Research Methods for Social Work, 1e, is easy to read and understand yet fully covers all of the Council of Social Work Education accreditation standards. This is the perfect introduction to research methods for beginning social work students as well as instructors or professionals who do not usually conduct research. The topic of research is presented through the use of concepts that are relevant to Social Work practice as well as interesting and enjoyable to the reader. The role of critical consumer skills and technology in the practice of social work is stressed throughout. Illustrations, charts, graphs, and case vignettes are used in each chapter to reinforce concepts and enhance understanding.

Table of Contents:
Each chapter concludes with “Discussion Questions.” 1. Why Social Workers Need Research? Research as a Source of Knowledge. What is Research? The Distinctiveness of Scientific Research. Similarities Between Social Work Practice and the Scientific Research Process. Consumer and Producer Roles. Using Critical Thinking Skills as Consumers and Producers. Why Do Social Work Researchers Conduct Studies? The Research Topics of Interest to Social Workers. The Book's Perspective About the People Who are Studied. 2. The Philosophies and Purposes of Research. Inductive and Deductive Philosophies. Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies. Some Specialized Areas in Social Work Research. Critical Thinking and Social Work Research. 3. Research Ethics and Social Work's Mandates. Ethical Problems in Research. Ethical Safeguards of Research. Special Mandates of Social Work. 4. Understanding the Research Topic. What Issues Affect Problem Selection? Research Topics and Social Work. Tips on Completing Literature Searches. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 5. Defining and Measuring Concepts. Concepts, Variables, Values, and Constants. Understanding Measurement. How Knowledge is Generated. Quantitative and Qualitative Measurements. Levels of Measurement. Validity and Reliability. Standardized Scales. Goal Attainment Scales for Evaluating Social Work Practice. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 6. Focusing a Research Study. Exploratory Studies Ask General Research Questions. Explanatory Studies Test Hypotheses. Three Conditions of Causal Relationships. Practical Uses of Hypotheses. Generating Hypotheses. Focusing a Research Study and the Consumer Role. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 7. Designing the Study. Review of Prior Steps. Considering Secondary Research. Is the Study Exploratory or Explanatory? Three Key Questions. An Illustration of an Exploratory Study. An Illustration of an Exploratory Study. Designing a Study and the Consumer Role. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 8. Considering Sampling Techniques. Important Sampling Concepts. Selecting a Sample. Probability and Non-Probability Sampling. Types of Probability Sampling. Types of Non-Probability Sampling. Using Combinations of Sampling Approaches. Sample Size. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 9. Constructing Surveys. Using Interviews in Research. Using Questionnaires in Research. Similarities Between Data Collection in Research and Social Work. Importance of High Response Rates. Validity and Reliability Issues. Considering the Advantages of Interviews and Questionnaires. How to Construct a Survey. Constructing Qualitative Surveys. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 10. Constructing Observational Studies. Conducting Structured Observations. Conducting Unstructured Observations. The Ethical Problems of Observing Covertly. Advantages of Observational Research. Validity and Reliability Issues. How to Construct an Observational Data Collection Instrument. Observing Social Artifacts and Other Non-Human Entities. Examples of Observations in Social Work Settings. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 11. Exploring Causal Relationships: Quasi-Experimental, Experimental and Single System Designs. The Relevance of Causal Relationships in Social Work Practice. Claiming that the Intervention Makes a Difference. Documenting the Impact of Social Work Interventions. Group Designs for Exploring Causal Relationships. Research Designs for Exploring Causal Relationships. Validity and Group Designs. Using Single System Designs for Practice Evaluations. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 12. Collecting the Data. Differences Between Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection. Training for Data Collection. Preparation for Collecting Data. Considering the Influence of the Personal Characteristics of the Researcher. Collecting the Data and the Consumer Role. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 13. Analyzing Data: Transforming Data into “Information.” What Is Data Analysis? Planning for Data Analysis. Quantitative Versus Qualitative Data Analysis. Analyzing Data and the Consumer Role. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 14. Quantitative Data Analysis. Coding the Data. Descriptive Statistics for Data Analysis. Bi-Variate Statistics for Data Analysis. Working with a Data Set. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 15. Qualitative Data Analysis. Varied Types of Qualitative Data. How is Qualitative Data Analyzed? Option 1: Case Studies. Option 2: Summarizing Responses for Open-Ended Questions. Option 3: Theme Analysis. Data Collection Approaches and the Three Options. Other Types of Qualitative Data Analysis. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice. 16. Preparing a Report. Task A: Highlighting Background Material on the Study. Task B: Focusing the Findings. Task C. Developing Recommendations. Task D: Writing or Presenting the Report. Reporting on the Research and the Consumer Role. Summary of Values and Ethics, Diversity, At-Risk Groups, and Social Justice.