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This module is designed to ensure that students develop the skills of disciplined enquiry and investigation that are increasingly important for social work practitioners. On completion of this module, students will comprehend how to gather, analyse and interpret data in a rigorous and systematic way, and communicate their analysis to others using diverse methods and media. Students will gain an understanding of research methods and of the relationship between research questions, designs, methods and findings. The module is also intended to enable students to develop as ‘researcher-practitioners’ and to value this as a central part of their professional identity as social workers.
Outline Content
- Philosophy, theory and method in social research.
- Research problems and research designs.
- Stages in social research: framing research question(s), literature review, ethical considerations, data collection/analysis, report writing.
- Major quantitative and qualitative methods (surveys, interviews, focus groups, systematic reviews).
- Documentary sources and official statistics.
- Participatory research; action research; narrative and creative methods.
- Interface of research, policy development and practice in social work; evidence-based policy and practice; acknowledging and upholding the distinctiveness of research in social work and the social professions.
- Using new technologies for research, information and communication purposes.
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RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE AND POLICY 1
