Not the need to move my limbs, for a rat

With half my brain moves as well as I.

Not merely the need to do, but the need to

Know what I do, lest in my blind efforts

To live I should be slaying myself.

George Barnard Shaw

INTRODUCTION

Shaw’s view of the need humans have for the kind of brain we are endowed with is akin to the need social work has for the activity called “research” i.e. it addresses the profession’s need to know the basic nature of problems we deal with and what it is we are actually doing in relation to our goals and objectives least we be engaged in counterproductive endeavors. Our understanding of the basic nature of social work problems and our notions of how effectively we address these have sometimes been based on beliefs unsubstantiated by valid and reliable evidence.

Social work researchers take an approach to understanding the nature of problems dealt with by the profession and the outcomes of efforts to elevate these problems that is based on something called the scientific method. The scientific method of gaining knowledge strikes at the pesky problems of invalid and unreliable evidence. It is different in many basic respects from a non-scientific way of thinking and is often at odds with what we sometimes refer to as a “common sense” or a “gut feeling” way of knowing.

In this introductory course on research we will look into the basic aspects of this important concept of scientific method. During the course you will learn not only about how researchers identify and investigate (inquire about) problems but you should also find yourself gaining a more holistic and conceptual view of social work as a profession – its value system, theoretical perspectives, practice approaches, clients and practitioners. The course should help you add to, tie together and integrate much of what you have learned in other courses up to this point. You will find also that the scientific method has close correspondence with the “problem-solving method” you have undoubtedly learned about in your practice courses.

COURSE PURPOSE

This course has a twofold purpose: 1) to provide you with a learning opportunity for gaining an understanding of the scientific research method and the various paradigms utilized in social work for guiding research, 2) to help you acquire some of the practical skills necessary for conducting research with a focus on the Plan B Study (PBS) which you are required to complete for the MSW degree.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course you should be able to:

Describe the scientific method of inquiry and contrast with nonscientific inquiry.
Describe the major paradigms utilized in conducting research social work.
Discuss the ethics & politics of social work research.
Relate relevant behavioral & practice theories to researchable problems.
Translate hypothetical concepts into operational definitions.
Describe various research designs, their strengths and weaknesses.
Describe various sampling procedures
Describe various data collection methods.
Describe and distinguish among the various levels of variable measurement.
Formulate researchable problems and feasible research questions.
Design a data collection instrument.
Critique a published research study.
Search the library and Internet for research-relevant resources.
Accurately describe basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures on a conceptual level.
Discuss the importance of research for the profession of social work.

TEACHING-LEARNING FORMAT

Learning statements – A typical class session will consist of a combination of lecture, small group and total class discussion. Each class session will be concluded with a brief written statement from each student to be handed in to the instructor indicating two things: 1) what he/she found to be most helpful from the current session, and 2) what remained unclear or needed further discussion for maximum learning related to study topics dealt with. The purpose of these learning statements is to help you do a quick review of your learning in each class session and to help the instructor keep the course geared to class learning needs. Turning in these statements is mandatory. The instructor will regularly provide the class with feedback from these learning statements and address significant questions brought up in them. Makeup work may be assigned to students who, for whatever reason, fail to submit a statement for a given class session.

Class attendance – Regular class attendance is essential to the learning format of this course. The material in a research course is of a different nature from other courses, being considerably more technical. This means that there is less leeway for different expert views and your own personal views and opinions to enter into the learning experience.

Much of the material must be learned through memorization with clarification and elaboration in the classroom. Excused absences from class will be granted only for reasons of extenuating circumstances as determined by the instructor. Each unexcused absence will result in two (2) points being deducted from your total earned course grade points. Excessive class absence can obviously lower your course grade. Should you be unable to attend a given class session because of what you believe are extenuating circumstances, you should notify the instructor in advance if at all possible.

Instructor consultation – In research courses, students often have questions they are reluctant to raise in class. Some of these never get addressed until after feedback from the results of an exam or assignment – after a student’s grade may have suffered from not having raised a question. The course instructor is available during office hours and other times by arrangement for individual consultation on any aspect of this course. Another avenue for instructor consultation is through e-mail. Questions by e-mail will usually be responded to no later than the following day. Don’t let your unanswered questions stand and detract from your learning and hurt your grades.

