SOCIAL WORK 772: Research II: Advanced Research Methodology
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Course Description
This second, concentration-level, course in the MSW research sequence is designed to explore the dynamics of research, theory, and practice. It is intended to provide students with the knowledge base to stimulate critical use of research studies in their practice, to prepare them for participation in agency or interdisciplinary research, and to prepare them to undertake selected research in social work practice.
This class is an attempt to strengthen the research skills of social workers so that they use research, their own and others', to inform their practice. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their own learning and to reflect on how their personal epistemologies affect their attitudes about and utilization of different research techniques. The class will utilize lectures, large and small group discussions, experiential activities, and guest speakers as appropriate.
Particular consideration is given to the impact of different research procedures in conjunction with ethnocentrism, gender, sexual identity, economic status, and disabilities. The following provide the major focal points for this course: I. Epistemology, II. Problem Formulation, III. Review of Quantitative Methods, IV. Single-System Designs, V. Qualitative Methods, and VI. Program Evaluation. This course will include a strong emphasis on understanding how research has been used to perpetuate oppression and unequal access. Institutional racism, sexism, homophobia/heterosexism, poverty, alienation, and other oppressive conditions play a role in shaping the lives of clients and those who participate either as researchers or those researched. This course also looks at how groups experiencing social and economic injustices based on racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, sociocultural, and gender characteristics are protected through Institutional Review Boards and ethical practices of researchers
Prerequisites
SOWK 621 or equivalent and admission to candidacy in the MSW program.
Educational Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Develop a basic understanding of the full range of social science methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative techniques.
2. Demonstrate understanding of ethical issues inherent in all phases of research and develop a capacity to maintain high ethical standards in all research inquiries.
3. Recognize and appreciate the implications of research for cultural, ethnic, and racial minorities; women, the disabled, and other disadvantaged groups.
4. Apply research concepts and methods to the analysis and evaluation in areas related to the student's clinical focus.
5. Understand how to utilize research to strengthen social work practice, enhance accountability, and promote further integration of research and practice.
6. Gain understanding and familiarity with a variety of research tools (including on-line, Internet, CD-ROM, conventional) used both for the review of literature and the research itself.
7. Conscious awareness of personal theory and epistemology and the assumptions upon which it is based and its effects on research.
8. Demonstrate how to communicate the results of a research effort through written and oral presentations of a scientific report.