Social Work Research Methods

Teresa Morris is the chair of the social work department and director of social work programs at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). She received her M.S.W. from the University of Hawaii and her Doctorate from UC, Berkeley. She is from England via Australia and now lives in California. In England she worked as a secondary school teacher and a youth and community worker. In Australia she was a community worker, and later an academic. In 1989 she went to California to help start a new social work department and now heads that department. Her publications have been in the areas of refugee resettlement, philosophy of science, and alternative paradigm research methods. She teaches research methods.

Introduction Research and Generalist Practice Brief History of Philosophy of Science PART I: THE POSITIVIST PARADIGM Introduction Chapter 1. Engagement - Entree to the Research Setting Defined Chapter 2. Assessment - Development of Understanding the Research Focus Chapter 3. Planning - Rationales for Carrying out the Research Project Explanatory Designs Descriptive Designs Chapter 4. Implementation - Gathering the Data Managing and Implementing Data Collection Chapter 5: Evaluation - Developing an Understanding of the Data and its Meaning Data Entry Descriptive Statistics Inferential Statistics Chapter Six: Termination and Follow Up - Reporting on Findings and Exiting the Research Setting Research Setting Conclusion PART II: POST POSITIVISM Introduction Chapter 7. Assessment and Engagement - Development of Understanding of the Research Focus and Entree to the Research Setting Chapter 8: Planning, Implementation, Evaluation - Rationale for Gathering Data, Data Gathering and Developing an Understanding of the Data and its Meaning Planning: Rationale for Gathering Data Implementation: Data Gathering Evaluation: Developing an Understanding of the Data and its Meaning Chapter 9: Termination and Follow Up - Reporting on Findings and Exiting the Research Setting and Communication and Distribution of Findings Conclusion PART III: CRITICAL THEORY Introduction Chapter 10: Assessment, Engagement, and Planning - Development of Understanding of the Research Focus, Entree to the Research Setting. Rationale for Carrying out the Research Planning: Rationale for Carrying out the Research Chapter Eleven: Implementation - Gathering Data Data Collection for Looking and Developing the Ideological Analysis Data Collection for Action Data Collection for Evaluation of Action Plans Chapter 12: Evaluation - Developing an Understanding of the Data and its Meaning Emergent Analysis Ideological Analysis Action Analysis Chapter 13: Termination and Follow Up - Reporting on Finding, Exiting the Research Setting, and Communication and Distribution of Research Findings Reporting to Participants and the Target Entity Reporting to the Participants, Funding Sources and Academic Settings Alternate Forms of Presentation Reflection and Celebration Conclusion PART IV: CONSTRUCTIVISM Introduction Chapter 14: Engagement, Assessment and Planning - Entree to the Research Setting, Development of Understanding of the Researcher Focus, Rationales for Gathering Data Chapter 15: Implementation and Evaluation - Gathering Data and Developing and Understanding of the Data and its Meaning Implementation: Gathering Data Stages of Data Collection Evaluation: Understanding the Meaning of Data Chapter 16: Termination and Follow Up - Reporting on Findings, Exiting the Research Setting and Communication and Distribution of Findings Researcher's Journals The Case Study, or Research Report Exiting the Research Setting Conclusion PART V: CROSS CUTTING THEMES: ETHICS, DIVERSITY AND TECHNOLOGY Introduction Chapter 17: The Ethics and Politics of Research Introduction Ethics Politics Conclusion Chapter 18: The Researcher's Responsibility to Diversity Introduction Engagement (Gaining Entree to the Research Setting) Assessment (Developing an Understanding of the Research Focus) Planning (Rationales and Plans for Carrying out These Research Projects) Implementation: Gathering the Data Evaluation (Developing an understanding and Interpretation of the Data) Termination and Follow Up Chapter 19: The Function of Technology at Each Step of the Way Engagement (Gaining Entree to the Research Setting) Assessment (Developing an Understanding of the Research Focus) Planning (Rationales and Plans for Carrying out the Research Project) Implementation (Gathering the Data) Evaluation (Developing an Understanding and Interpretation of the Data Termination and Follow Up Glossary Phenomenology - An Approach to Understanding the World that Uses Refection, Evidence (i.e. Awareness of Something) and Description References and Bibliography