Social Work Research Methods Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Social Work Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Topic 2: The Basics of Social Work Research Learn How to Search the Internet: http: //www. brightplanet. com/deepcontent/tutorials/ search/index. asp • This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

Topic 2: The Basics of Social Work Research • • • What are the Purposes of research studies? What are the goals of Exploratory research? What are the goals of Descriptive research? What are the goals of Explanatory research? What Basic Social Work Research? What is Applied Social Work Research? What is the Time Dimension in Social Work Research? How are Quantitative Data Obtained? How are Qualitative Data Obtained? What is the Role of Technology in Social Work Research? Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What are the purposes of social work research studies? • To Explore: social work research is done via case studies and learning the names of variables. • To Describe: social work research is done via surveys and learning how variables are distributed. • To Explain: social work research is done via experiments and learning how variables can be explained Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What are the Goals of Exploratory Research? • • • To become familiar with the setting. To create a general mental picture of the setting. To formulate and focus questions about the setting. To generate one or more hypotheses. To determine the feasibility of the hypotheses. To decide what to measure within the setting. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What are the Goals of Descriptive Research? • • • To provide a detailed, accurate picture. To locate new data. To create a set of categories. To clarify the sequence of steps. To document causal processes. To report background and context. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What are the Goals of Explanatory Research? • • • To test a theory’s predictions. To elaborate or enrich theory. To extend theory to new issues. To support or refute an explanation. To link the causes with general principles. To determine which explanations work best. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What is Basic Social Work Research? • While it is ordinarily intrinsically satisfying to the investigator, judgments are made by other professional researchers. • Problems and subjects are selected with less outside interference. • The research is judged by absolute standards. • Internal logic and rigor are the key to this research. • The goal is to contribute to basic or theoretical knowledge. • Success comes via publication in scholarly journals. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What is Applied Social Work Research? • Research is part of a job, and is judged by sponsors or outsiders. • The problems and subjects studied are narrowly constrained. • The research standards depend on the results. • Generalizing results for sponsors is key to applied research. • The goal is to develop practical payoffs or results. • Success is defined by results that can used by the sponsors and others. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What is the Time Dimension in Social Work Research? • Cross Sectional research is like a snapshot; gathering data at one point in time. • Longitudinal research analogous to a movie or video; investigations gather data at multiple points in time. • Time Series are multiple studies of different samples over some period of time (e. g. opinion surveys). Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

Time Dimension in Research continued… • Cohort research involves multiple studies of different samples of similar categories or groups (e. g. students entering college this year). • Panel research involves multiple studies of the sample over an extended period of time. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

How are Quantitative Data Obtained? • • Experiments – explanatory research involving group comparisons Surveys – descriptive research asks many people numerous questions. Content Analysis – assessment of written, pictorial or symbolic material (text). Existing statistics - using previously collected information to examine old or create new findings. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

How are Qualitative Data Obtained? • • Field research - case studies of specific settings or contexts Historical comparative analysis – examining aspects of social life in a past historical era or across different cultures today. Phenomenological investigation – examining how people socially construct their lives. Feminist and Postmodern studies – examining critically how scare resources are distributed and justified in terms of traditional Western thought. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003

What is the Role of Technology in Social Work Research? • On the upside, the speed of communication, the ability to easily store and compute, and the rapid searches for information available via the Internet are very helpful. • On the downside, technology causes decreased intimacy, rewards impersonal communication, and Internet searches tend to be shallow and avoid indepth analysis. Copyright @ Allyn & Bacon 2003