GRADUATE
Research and Evaluation for Social Work Practice -- #132
Fall Semester 2001
Instructors:
Leslie Alexander (lalexand )
Judith McCoyd (jmccoyd )
Sandy Schram ( sschram)
Teaching
Assistants:
Pamela Gessert (pgessert )
Roland Stahl (rstahl)
Ana Lisa Yoder ( ayoder)
Course Description
The general goal of this course is to make social work research an active
rather than a passive component of the practice of each graduate. As social
workers, we have a professional obligation to contribute to knowledge in our
field. This course facilitates the development of an understanding of the
scientific method as a systematic, rigorous approach to professional knowledge
building and to evaluating and extending existing knowledge and practice at the
client, program, community, and national levels. Explicit links are made
between sound research and effective practice. The ultimate goals of such
research are to enhance human well-being, alleviate poverty and oppression, and
promote social and economic justice. The fact that all research involves often
complex ethical and value choices is continuously stressed. Explicit procedures
for assuring the ethical conduct of research are demonstrated, critiqued in assigned
readings, and required in student projects, including the necessity of
obtaining informed consent; inclusion of safeguards to insure confidentiality
of research data; assurance of voluntariness in subject participation; and
appreciation for not using vulnerable populations as research subjects, just
because they may be more readily available. Existing research and student
projects are also critiqued in terms of their relevance and generalizability,
particularly to women, racial, ethnic, and other minority groups, and to those
from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Course work is further reinforced by
the ongoing requirement that students expand their technological skills, using
the computer resources at the School and at the College.
Students will develop understanding of basic concepts and steps in the research process, which are implemented in the development of a research proposal that relates to either their work site or another human service agency with which they are familiar. Along with the course in Data Analysis (#131), this course enables students to incorporate research methods into all aspects of social work practice.
Educational Objectives
Students will develop the research skills necesssary to evaluate interventions
designed to bring about change at any system level. More specifically, students
will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to:
(1) promote critical analytic skills for developing, implementing, and critiquing research problems and questions appropriate to all levels of practice, including practice at student field placements or work sites;
(2) select appropriate quantitative and qualitative approaches to guide research on a particular topic, including the use of available data, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, surveys, intensive interviewing, and participant observation;
(3) implement procedures for assuring the ethical conduct of research, including the necessity of obtaining informed consent; inclusion of safeguards to insure the confidentiality of research data; assurance of voluntariness in research participation; and an appreciation for not using vulnerable populations as research subjects, just because they may be more available;
(4) use current technology, including the Internet, and a variety of existing social science and social work databases for understanding specific human conditions and biopsychosocial interventions;
(5) design studies that contribute to knowledge about social work clients, practice, and policy;
(6) critique existing research in terms of its ability to rule out other possible explanations for findings;
(7) critique existing research in terms of its relevance and generalizability, particularly to women, racial, ethnic, other minority groups, and people from different socioeconomic classes;
(8) develop procedures for coping with organizational and sociopolitical issues in agency-based research concerning such issues as how research projects get framed to how data access can be affected.
Course Expectations
Students are expected to complete assigned readings in advance of class
meetings. In addition to assigned readings in the text, there are required
journal articles, which raise important issues about the topic in question. You
should be prepared to discuss these articles for the week that they are
assigned.
Class attendance is a routine expectation and it is assumed that students will take an active role in class discussions. If you not able to attend a class, please let the instructor know ahead of time.
Grades for this course are "Satisfactory" and "Unsatisfactory" in accordance with School policy. In order to achieve the intended outcomes for the course, the student must complete all work with an evaluation of Satisfactory and conform to APA style guidelines. Satisfactory on the Final Exam will be a 70 or above. Late submission of assignments must be negotiated in advance with the instructor. It is assumed that all written work will be completed independently, unless otherwise specified.
All written work must be produced with a word processing program (e.g., MS
Word, Word Perfect). Students who are not already familiar with such programs
should see the Teaching Assistant and make use of her help in the School's
computer lab at the very beginning of the semester. The College's
Assignments
In addition to required readings, class participation, and a final exam, there
are the following written assignments:
Assignment #1 -- Problem
Identification and Formulation of Research Questions .
DUE: Week 5: Oct. 1-2
Assignment #2 -- Research Proposal: This assignment will be completed in three (3) stages.
Stage 1 -- Problem Statement,
Research Question, Conceptualization, Operationalization, Hypotheses, and
Literature Review.
