaluating Individual Practice Effectiveness  9. Sampling Issues and Options   10. Measurement Concepts and Issues  11. Methods for Acquiring Research Data  12. Data Collection Instruments   13. Analyzing Data   14. Writing the Research Report and Disseminating Research Findings   Detailed Table of Contents   1. Toward Evidence-Based Practice   Historical Antecedents   Evidence-Based Practice         Research and Practice: More Similar Than Different   Sources of Knowledge       Alternative Knowledge Sources         Faulty Knowledge Can Promote Stereotypes         The Scientific Alternative   Categorizations of Research       Types of Knowledge Derived From Scientific Research       Basic and Applied Research         Quantitative and Qualitative Research   The Current Climate for Social Work Research   Summary   Chapter Review 2. Ethical Issues in Research  What Are Ethics?  Examples of Research Participant Abuse        The Nazi and Japanese Medical Experiments        The Tuskegee Public Health Studies        The Milgram Studies of Obedience to Authority       The Stanford Prison Experiment       The Laud Humphreys Studies of Homosexual Behavior      The Willowbrook Hepatitis Study Today’s Standards for Protection of Research Participants         Institutional Review Boards        Voluntary Informed Consent       No Unnecessary Pain and Suffering        Anonymity/Confidentiality        Need to Conduct the Research Contemporary Issues Related to Research “Volunteers”         Are Research Volunteers Truly Voluntary?         Dual-Role Relationships         Using Deception in Research       Withholding Treatment and Use of Placebos        Availability of Experimental Interventions  Other Ethical Obligations of Social Work Researchers  Summary   Chapter Review 3. Developing Research Problems and Research Questions  Why We Begin with Research Problems  Identifying Potential Research Problems        Setting Problem Priorities        Identifying and Specifying the Research Problem   Developing Research Questions  Qualitative versus Quantitative Questions        Developing Quantitative Research Questions       Developing Qualitative Research Questions       Qualitative versus Quantitative Research Process Summary  Chapter Review 4. Conducting the Literature Review and Developing Research Hypotheses What Is a Review of Literature?  Purposes of a Review of Literature Potential Sources for the Literature Review       Popular Sources       Other, More Questionable Sources Using Internet Searches to Locate Information Sources Focused Research Questions Research Hypotheses       Related Definitions       Types of Relationships between Variables       Types of Research Hypotheses       When Are Research Hypotheses Appropriate?       Wording of Research Hypotheses Summary Chapter Review 5. Quantitative Research What Is a Research Design?   Categorizations of Research Designs   Cross-Sectional, Pretest-Posttest, and Longitudinal Designs        Cross-Sectional Design      Pretest-Posttest Design      Longitudinal Design Exploratory, Descriptive, and Explanatory Studies         Exploratory Research         Descriptive Research         Explanatory Research   Pre-Experimental, Experimental, and Quasi-Experimental Designs         Pre-experimental Designs         Experimental Designs         Quasi-Experimental Designs   Characteristics of a Good Research Design         Internal Validity         External Validity   Summary   Chapter Review 6. Qualitative Research Methods   Key Characteristics of Qualitative Research Observer-Participant Role Qualitative Research Techniques      Sampling Techniques      Data Collection Techniques      Data Analysis Techniques Qualitative Research Paradigms      The Case Study      Grounded Theory      Ethnographic Research      Cross-Cultural Research      Feminist Research      Participatory Action Research Evaluation Criteria for Qualitative Research   Summary   Chapter Review 7. Evaluating Programs   Systematic Reviews Meta-analysis What is Program Evaluation?      Use of Logic Models      Why we Conduct Program Evaluations      Historical Background Types of Program Evaluations      Needs Assessments      Formative Evaluations      Outcome Evaluations Issues involved in Conducting Program Evaluations      Determining the Appropriate Design      Who Conducts Program Evaluations?      Participating in Program Evaluations      Other Ethical Issues Summary Chapter Review 8. Evaluating Individual Practice Effectiveness  Supervisor Feedback Consumer Feedback Goal Attainment Scaling Single-System Evaluation      Differences between Group Designs and Single-System Evaluation Designs      Terminology      When are Single-System Evaluations Appropriate?      Elements of Single-System Evaluations      Single-System Evaluation Designs      Strengths and Weaknesses of Single-System Evaluations      Ethical Issues Summary   Chapter Review 9. Sampling Issues and Options   Terminology   Case         Universe, Theoretical Population, and Accessible Population         Sampling Frame         Sample         Representativeness         Size         Sampling Error         Sampling Bias         Statistic and Parameter         Random Selection         Random Sample         Summary of Terms   Probability Sampling          Simple Random Sampling        Systematic Random Sampling         Stratified Sampling        Cluster Sampling   Nonprobability Sampling        Convenience Sampling         Purposive Sampling         Snowball Sampling         Quota Sampling   Selecting a Good Sample       Available Resources         Overall Design and Purpose of the Study       Statistical Analyses to Be Used        The Importance of Sample Representativeness Summary   Chapter Review 10. Measurement Concepts and Issues  What Is Measurement in Research?   Preparation for Measurement         Conceptualization        Operationalization  Levels of Measurement         Nominal Level        Ordinal Level         Interval Level        Ratio Level         More on Levels of Measurement  Criteria for Good Measurement        Reliability         Validity  Sources of Measurement Error  Summary   Chapter Review 11. Methods for Acquiring Research Data  Secondary Data Analysis         Sources         Different Uses         Tasks Required         Advantages         Limitations   Oral Histories   Client Logs Systematic Observation         Unstructured Observation       Structured Observation   Surveys         Potential for Distortion         Identity of the Participant         Return Rate         Response Bias   Interviews         In-Person Interviews       Group Interviews       Telephone Interviews Electronic Communications   Summary   Chapter Review 12. Data Collection Instruments   Fixed-Alternative and Open-Ended Items   Composite Indexes and Scales         Composite Indexes         Scales   Using Existing Data Collection Instruments   Revising Existing Data Collection Instruments   Constructing New Data Collection Instruments         Issues in Development   Use of Self-Administered Data Collection Instruments         Advantages         Supervised Administration   Summary   Chapter Review 13. Analyzing Data   The Data in Perspective   Preparing for Data Analysis   Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis       Qualitative Analysis         Quantitative Analysis   Uses of Statistical Analyses        Designing Research       Summarizing the Distribution of Variables       Estimating the Characteristics of a Population       Answering Research Questions and Testing Hypotheses  Interpreting and Reporting the Results   Summary   Chapter Review 14. Writing the Research Report and Disseminating Research Findings   Main Sections of the Research Report      Title      Abstract      Introduction      Review of the Literature      Statement of Research Questions and Hypotheses      Methodology      Findings      Discussion      Limitations      Recommendations for Future Research, Implications for Social Work, and Conclusions      References and Appendices Quantitative versus Qualitative Research Reports Referencing in a Research Report Role of Researcher in the Research Report Disseminating Research Findings      Internal Correspondence and In-Service Training      Professional Conferences      Professional Journals      Monographs, Dissertations, and Theses Summary   Chapter Review References   Photo Credits   Index