Research Methods Exam #1 Quizlet

Why is it important for social work students to study research methods?

To inform practice; produce knowledge; and evaluate social work services

Why is research useful for grants and funding?

Data demonstrates community needs and program value in grant applications

What does a significant p-value suggest?

The finding is unlikely to be due to chance alone

What is the correct order of the research process?

Select a topic of focus → explore literature to identify what is known → formulate a research question → introduction → review of literature → methodology → analysis/results → findings/conclusions

What is Positivism?

Rests on a number of principles. One central principle is that observations should support theories. Also observations should be made objectively.

What would be an example of positivism?

A (parent) + B (teacher) = Zoom meets/drop-ins

What would the ‘C’ be in positivism?

A (parent) + B (teacher) = C (student outcomes; grades)

What is causality?

Changes in some factors produce variations in another factor or factors

What is Deductive Reasoning?

Drawing conclusions from the general to the particular. BIG TO SMALL

Would quantitative research be deduction or induction?

Deduction

What is Inductive Reasoning?

Specific data to form broad general conclusions/hypothesis. SMALL TO BIG

Would qualitative research be deduction or induction?

Induction; open-ended questions

What do feminist researchers say about the objective model of science?

That the model is more compatible with men’s ways of thinking

What is quantitative data?

Data usually collected to gather categories about phenomena; numbers assigned to these categories to be statistically analyzed

What are the pros and cons of quantitative data?

Pros: high generalizability; objective; easy to replicate; efficient analysis. Cons: lacks context; inflexible; structural flaws; outliers/nuances

What does the positivist approach require?

Requires studying large numbers of subjects in order to generalize the results

What is qualitative data?

Nonnumerical examination of phenomena; using words and focusing on underlying meanings and patterns of relationships

What are the pros and cons of qualitative data?

Pros: human experience; flexibility; smaller sample size; good for newer fields; when not sensitive information. Cons: generalizability; bias; labor intensive; hard to replicate

What happens during the analysis portion of qualitative data?

Creating categories after the verbal material has been collected

What is applied research?

Research questions or problems determined by an agency to solve problems that arise in practice

What is pure research?

Research questions to satisfy our curiosity

What is developmental research (intervention research)?

Research that focuses on innovative interventions; testing their effectiveness; and modifying them

What is descriptive research?

Describes records or reports; fundamental information for establishing social programs

What is survey research?

Describing the characteristics of a group

What are the measures of central tendency?

Mean; median; mode

What are the measures of variability?

Range; standard deviation

What is ethnography?

A qualitative method of describing a culture or society that is used in much anthropological research

What is explanatory research?

Aims to provide explanations of events in order to identify causes (needs a hypothesis)

What is exploratory research?

Little knowledge on study

What is an example of a FORMATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION?

How effective is program X in providing services to support…?

What is an example of a SUMMATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION?

How effective is the group therapy modality for reducing depression in the clients..?

What is practice evaluation?

Evaluating how well you can provide your services to an individual

What is a program evaluation (SPF)?

Strategic planning framework; evaluating program of its services (in its entirety)

What is Summative Program Evaluation?

Conducted to determine the effectiveness of the program offerings using a before and after measure OUTCOME MEASURES

What is Formative Program Evaluation?

Conducted to determine if the program met their benchmarks assessing the formative process along the way

What is the purpose of a literature review?

To synthesize and critically evaluate prior research

What should a literature review identify?

Previous findings; strengths; limitations; theories; and the research gap

What is the purpose of the Methods in a research study?

To describe the protocol that was followed to recruit participants and how the data were actually collected

Qualitative research may involve…

Conducting in-depth interviews with open-ended questions; and then using Grounded Theory Approach to analyze the data

Quantitative research may involve…

Conducting a research study using only an extensive questionnaire to collect data; and using a statistical program to analyze the data

What is an example of an open-ended question?

Tell you about your experiences growing up in Montreal…

What is an example of a closed-ended question?

In the past six months have you consumed alcohol

What is the purpose of the Belmont Report?

To ensure that researchers adhere to respect for persons; justice; and beneficence

What is evidence-based social work practice?

SW takes best available research w/ their clinical expertise; professional ethics; and client’s unique values; goals; and cultural context

What is the difference between practice evaluation vs program evaluation?

Practice Evaluation is evaluating how well you can provide services in practice; whereas program evaluation is evaluating the services in its entirety

What is a needs assessment?

Concerns with discovering the characteristics and extent of a particular social problem to determine the most appropriate response

How do you identify a broad “problem” area for research?

Separating the general subject of interest from an actual unresolved issue

What is an example of APA parenthetical In-text citations?

(Lederman et al. 2024); (Lipson & Lattie 2025)

What is an example of narrative In-text citation?

“According to Lederman (2024)…”

What is an empirically-based journal article?

A way of gaining knowledge by means of direct observation or experience

What is empirical evidence?

The record of one’s direct observations of experiences

Why are ethics important in research?

To ensure that the ‘good’ research findings that we are trying to cause outweighs the harm

What is the history of the Belmont Report and why was it developed?

The concentration camps; Tuskegee syphilis study. Established the foundational ethical principles for human-subjects research

What is consent?

Voluntary agreement between one party & another and protected boundaries

What is assent?

Involving children/youth in research; allowing child to agree prior to consent of parent/guardian

What does informed consent contain?

Purpose; protocol; estimated duration; possible risks; benefits to participants/society; confidentiality assurance; voluntary participation; and the ability to withdraw at any time

What is an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

Reviews; approves; and monitors research involving human participants. Protects the rights; safety; and welfare of human subjects

What is equity?

Fairness and justice for all individuals

What are the two different types of bias?

Structural & psychological

What is the difference between structural and psychological biases?

Structural is policy with disparate impacts history; whereas psychological is intentional or unintentional thoughts in someone’s head

How does a journal article get published in a scientific journal?

Manuscript → peer review → accept; accept with minor errors; reject with encouragement to resubmit; or reject

What is the purpose for doing a research introduction?

Announce the topic of focus; provide context/rationale; introduce the tone of the paper; catch the reader’s interest; communicate the statement or purpose/thesis statement

What is Grounded Theory Approach?

A qualitative approach that develops themes or theory from collected data

What is a structured interview?

Interviewer knows in advance the questions to ask (verbal questionnaire)

What is a semi-structured interview?

Interviewer has more freedom to pursue hunches and can improvise with the questions (open-ended interviews)

What is an unstructured interview?

A conversation; but interviewer/interviewee knows that it is an interview

What is a structured observation?

Behaviors are known & categorized prior to observation (quantitative data)

What is an unstructured observation?

Little is known about the behaviors being observed; interpretive approach (qualitative data)

What is a participant observation?

Interacts to varying degrees with those being observed

What is an ‘interview guide’?

List of questions you will ask your participants during the interview

What is an example of a variable?

It can represent a question on a survey or questionnaire for analysis purposes

What is a sample?

Subset of a population

What is random selection?

Systematic process to select a desired number of persons from a population

What is random assignment?

The use of a systematic process to assign persons from a sample to either an intervention/control group

What is generalizability?

A measure of how useful the results of a study are for a broader group of people or situations

What is attention-time-matched?

Attempt to provide similar attention & time to those in the control group as the intervention group

What are experimental designs meant for?

For program and practice evaluations; measure cause & effect

What are the different types of experimental designs?

True experimental design; posttest equivalent group design; pretest posttest equivalent group designs

What components does an experimental design have?

Control group; intervention group

What does X O1 O2 and R stand for in an experimental design?

X = treatment; O1 = pretest; O2 = posttest; R = randomization

What is a Single-System (Explanatory) Design?

Examines the impact of the intervention on the target behavior

What does the “AB design” (simplest) mean for Single-System Designs?

A = data being collected on the target behavior BEFORE the intervention; B = measurements of the target behavior AFTER the intervention; effectiveness between A & B

What does the “ABC design” (successive intervention) mean for Single-System Designs?

A = baseline measurement BEFORE intervention; B = first intervention; if ineffective C = second intervention; compare each intervention separate from A

What does the “ABAB design” (reverse design) mean for Single-System Designs?

A = baseline measurement BEFORE intervention; B = first intervention; Second A = withdrawal of intervention; Second B = introduction of intervention again

What are the differences between AB ABC and ABAB designs?

AB = compares effectiveness between A & B; ABC = compares each intervention separate from A (baseline); ABAB = tells us the impact of the intervention vs the impact of other factors

What are the strengths of Single-System Designs?

Practitioner is able to use the analysis to give feedback to client; building practice; low cost & time factors

What are the limitations of Single-System Designs?

Limited internal/external validity; ABAB limited to withdraw an intervention…

What is Field Research?

Type of study in which the researcher collects data in the “field”

What is ethnographies?

A qualitative POV; underlying assumption that reality is not a fixed characteristic of the world

What is Action Research?

Providing data to support a claim that action is needed

What is the most popular method for questionnaires?

Mailed questionnaires

What is a standardized scale?

Uniformed and tested extensively

What is a Likert scale?

An instrument that is composed of several questions or observations that have a logical or empirical structure

What is secondary data?

Data collected from another person for different research

What are some methods for collecting qualitative data?

Interviews; focus groups; observations

What is a concept paper?

Written before starting a research project; grant app; or thesis to outline idea; purpose; and significance of study