Research Methods for Social Workers – Flashcards

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Maintains that social workers: - use practice experience to inform research - employ evidence-based interventions - evaluate their own practice - use research findings to improve practice, policy, and social service delivery - comprehend qualitative and qualitative research - understand scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge
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Standard 2.1.6
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Evidence-Based Practice: a process designed to help social workers make important decisions regarding the care they provide their clients
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EBP
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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
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NASW definition of EBP
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What the best research on the question has suggested Our own practice experience and expertise The values and preferences of the clients we serve
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EBP entails a careful consideration of
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1. research findings should be practice relevant 2. specific applications to practice should be contained in research reports 3. research findings should be disseminated effectively 4. practitioners should possess both the skill and the incentive to assess and to change their practice behavior based on research knowledge
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Kirk's 4 objectives for research in social work
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1. consumer of research 2. creator and disseminator of knowledge 3. contributing partner
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Garvin: 3 overlapping research roles that the social work practitioner can play
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social work practice should closely resemble scientific research
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Science-Practitioner model central premise
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Logic: assumptions that we take as knowledge because they are widely believed to be true/fact Tradition: belief that something is true because it has never been challenged Authority: belief in information provided by an "authority" or an "expert"
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Sources of knowledge
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a/k/a scientific thinking: a particular way of acquiring knowledge
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The scientific method
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a set of facts that were acquired through use of the scientific method
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Scientific knowledge
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Science is empirical: based on observation Science is objective: does not include researcher's preferences or bias Science produces provisional knowledge: speaks to what we know right now, leaving open the possibility for change with new research Science employs a public way of knowing: findings and methods are made available for review and/or replication Science employs certain rules, procedures, and techniques: there are also proper and improper sequences in which to perform research tasks
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Characteristics of the scientific method
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1. descriptive knowledge: helps us to understand 2. predictive knowledge: helps us anticipate 3. prescriptive knowledge: suggests the method that is most likely to be effecitive
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Scientific knowledge comes in 3 forms
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a/k/a Pure Research: knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Adds to the base of knowledge already reported/published
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Basic Research
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designed to produce knowledge to be applied immediately
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Applied Research
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stresses the use of deductive (linear) logic seeks to understand human experiences from the perspective of those who experience them generally takes place in a naturalistic setting
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Qualitative research
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1. problem identification 2. research question formulation 3. literature review 4. construction of hypothesis and/or refinement of research question 5. design and planning 6. data collection 7. sorting and analysis of data 8. specification of research findings 9. interpretation of research findings 10. dissemination of research findings 11. use of findings by social worker(s)
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Steps used in quantitative research
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not well suited for studying subjective phenomena stresses the use of inductive logic v. deductive seeks to understand human experiences from the perspective of the human emphasizes the building of knowledge through what is referred to as logical positivism
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Quantitative Research
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case studies personal experience introspective observational historical life story
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Empirical materials used in qualitative research
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hypotheses are unlikely to be formulated prior to data collection in qualitative research qualitative research generally does not include an extensive literature review prior to data collection
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Two important differences between quantitative and qualitative research
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from the Greek Ethos: refers to principles within a society that reflect what the society generally views as right or wrong behavior
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Ethics
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1. who should benefit or suffer from the actions of the researcher? 2. whose right should take priority over those of the others? 3. does the end (increased knowledge) justify the means (the methods used and the potential for harm)
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In research, ethics revolves around three related questions
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subject(s): generally an outdated term b/c it is considered condescending and dehumanizing research partner: used quite often in qualitative research participant: acknowledges the importance of the role and the individual's contribution
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Who provides data?
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subjects from harm
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researchers are obligated to protect
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Japanese/Nazi war camp medical experiments Tuskeegee Public Health Studies Milgram's Obedience to Authority Studies Laud Humphrey's Studies of Homosexual Behavior
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examples of unethical experimentation
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the question should be clear enough to provide focus for the study the question should link with the theory used by the researcher the question should be answerable the question should not be phrased such that is could be misunderstood or misinterpreted the question should be specific and avoid sub-questions
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Research questions
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refers to the activity and the written report provides information regarding previous studies on the same topic
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literature review
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1. constitutes a reservoir of knowledge for understanding previous research and planning for future research 2. provides a tool for conceptualization and operationalization 3. provides information regarding potential error in research
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Literature review serves 3 purposes
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journal articles trustworthy web sites books research reports or monographs research presentations/conferences standard reference materials
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Potential sources
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systematic reviews: organized, comprehensive studies of previous research on a specific topic meta-analysis: uses statistical methods to combine quantitative data for research from different research projects content analysis: uses quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze content of human communications (secondary data)
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Research methods that use literature review as the focus
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a tentative answer to a research question
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research hypothesis
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an attribute or characteristic that differs in quality or quantity among different persons, objects, times, places, etc.
