Applied Social Research chapter 1 Flashcards
DHHS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human services
Activities enhancing relationships between people and societal institutions.
Social Research
Systematic examination of empirical data concerning social or psychological forces operating in a situation.
3 Elements of Social Research
- Systematic, carefully planned in advance.
- Empirical Data, information or facts based on sensory experiences.
- Social research studies social and psychological factors that affect human behavior.
4 Goals of Research in Human Services
- Description
- Prediction
- Explanation
- Evaluation
Descriptive research
has as it’s goal description, or the attempt to discover facts or describe reality.
Predictive research
focuses on prediction or making projections about what may occur.
Evaluation research
focusses on evaluation or the use of scientific research methods to plan intervention programs, to monitor implementation of new programs and the operation of existing ones, and to determine how effectively programs or clinical practices achieve their goals.
Basic Research
(Pure knowledge) it’s purpose is to advance knowledge with little concern for any immediate, practical benefits.
Applied research
research designed with a practical outcome in mind so some will gain specific benefits from it.
5 Focal areas of research
- Behavior and Social Environment
- Policy Planning and Development
- Assessment of Client Functioning
- Program Evaluation
- Practice Effectiveness Evaluation
Evidence-based practice
Use of the best evidence in making decisions about human service assessment and intervention.
Diversity and Research: The Impact of Diversity and Difference on Research
Create a sensitivity to the fact that research methods can have built-in biases.
6 Steps in Conducting Research
- Problem Formulation
- Research Design Development
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Drawing Conclusions
- Public Dissemination of Results
Problem Formation
Decide on the problem of importance, shape a concern into a specific researchable question.
Research Design Development
A detailed plan outlining how observations will be made.
Data Collection and it’s 2 aspects
description of what kinds of data and how it will be collected. Two aspects of data collection are pretests, a preliminary application of data-gathering, and pilot studies, a small-scale trial run of procedures.
Data Analysis
What unlocks the information hidden in the raw data transforming it into something useful and meaningful.
Drawing Conclusions
Draw some conclusions from the data analysis.
Public Dessemination of Results
Makes it possible for others to reanalyze or replicate research to confirm findings or identify errors, biases, or fraudulent research.
CSWE 6 Competencies with linkages to research
Council on Social Work Education
- Ethics
- Critical Thinking
- Diversity
- Research & Practice
- Policy Practice
- Evidence-Based Evaluation
Explanatory research
involves explanation or determining why or how something occurred.