STUDENT EVALUATION

Exams – The basic study material for this course is composed of the first four content parts (aspects of the research process) in the Rubin & Babbie text. There will be a total of four exams in the course with each one usually covering the chapters in a given content part of the textbook. In some cases a given exam may include a chapter from the next part if we have covered that material by the scheduled exam date. You will be given study guidelines for each exam one week before the scheduled exam date. The exams will be composed of multiple choice, true-false and short written questions. Make-up exams will be given only in cases where extenuating circumstances required the student to miss the initial exam. Make-up exams will not be given for reasons of unexcused absences including holiday travel plans or early end of the semester departure. When you committed yourself to graduate school you should have begun to view all optional activities as having to be planned around your class schedules and other school expectations, not vise versa.

Assignments – There are three written assignments in this course. All three will be distributed in the first class session (see course schedule for due dates). The first to be completed is on selecting a tentative PBS topic and accessing research-related information. The second is on instrument construction. The third is a research study critique. All three of these written assignments are designed to be directly relevant to your tentative PBS. Late papers will result in a reduction of two (2) grade point per day from your total grade points for the course.

Class Participation – While no grade points will be given for class participation such as raising questions, contributing relevant remarks, or leading small group discussions, these kinds of participation will be taken into account in cases of borderline course grades. For example, should you come within one or two grade points of a next higher course grade and have shown good class participation, you would be assigned that next higher grade.

Here are the weightings of the four exams and three written assignments and the course grading scale:

Four exams @ 5% each ........ 20%

Information resources ............ 20%

Instrument construction ......... 25%

Study critique ......................... 35%

100%

A = 90 –100

B = 80 – 89

C = 70 – 79

D = 60 – 69

TEXT BOOK & SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING RESOURCES

§ Rubin, A., Babbie, E. (2001) Research Methods for Social Workers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning/Brooks/Cole. (For purchase in the book store).

§ Pyrczak, F. (2001). Making Sense of Statistics: A Conceptual Overview. Los Angeles: Pyrezak Publishing. (For purchase in the book store)

Supplemental reading/study materials/class exercises may be assigned from time-time. Any additional reading materials will be provided as class handouts or put on library reserve and made available on the web.

__________________________________________________

COURSE SCHEDULE

The course schedule is structured to follow the sequencing of the first four content parts of the Rubin & Babbie textbook with the exception that chapter five on problem formulation in Part 2 is being switched to our first study topic in Part 1, and chapter four on ethics and politics is switched to Part 2. We are starting with problem formulation in order to take a more inductive approach by getting right into the first part of the research process itself instead of beginning with some of the more abstract considerations underlying the research process that are dealt with in the chapters on scientific, philosophical and ethical considerations. These are, however, important foundation understandings for you to have and will be given due attention after getting a handle on how to think about and formulate a researchable problem.

You should do the readings for given class dates before class so that you can contribute to class and small group discussions. You may be called on by the instructor at any time to contribute your understanding of assigned reading or lecture material.

Course introduction and overview

January 16 Discussion of what you can expect from the course, how it will contribute to your social work education and review of the course syllabus.

Part 1 – Introduction to Inquiry

January 23 & 30 Chapter 5 – Problem Formulation

February 6 Chapter 1 – Scientific Inquiry & Social Work

February 13 Chapter 2 – Philosophical Issues in Science & Social Work

February 20 Chapter 3 – Theory and Research

Exam #1

Part 2 – Problem Formulation & Measurement

February 27 Chapter 4 – Ethics & Politics in Research

Tentative PBS topic & information resources assignment due

March 6 Chapter 6 – Conceptualization & Operationalization

March 13 Chapter 7 – Measurement in Research

March 20 Chapter 8 – Constructing Measurement Instruments

Exam #2

Part 3 – Research Design

March 27 Chapter 9 – Sampling

Instrument construction assignment due

April 3 Chapter 10 – Determining Causation

April 10 Chapter 11 – Researching Single Cases

Exam #3

Part 4 – Quantitative & Qualitative Methods of Observation

April 17 Chapter 12 – Survey Research

April 24 Chapter 13 – Qualitative Research

Research study critique assignment due

May 1 Chapter 14 – Unobtrusive Research

Exam #4

Last class

Note 1. Students with handicaps, which could adversely affect their performance

in the course should inform the instructor so possible adaptations can be considered.

Note 2. Students wishing to take an incomplete for the course must submit a

departmental incomplete request form to the instructor for advance approval.

Note 4. Each student is expected to be an active participant in this course. Students are responsible for their own learning as well as contributing to the learning of other class members through raising pertinent questions and sharing of knowledge and experience. This participation is expected to be characterized by consideration and respect for all class members. All class members are, however, free to question ideas, positions, views with which they disagree or don’t understand as long as this is done in a spirit of honest inquiry and respect. Direct or implied personal criticism of any student will not be tolerated, and will be addressed by the instructor.