Advanced Social Work Research

Catalog description

This second course of the two-course research sequence, continues to examine the role of social workers as both consumer and practitioners of research. This semester differs from the first in its increased emphasis on the development of practitioner focused research skills, including single subject design and program evaluation. In addition, students will complete a research project and engage in activities such as generating research questions and hypotheses; data collection and analysis; and write up of methods, results, and discussion of results with implications for social work practice. Similar to the first semester, there will be a continued emphasis on social work values and ethics, and research ethics, to guide social work research. Concepts associated with quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research will be reviewed and expanded upon. Students will understand the role of measurement, research design, hypothesis testing, sampling methodology, probability, and statistical analysis in their own research projects. Students will understand how to draw conclusions from their research projects and will develop proficiency in communicating these conclusions in written reports and class presentations.