Weeks 5 & 6: Knowledge Creation Processes Flashcards
What is the social work equivalent of diagnosis?
Formulation
What is formulation?
The process of assessing an individual’s presenting problem in the context of their situation to arrive at a more complete understanding of the deeper problem
What are ethics, and what is their purpose in research?
Ethics are societal principles of right and wrong.
The purpose of ethics in research is to assess and minimize/eliminate the harm posed to participants.
What are some key ethical considerations in social work research? (7)
-Protecting participants
-Preventing researcher needs from overshadowing those of the participants/the public
-Maintaining integrity
-Ensuring alignment with social work principles
-Achieving valid and trustworthy results
-Reporting accurate and balanced findings
-Promoting appropriate and ethical use of findings
What is the role of a Research Ethics Board?
To promote high ethical standards in research involving humans, following the regulations of the Tri-Council research agencies
What are the three categories of the review process with a research ethics board?
- Exempt
- Expedited
- Full committee
What does the “exempt” category designation mean in the research review process?
The proposed research involves only information in the public domain (websites, books, etc.) and/or information that exists without an expectation of author privacy (social media, headstones, etc.); it does not need to go through further research review
What does the “expedited” category designation mean in the research review process?
The proposed research involves minimal risk of harm to participants (surveys, interviews, program evaluations, quality assurance, focus groups, voice/video/image collection, etc.); it receives less intensive review than is required in the “full committee” category
What does the “full committee” category designation mean in the research review process?
The research involves at-risk populations (prisoners, minors, pregnant women, those unable to provide consent, etc.); the process involves extensive review and questioning of the research methods/purpose and a full-committee vote
What is the ultimate purpose of research in the field of social work?
To guide what we do in the field by: creating knowledge, addressing social problems, and establishing research-based skills
What are some examples of information required on a Research Ethics Board (REB) application? (6)
-General project information (full description of process, team members, dates, funder, etc.)
-Level of risk, benefits, and how risk will be minimized
-Conflicts of interest
-Measures of anonymity, confidentiality, and any exceptions
-Research tools/forms (audio recording/transcribing process, informed consent form, research measures, interview guides, etc.)
-Declaration and signature
What are some requirements for research participant consent forms? (11)
-Ensuring they have the capacity to consent
-Hard copy if in-person, implied if online
-Written in plain language
-Clear statement of who is doing the research
-Description of the study
-Incentives/compensation
-Statement of voluntary participation and right to withdraw
-Benefits and risks
-Confidentiality/anonymity information
-Dual relationships/conflicts of interest
-How records are kept and when they will be destroyed
What are OCAP principles in Indigenous research?
Ownership of data
Control of all research steps
Access regardless of where data is stored
Possession and physical control of data
What is the first step in the social work research process?
Identifying the issue/area of oppression and positioning yourself: are able to conduct this research in a good way? (emotional availability, knowledge, skills, necessary resources and partnerships, insider vs. outsider positioning, biases, beliefs, etc.)
Who is involved in a social work research group? (4)
-Research initiators (those requesting it, whether or not they continue to be involved)
-Advisory committee: partners who meet and advise, but do not conduct the study (includes service users)
-Research team: co-researchers, principal/co-investigators
-Research partners: those who carry out components of the research (ex. being involved in pilot testing)
What are some considerations to make when gathering a research team? (8)
-Their varying perspectives and agendas
-Financial implications
Degree of interest
-Fulfilling institutional and cultural responsibilities (university-community partnerships, Indigenous Elders, etc.)
-Lived experience
-Ownership of data
-Biases and uncompromising philosophies
-Importance of relationship building
-Insider vs. outsider identities
What is the purpose of literature reviews? (5)
-Understanding the topic/context, the views of others, any debates
-Critiquing and learning from what has already been done; identifying gaps in knowledge
-Guiding the development and rationale of your study
-Providing examples of suitable design, research tools, limitations, and recommendations
-Increased credibility of your own research, ability to provide context and outside resources
What are some considerations to make when searching for literature reviews? (4)
-How systematic they are/type of literature review
-Credibility and social location of the source
-Historical, political, colonizing, and marginalizing influences
-Worldview and biases
