RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK, Ninth Edition, strikes an optimal balance of quantitative and qualitative research techniques -- illustrating how the two methods complement one another and can be integrated in the same study. Relevant examples from real-world settings highlight the connections between research and social work practice. Comprehensive, friendly, accurate, and integrating the best of technology, this text is widely considered the best text for the research methods course -- and when you read it, you'll see why.
- RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK offers a balance of quantitative and qualitative research methods that equips students with insight into both methodological approaches. Rather than presenting a divisive or unbalanced picture, the authors demonstrate how quantitative and qualitative methods can complement one another and can be integrated in mixed-methods studies.
- To ensure student comprehension, the text uses multiple examples that illustrate the material and its relevance for practice. The authors focus on applications to social work practice, including material on gender- and minority-related research and coverage of cross-cultural research.
- Helping students optimize their study efforts, each chapter provides helpful learning aids, including chapter outlines and overviews, "Main Points," review questions and exercises, and clarifying charts, graphs, and screened examples. In addition, boxed features bring research content to life, illustrating its relevance to social work and its utility in informing social work practice.
- The text incorporates the most current Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), as recommended by the Council on Social Work Education.
Part I: AN INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY IN SOCIAL WORK.
1. Why Study Research?
2. Evidence-Based Practice.
3. Factors Influencing the Research Process.
4. Comparing Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods of Inquiry.
Part II: THE ETHICAL, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH.
5. The Ethics and Politics of Social Work Research.
6. Culturally Competent Research.
Part III: PROBLEM FORMULATION AND MEASUREMENT.
7. Problem Formulation.
8. Conceptualization in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry.
9. Measurement.
10. Constructing Measurement Instruments.
Part IV: DESIGNS FOR EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND PRACTICE.
11. Causal Inference and Experimental Designs.
12. Quasi-Experimental Designs.
13. Single-Case Evaluation Designs.
14. Program Evaluation.
Part V: DATA-COLLECTION METHODS WITH LARGE SOURCES OF DATA.
15. Sampling.
16. Survey Research.
17. Analyzing Existing Data: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods.
Part VI: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS.
18. Qualitative Research: General Principles.
19. Qualitative Research: Specific Methods.
20. Qualitative Data Analysis.
Part VII: ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE DATA.
21. Descriptive Data Analysis.
22. Inferential Data Analysis.
Part VIII: WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS AND REPORTS.
23. Writing Research Proposals and Reports.
Earl R. Babbie
Dr. Earl Babbie is the Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University in Southern California.
Allen Rubin
Allen Rubin has been doing and teaching research since 1976, when he received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh
