Research and Evaluation

This book provides a practical, step-by-step, hands-on guide for social work researchers, doctoral students, and professionals who are interested in conducting culturally competent research with diverse populations and groups. This book adopts ethnography as a meta-framework for conducting culturally competent research. Since its inception as an academic discipline, anthropology has developed theories, concepts, methods, and a significant body of substantive studies for the purposes of guiding cultural research, describing cultural groups and processes, and providing data needed for cross-cultural research and theory-building. Ethnography as a meta-framework for research suggests the following components of culturally competent research: (1) A collaborative social relationship with the study group and community; (2) Use of firsthand, long-term participant observation; (3) Use of self as research instrument; (4) Researcher as learner; (5) A contextual view of phenomena; (6) A holistic perspective; (7) An interactive-reactive research process; (8) A cross-cultural frame of reference; and (9) A spirit of discovery. This pocket guide describes each phase of research incorporating these components from framing and designing the study; to data collection, management, and analysis; to final analysis and report writing; and to dissemination to a variety of audiences. Inclusion of these elements ensures that the research is conducted with and close to the lived experience of the study groups. Culturally Competent Research provides a methodological framework for developing a rigorous social work knowledge base for research in an increasingly diverse and global society. Culturally competent research will help the social work profession understand the lived experiences of diverse populations, which will in turn help to shape social work practice and policy to the benefit of all.

Sample size determination is an important and often difficult step in planning an empirical study. From a statistical perspective, sample size depends on the following factors: type of analysis to be performed, desired precision of estimates, kind and number of comparisons to be made, number of variables to be examined, and heterogeneity of the population to be sampled. Other important considerations include feasibility, such as ethical limitations on access to a population of interest and the availability of time and money. The primary assumption of the book is that, within the context of ethical and practical limitations, efforts to obtain samples of appropriate size and quality remain an important and viable component of social science research. This text describes the following available approaches for estimating sample size in social work research and discusses their strengths and weaknesses: power analysis; heuristics or rules-of-thumb; confidence intervals; computer-intensive strategies; and ethical and cost considerations. In addition, strategies for mitigating pressures to increase sample size, such as emphasis on model parsimony (e.g., fewer dependent and independent variables), simpler study designs, an emphasis on replication, and careful planning of analyses are discussed. The book covers sample-size determination for advanced and emerging statistical strategies, such as structural equation modeling, multi-level analysis, repeated measures MANOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA which are not discussed in other texts.

This book provides an overview of scale and test development. From conceptualization through design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, critical concerns are identified and grounded in the increasingly sophisticated psychometric literature. Measurement within the health, social, and behavioral sciences is addressed, and technical and practical guidance is provided. Acknowledging the increasingly sophisticated contributions in social work, psychology, education, nursing, and medicine, the book balances condensation of complex conceptual challenges with focused recommendations for conceiving, planning, and implementing psychometric study. Primary points are carefully referenced and consistently illustrated to illuminate complicated or abstract principles. Basics of construct conceptualization and establishing evidence of validity are complimented with introductions to concept mapping and cross-cultural translation. In-depth discussion of cutting edge topics like bias and invariance in item responses is provided. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic strategies are illustrated and critiqued, and step-by-step guidance is offered for anticipating elements of a complete data collection instrument, determining sampling frame and size, and interpreting resulting coefficients. Much good work has been done by RAI developers to date. Too often, practitioners or researchers either underestimate the skills and effort required, or become overwhelmed by the complexities involved.

This book provides an overview of issues and techniques relevant to the development of cross-cultural measures and provides a step-by-step approach to the assessment of cross-cultural equivalence of measurement properties. The readers are introduced to an overview of the definitions of culture and a brief discussion of cross-cultural anthropology, psychology, sociology, and political science and the influences of these fields on social work. The book describes the process of cross-cultural instrument development, from formulating the research aims to the assessments of cross-cultural measurement properties. There are guides and recommendations for building a cross-cultural research support team for various critical tasks. The book addresses the issues of adopting and adapting existing research instruments. The processes and issues of cross-cultural translation and assessments are presented and discussed in detail. The book offers a discussion of the foundation of measurement theories and the entire process of instrument development from the definitions of abstract concepts, the construction of observed indicators, and assessment of the validity and reliability of the new instruments. The book demonstrates the application of item distribution analysis, internal consistency analysis, and exploratory factor analysis as a preliminary assessment of cross-cultural equivalence of research instruments. In addition, the book explains and illustrates the application of confirmatory factor analysis and multisample confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the factor structure and testing of cross-cultural measurement invariance.

This book is intended to be read at any stage in the dissertation process, but will be particularly useful in the early stages of preparation for a social work dissertation, and as a reference resource throughout. The book is a guide to successful dissertation completion. Content includes a brief history and overview of social work doctoral education in the United States, the importance of values in social work, and the relationship between personal, research, and social work values. Chapter 2 addresses issues in selecting and working with the dissertation supervisor and committee, as well as the role and tasks of all three parties in successful completion of the dissertation. In Chapter 3 strategies for researching, and evaluating the literature, as well as writing the literature review are discussed. In addition, the relevance of theory to social work research is examined. Chapter 4 describes ethical issues in social research and requirements for the protection of human subjects. In addition, an overview of both quantitative and qualitative research methods is provided. In Chapter 5 sample design and sample size are discussed in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research. The significance of the psychometric properties of measurement instruments is also discussed. Chapter 6 addresses issues in data collection, data management, and data analysis in qualitative and quantitative research. Finally Chapter 7 presents strategies for dissertation writing including structure and content, as well as data presentation.