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variable
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an attribute or characteristic that does not differ in quality or quantity among different persons, objects, places, etc
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constant
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refers to commonly measured variable that give researchers a clearer understanding of the Ss
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demographic variable
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identifies the name or number of a specific measurement of a variable
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value/value label
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refers to the number of times a given value was found to exist among the persons, objects, etc
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frequency
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the variable whose variation the researcher is most interested in understanding
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dependent variable
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the variable that the researcher believes is responsible for the variation in the variable being studied
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independent variable
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outcome variable
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dependent variable is also known as
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predictor variable
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independent variable is also known as
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refers to any variable that can mislead the researcher be affecting the dependent variable
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confounding/extraneous variable
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variable that may have affected the dependent variable after (and only after) the independent variable was manipulated
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intervening variable
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precedes the dependent and independent variables and affects the variations of both variables
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antecedent variable
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interacts with the dependent variable and independent variable and obscures the relationship between them
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obscuring variable
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a relationship that is hypothesized based on theory but that is disproved during research
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spurious relationship
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association: acknowledges that variation MAY have been the result of confounding variables that were not controlled
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relationship types
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a relationship exists between the variables that is likely more than the result of confounding variables
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correlation
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a relationship between two variables in which one of two patters exist (positive or negative)
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linear correlation
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as one variable increases the other increases or as one variable decreases the other decreases
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positive correlation
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as one variable increases the other decreases or as one variable decreases the other increases
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negative correlation
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states that values of the independent variable cause values of the dependent variable - indicates a cause-effect relationship
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causation
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the researchers predicts a relationship between two variables and predicts the direction of the relationship
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directional hypothesis
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the researcher predicts a relationship between two variables but not the direction of the relationship
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non-directional hypothesis
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posits that there is no relationship
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null hypothesis
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plans to attempt to find answers to research questions
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research designs
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qualitative or predominantly qualitative - seldom only one or the other
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research will be predominantly
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cross-sectional - all variable measured at the same time pretest/posttest - researcher measures variable before and after the manipulation of the independent variable longitudinal - researcher measures the variable repeatedly over time at pre-determined intervals
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research design types
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longitudinal study draws different Ss from the same pool over time
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trend study
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pool of Ss does not change, but the cases chosen from the pool does
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cohort study
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the same Ss are studied over time
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panel study
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used to discover more information about a topic
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exploratory study
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used to explain situations and/or events
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descriptive study
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can be used to provide more definitive answers about the research question
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explanatory study
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qualitative information is limited and variables are difficult to define frequent goal is to develop a hypothesis for future studies
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exploratory studies are generally
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qualitative seeks to describe the variety of ways that people experience or perceive things
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descriptive studies are generally
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quantitative tests a hypothesis to verify relationships between variables looks for causal relationships
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explanatory studies are generally
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1. x must precede y 2. x and y must consistently covary 3. all other explanations for y must be ruled out
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three conditions for a causal relationship
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X - exposure to independent variable or trx condition O - measurement of the dependent variable On - nth measurement of the dependent variable R - random assignment of Ss to a group
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experimental notation
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cross-sectional survey design - measurement of a characteristic in a defined sample or group = O One-shot case study = X O longitudinal case study = X O1 O2 O3 One-group pertest, posttest design = O1 X O2 static group comparison design or posttest only design = X O O
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pre-experimental designs
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R O1 X O2
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classic experimental design
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likelihood that the IV caused changes to the DP
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internal validty
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testing effects maturation/passage of time history statistical regression to the mean instruments used lack of sampling comparability experimental mortality ambiguity of direction of causation diffusion or overlap of intervention methods
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threats to internal validity
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likelihood that the findings can be generalized to the larger population within-group differences, esp. those related to demographic variables can strongly affect external validity
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external validity
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involves phases: A/baseline phase B - intervention phase
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single-system design
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frequency duration interval magnitude presence or absence
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how to measure the target problem
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