DUE: Week 8: Oct. 29, 30
Stage 2 -- Methodology and
Survey Instrument.
DUE: Week 10: Nov. 12-13
Stage 3 -- Final Research
Proposal, includes Stages 1 & 2, plus Proposal Abstract, Consent Form,
Timeline, and Budget.
DUE: Week 13: Dec. 3, 4
Final Exam -- During Exam Week -- Dec. 17-18
Required Texts
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (2001).
5th Ed.
Print
version
Electronic citing.
Liebow, E. (1995). Tell them who I am: The lives of homeless women .
Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. (2001). Research methods in social work (4th
ed.).
George Warren Brown School of Social Work Webpage.
NYU--World Wide Web for Social Workers.
Additional readings are on reserve in the Canaday library and are also accessible via e-reserves . Print e-reserves only as they are assigned not all at once.
COURSE OUTLINE
1
Sept. 4
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
Course objectives, assignments, and required readings
Important issues in social work research today
Role of research for the professional social worker
Instructor's and students' research interests and prior research experiences
2
Sept. 10, 11
FOUNDATIONS
OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH
What is reality? Ways of knowing
The logic of science
The relationship between theory and research
Inductive and deductive reasoning
Objectivity and subjectivity
Quantitative and qualitative research
Minority and gender representation
Required
Rubin & Babbie, Chapters 1 and 2.
Discussion: In-class Exercise # 1
3
Sept. 17, 18
ETHICS AND
POLITICS OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH
Basic Issues: Informed consent, benefits/harm, confidentiality, voluntariness,
gender, cultural and heterosexist bias.
NASW Code of Ethics
IRBs
Misconduct in research
Required
BMC IRB Policy and
Procedures
BMC IRB Appendix and Forms
NASW Code of Ethics, particularly
section 5.02.
Gibelman, M. & Gelman, S. R. (2001). Learning from the mistakes of others: A look at scientific misconduct in research. Journal of Social Work Education, 37, 241-253.
Rubin & Babbie, Chapter 4.
4
Sept. 24, 25
PROBLEM
FORMULATION, CONCEPTUALIZATION, AND OPERATIONALIZATION
Problem identification and formulation
Hypothesis development
Units of analysis
Conceptualization and operationalization
Time dimension
Required
Rubin and Babbie, Chapters 5, 6, & Appendix B.
5
Oct. 1, 2
MEASUREMENT:
GENERAL ISSUES
Levels of measurement
Reliability and validity in quantitative and qualitative research
Measurement error
Use of available measures
Required
Johnson, H.C., Cournoyer, D.E., & Fisher, G. A. (1994). Measuring work
cognitions about parents of children with mental and emotional disabilities. Journal
of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2, 99-108.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 7.
The library subscribes to this useful database on standardized measures.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT #1: Problem Identification and Formulation of Research Questions and Hypotheses
6
Oct.8, 9
CONSTRUCTING
MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS
Guidelines for asking questions
Questionnaire construction
Scaling
Cultural sensitivity; heterosexist and gender bias
Required
Singh, N.N., Baker, J., Winton, A.S.W., & Lewis, D.K. (2000). Semantic
equivalence of assessment instruments across cultures. Journal of Child and
Family Studies, 9, 123-134.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 8.
Oct.15, 16 FALL BREAK
7
Oct. 22, 23, THE LOGIC OF
SAMPLING
Populations and sampling frames
Probability and non-probability sampling
Sampling methods
Generalizability and representativeness
Required
Burnette, D. (1997). Social relationships of Latino grandparent caregivers. The
Gerontologist, 39, 49-58.
Diala, C., Mutaner, C., Walrath, C., Nickerson, K.J., LaViest, T.A., & Leaf, P.J. (2000). Racial differences in attitudes toward profesional mental health care and in the use of services. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 455-464.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 9 & Appendix C.
8
Oct. 29, 30
SURVEY
METHODOLOGY
Advantages and disadvantages of different survey approaches
Sampling issues and generalizability
Web and internet surveys
Required
Johnson, H.C.,& Renaud, E.F. (1997). Professional beliefs about parents of
children with mental and emotional disabilities: A cross-discipline comparison.
Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 5, 149-161.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 12.
Williams, J.H., Stiffman, A.R., & O'Neal, J. L. (1998). Violence among urban African American youths: An analysis of environmental and behavioral risk factors. Social Work, 22, 3-13.