Doctoral education in social work is said to be “in crisis.” The number of programs has grown more than the number of graduates, and there appears to be a shortage of doctoral graduates for faculty positions in social work education. Based in part on findings from a national survey of doctoral students in social work, this volume discusses the purposes of doctoral education in a practice profession as well as past and current controversies about what they should be. Survey findings about student demographics and reasons for seeking the doctoral degree are discussed in comparison with national data from social work and other fields. What students like and don’t like about various aspects of their programs, including the dissertation experience and their preparation for the job market for PhDs, is described and compared to other fields. Although some doctoral students in social work receive substantial financial aid, many are still entirely self-funded. Finally, data suggest that doctoral students in social work are publishing and making conference presentations, but some would like more formal preparation for these job-relevant tasks, including preparation for teaching. Overall, the resources in social work doctoral programs, including student aid, are quite variable. In addition, because the social science model dominates, questions are raised about preparing “stewards of the discipline” or “stewards of the profession” and related practices. A variety of recommendations are made that would enhance the profession’s ability to create “communities of scholars” to prepare the next generation of intellectual leadership.

Evidence-based practice in school mental health explains the nuts and bolts of infusing research throughout school-based practice following guidelines set forth by the US Department of Education. In clear, step-by-step detail, it provides the conceptual tools needed to locate, evaluate, and apply evidence in order to demonstrate positive outcomes for students. With its case examples and exercises, this book offers a pragmatic approach to informing practice decisions with appropriate research to ensure that students receive the best service. The chapters amount to an easy-to-follow road map to evidence-based practice (EBP), explaining how to ask the right questions; search for evidence; appraise the literature while avoiding the pitfalls of web-based information; adapt and apply evidence in a developmentally and culturally sensitive way; and evaluate the results. Detailed examples from practice and adaptable sample spreadsheets to evaluate students' progress make the goal of accountability attainable for school professionals who otherwise would struggle to find the time, resources, and support to utilize research in their work.

This collection of field research narratives from veteran social and behavioral science researchers acknowledges the unpredictability of managing a project, and candidly illustrates real-world problems and solutions. Unlike standard research tests, each chapter has practical import for the researcher, ties together extant literature, and illustrates the issues with concrete examples from the authors' own experience. The chapters each address one or more of the research stress points that many researchers have found concerning during their careers, and are loosely organized by the naturally unfolding series of choice points and problems confronted during research projects and careers. The text is designed to supplement traditional textbooks on research methods for doctoral students, junior faculty, and research assistants in the fields of psychology, social work, psychiatry, and public health. The text covers scenarios such as: implementing a research project; creating an interdisciplinary research team; using consultants; hiring, training, and monitoring research staff and interviewers; developing the instrument; preparing data for analysis; budgeting; maintaining data standards; data archiving; navigating human subjects, IRB and ethical dilemmas; maintaining cultural sensitivity; efficacy and effectiveness trials for evaluating an intervention; influencing policy and practice; as well as disseminating results, sharing data, maximizing publications, and co-authoring publications.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) promises to have a profound impact on social work practice, education, and scholarship, but adopting EBP depends on the availability of evidence to support this endeavour and on strategies to synthesize this information. Systematic reviews provide a comprehensive, unbiased method for retrieving and synthesizing relevant research. Finding and Evaluating Evidence: Systematic Reviews and Evidence-based Practice is a concise introduction to systematic reviews that describes the steps required to complete a review and the criteria that can be used to assess the quality of existing reviews. This pocket guide provides straight-forward information on how to 1) define a search question that clearly defines the parameters of the problem, 2) develop a search strategy that is transparent and comprehensive to insure that all relevant research is included in the review, 3) assess the quality and credibility of existing research, and 4) summarize the available research to support EBP in social work. One of the distinguishing features of this book is that both quantitative and qualitative synthesis methods are presented, and examples are provided to illustrate the steps and decisions associated with each approach to research synthesis. This pocket guide is an excellent introduction to EBP and systematic reviews that will be valued by social work students, practitioners, and scholars.

Grounded Theory (GT) is one of the oldest and most often used forms of qualitative research. Unlike other methods, GT is used to develop theory. Grounded Theory has great potential for social work because in order to conduct theory-based practice, social workers need middle-range theories that are neither highly abstract nor difficult to apply in real life. Social work and Grounded Theory focus on the interaction of individual and society. GT studies can provide theories about how individuals navigate their surroundings that can be tested in social work practice and, ultimately, be used to guide social work practitioners. This book provides discussions of the common roots of social work and Grounded Theory, the basic characteristics of grounded theory research, and issues of quality in grounded theory research. In addition, practical guidelines and suggestions are provided for conducting grounded theory research, from writing the proposal to advanced data analysis. Exemplars from social work literature are used to illustrate grounded theory research in different social work fields. This book offers practice exercises, guidelines for formulating problems and gathering and analyzing data, tips for working with software, consideration of ethical and institutional review board issues, and discussion of new developments such as mixed-method and synthesis.