Graduate research methods in social work
Matt DeCarlo, La Salle University
Cory Cummings, Nazareth University
Kate Agnelli, Virginia Commonwealth University
Copyright Year: 2021
ISBN 13: 9781949373219
Publisher: Open Social Work Education
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
CC BY-NC-SA
Reviews
Graduate Research Methods in Social Work by DeCarlo, et al., is a comprehensive and well-structured guide that serves as an invaluable resource for graduate students delving into the intricate world of social work research. The book is divided... read more
Graduate Research Methods in Social Work by DeCarlo, et al., is a comprehensive and well-structured guide that serves as an invaluable resource for graduate students delving into the intricate world of social work research. The book is divided into five distinct parts, each carefully curated to provide a step-by-step approach to mastering research methods in the field. Topics covered include an intro to basic research concepts, conceptualization, quantitative & qualitative approaches, as well as research in practice. At 800+ pages, however, the text could be received by students as a bit overwhelming.
Content appears consistent and reliable when compared to similar textbooks in this topic.
The book's well-structured content begins with fundamental concepts, such as the scientific method and evidence-based practice, guiding readers through the initiation of research projects with attention to ethical considerations. It seamlessly transitions to detailed explorations of both quantitative and qualitative methods, covering topics like sampling, measurement, survey design, and various qualitative data collection approaches. Throughout, the authors emphasize ethical responsibilities, cultural respectfulness, and critical thinking. These are crucial concepts we cover in social work and I was pleased to see these being integrated throughout.
The level of the language used is appropriate for graduate-level study.
Book appears to be consistent in the tone and terminology used.
The images and videos included, help to break up large text blocks.
Topics covered are well-organized and comprehensive. I appreciate the thorough preamble the authors include to situate the role of the social worker within a research context.
When downloaded as a pdf, the book does not begin until page 30+ so it may be a bit difficult to scroll so long for students in order to access the content for which they are searching. Also, making the Table of Contents clickable, would help in navigating this very long textbook.
I did not find any grammatical errors or typos in the pages reviewed.
I appreciate the efforts made to integrate diverse perspectives, voices, and images into the text. The discussion around ethics and cultural considerations in research was nuanced and comprehensive as well.
Overall, the content of the book aligns with established principles of social work research, providing accurate and up-to-date information in a format that is accessible to graduate students and educators in the field.
With well over 800 pages, this text is beyond comprehensive! read more
With well over 800 pages, this text is beyond comprehensive!
I perused the entire text, but my focus was on "Part 4: Using qualitative methods." This section seems accurate.
As mentioned above, my primary focus was on the qualitative methods section. This section is relevant to the students I teach in interpreting studies (not a social sciences discipline).
This book is well-written and clear.
Navigating this text is easy, because the formatting is consistent
My favorite part of this text is that I can be easily customized, so that I can use the sections on qualitative methods.
The text is well-organized and easy to find and link to related sections in the book.
There are no distracting or confusing features. The book is long; being able to customize makes it easier to navigate.
I did not notice grammatical errors.
The authors offer resources for Afrocentricity for social work practice (among others, including those related to Feminist and Queer methodologies). These are relevant to the field of interpreting studies.
I look forward to adopting this text in my qualitative methods course for graduate students in interpreting studies.
Table of Contents
- Part 1: Introduction to research
- 1. Science and social work
- 2. Starting your research project
- 3. Searching the literature
- 4. Critical information literacy
- 5. Writing your literature review
- Part 2: Conceptualizing your research project
- 6. Research ethics
- 7. Theory and paradigm
- 8. Reasoning and causality
- 9. Writing your research question
- Part 3: Using quantitative methods
- 10. Quantitative sampling
- 11. Quantitative measurement
- 12. Survey design
- 13. Experimental design
- 14. Univariate analysis
- 15. Bivariate analysis
- 16. Reporting quantitative results
- Part 4: Using qualitative methods
- 17. Qualitative data and sampling
- 18. Qualitative data collection
- 19. A survey of approaches to qualitative data analysis
- 20. Quality in qualitative studies: Rigor in research design
- 21. Qualitative research dissemination
- 22. A survey of qualitative designs
- Part 5: Research in practice
- 23. Program evaluation
- 24. Sharing and consuming research
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
We designed our book to help graduate social work students through every step of the research process, from conceptualization to dissemination. Our textbook centers cultural humility, information literacy, pragmatism, and an equal emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methods. It includes extensive content on literature reviews, cultural bias and respectfulness, and qualitative methods, in contrast to traditionally used commercial textbooks in social work research.
Our author team spans across academic, public, and nonprofit social work research. We love research, and we endeavored through our book to make research more engaging, less painful, and easier to understand. Our textbook exercises direct students to apply content as they are reading the book to an original research project. By breaking it down step-by-step, writing in approachable language, as well as using stories from our life, practice, and research experience, our textbook helps professors overcome students’ research methods anxiety and antipathy.
If you decide to adopt our resource, we ask that you complete this short Adopter’s Survey that helps us keep track of our community impact. You can also contact profmattdecarlo@gmail.com for a student workbook, homework assignments, slideshows, a draft bank of quiz questions, and a course calendar.
About the Contributors
Authors
Matt DeCarlo, PhD, MSW is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at La Salle University. He is the co-founder of Open Social Work (formerly Open Social Work Education), a collaborative project focusing on open education, open science, and open access in social work and higher education. His first open textbook, Scientific Inquiry in Social Work, was the first developed for social work education, and is now in use in over 60 campuses, mostly in the United States. He is a former OER Research Fellow with the OpenEd Group. Prior to his work in OER, Dr. DeCarlo received his PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University and has published on disability policy.
Cory Cummings, Ph.D., LCSW is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Nazareth University. He has practice experience in community mental health, including clinical practice and administration. In addition, Dr. Cummings has volunteered at safety net mental health services agencies and provided support services for individuals and families affected by HIV. In his current position, Dr. Cummings teaches in the BSW program and MSW programs; specifically in the Clinical Practice with Children and Families concentration. Courses that he teaches include research, social work practice, and clinical field seminar. His scholarship focuses on promoting health equity for individuals experiencing symptoms of severe mental illness and improving opportunities to increase quality of life. Dr. Cummings received his PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Kate Agnelli, MSW, is an adjunct professor at VCU’s School of Social Work, teaching masters-level classes on research methods, public policy, and social justice. She also works as a senior legislative analyst with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), a policy research organization reporting to the Virginia General Assembly. Before working for JLARC, Ms. Agnelli worked for several years in government and nonprofit research and program evaluation. In addition, she has several publications in peer-reviewed journals, has presented at national social work conferences, and has served as a reviewer for Social Work Education. She received her MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University.