9
Nov. 5, 6
EXPERIMENTAL
DESIGN: CAUSAL INFERENCE AND GROUP DESIGNS
Criteria for determining causality
Internal and external validity
Experimental and quasi-experimental designs
Required
McKay, M.M., Stoewe, J., McCadam, K., & Gonzales, J. (1998). Increasing
access to child mental health services for urban children and their caregivers.
Health and Social Work, 23, 9-15.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 10.
10
Nov. 12, 13
SINGLE-SUBJECT
DESIGNS
Selection of target problems and relevant outcomes
Measurement issues
Who gathers the data
Alternative designs
Ethical issues
Required
Bradshaw, W. (1997). Evaluating cognitive-behavioral treatment of
schizophrenia: Four single-case studies. Research on Social Work Practice,
7, 419-445.
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 11.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT #2 Stage 2: Methodology and Survey Instrument
11
Nov.19, 20
QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH METHODS I
Terminology in qualitative research
Issues in intensive interviews and participant observation
Required
Punch, M.(1994). Politics and ethics in qualitative research. In N.K. Denzin
& Y.S. Lincoln, Eds. Handbook of qualitative research . (pp. 83-97).
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 13.
12
Nov. 26, 27
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS II -- ETHNOGRAPHY
Required
Liebow, E. Tell them who I am: The lives of homeless women . (all)
13
Dec.3,4
UNOBTRUSIVE
RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
Content analysis
Existing data/secondary analysis
Historical/comparative analysis
Required
Besinger, B.A.,
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 14.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT #2 Stage 3: Final Research Proposal
14
Dec. 10, 11
PROGRAM
EVALUATION
Purpose of program evaluation
Models of program evaluation
Politics of program evaluation
Required
Rubin and Babbie, Chapter 19.
Final Exam -- During Exam Week -- Dec. 17, 18
Additional Recommended Research Texts
Alreck, P. L, & Settle, R. B. (1995). The survey research handbook
(2nd ed.).
Babbie, E. R. (1995). The practice of social research (7th ed.).
Bloom, M., Fischer, J., & Orme, J.G. (1995). Evaluating practice:
Guidelines for the accountable professional (2nd ed.).
Blythe, B., Tripodi, T., & Briar, S. (1995). Direct practice research
in human service agencies.
Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design
and analysis for field settings.
Corcoran, K., & Fischer, J. (2000). Measures for clinical practice: A
sourcebook (3rd ed., Vols. 1 & 2).
Drew, C. J., & Hardman, M. L. (1985). Designing and conducting behavioral research. New York: Pergamon Press.
Fisher, J., & Corcoran, K. (1994). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook (2nd. ed., Vols. 1 & 2). New York: Free Press.
Fortune, A. E., & Reid, W. J. (1999). Research in social work (3rd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Grinnell, R. M., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). Social work research and evaluation (5th ed.). Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers.
Hudson, W. W., & Nurius, P. S. (Eds.) (1994). Controversial issues in social work research. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Kazdin, A. E. (1998). Research design in clinical psychology (3 rd ed.). New York: Allyn and Bacon.
Kerlinger, F. M. (1986). Foundations of behavioral research (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart a nd Winston.
King, G., Keohane, R. O., & Verba, S. (1994). Designing social inquiry: Scientific inference in qualitative research. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Miller, D. C. (1991). Handbook of research design and social measurement (5th ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & DeJong, C. R. (1998). Applied social research: Tools for the human services (4th ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Newman, W. L. (2000). Social research methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Padgett, D. K. (1998). Qualitative methods in social work research: Challenges and rewards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Reid, W. J., & Smith, A. D. (1989). Research in social work (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Reinharz, S. (1992). Feminist methods in social research. NY: Oxford University Press.
Riessman, C. K. (Ed.). (1994). Qualitative studies in social work research . Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Rosenberg, M. (1968). The logic of survey analysis. New York: Basic Books.
Rossi, P. H., & Freeman, H. K. (1993). Evaluation: A systematic approach (5th ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Schuerman, J. R. (1983). Research and evaluation in the human services . New York: The Free Press.
Sherman, E., & Reid, W. J. (Eds.). (1994). Qualitative research in social work. New York: Columbia University Press.
Tripodi, T. (1994). A primer on single subject design for clinical social workers. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
Wallace, W. L. (1971). The logic of science in sociology. New York: Aldine.
Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Morrison-Rodgriquex, B. (1998). Research methods for social workers (3rd ed.). NY: Allyn and Bacon..