Social Work Research

• SSW SR 743: Introduction to Social Work Research 1
  Graduate Prerequisites: Required of all students. The goal of this introductory course is to develop the student's ability to use and engage in both quantitative and qualitative research in order to inform and evaluate their own social work practice. The course addresses key research concepts and procedures such as hypothesis formulation, measurement, sampling, research design, and data collection. The course also examines ethical issues in the conduct of social research, including informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality, culturally sensitive research methods, and the NASW Code of Ethics.
• SSW SR 744: Social Work Research 2
  Graduate Prerequisites: SSW SR743. Required of all students. In social work, program evaluation research is critical to the advancement of practice knowledge and the improvement of program services. Building on principles learned in SR 743, this course prepares MSW students to design, implement, analyze, and report evaluations of social work programs, services, and policies. Core topics include: typologies of evaluation, theories of change, formulating targeted evaluation questions, appropriate designs and measures, data collection and analysis for qualitative and quantitative inquiry, and utilization and dissemination of evaluation findings. With special attention to socio-economic justice and anti-racist, anti-oppressive research principles, the course addresses the use of evaluation to advance social change and build the capacity of programs and service providers to improve the quality and delivery of social work services to diverse populations.
• SSW SR 904: Clinical Research Methods in Social Work Practice
  Graduate Prerequisites: PHD level course, permission required for graduate students - This course builds upon introductory doctoral coursework in research and statistical methods to develop advanced skills in clinical research. The intention is to familiarize and advance students' knowledge and application of design and implementation strategies for clinical research. A variety of practice research approaches will be discussed and critically analyzed and will include clinical trials, clinical process research, program evaluation, measurement construction, longitudinal, mixed methods, implementation science, and survey research. Topics include conceptualization and design, sampling of participants, assessment, data organization and management, analysis plans, evaluation and outcomes, and ethical concerns. Wherever possible, the instructor and guest speakers will present on completed and ongoing research projects. The course will be conducted as a seminar, whereby students will take an active role in discussions and applying knowledge and skills development. We will examine and critique readings (e.g., assigned, independent) as well as present and provide constructive consultation and feedback to other seminar participants. Original study materials such as questionnaires and standardized research measures will be provided to students. The class will focus on experiential exercises to maximize the relevance to students' own research (e.g., dissertation).
• SSW SR 906: Qualitative Research Methods
  This course provides doctoral students with foundational knowledge of some of the major theories and practices of qualitative research. The history of qualitative methods is reviewed to situate this long-standing approach within current practices in the social sciences. A variety of approaches to data collection (ethnography, observation, focus groups and individual interviewing) and analysis (narrative, grounded theory, Listening Guide) are introduced along with ethical issues in the practice of qualitative research. Strategies for enhancing rigor are discussed as are writing qualitative research proposals and publications. A series of exercises culminates in a proposal for a small qualitative research project along with an accompanying IRB application. (SR906 and SR907 comprise a two-course qualitative methods sequence.)
• SSW SR 907: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
  This course is the second in a two-semester sequence (SR906 and SR907) designed to introduce students to qualitative approaches in social science research and foster development of foundational skills in qualitative research design, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of qualitative research findings. The course builds on students' developing understanding of the diversity and philosophical underpinnings of qualitative approaches and provides an opportunity to deepen one's skills in data collection and analysis through the completion of a small-scale qualitative research project. Students are expected to have obtained IRB approval for their projects prior to the start of the semester so that work on these can begin immediately.
• SSW SR 910: Doctoral Dissertation Seminar
  Designed as a seminar format, this course guides students in the transformation of their latent ideas into novel researchable dissertation projects. The course focuses on enhancing student knowledge and skills necessary to develop the many components of the dissertation in a coherent manner: introduction, literature review, theoretical or conceptual framework, research questions, methods, results and discussion sections. The seminar also addresses a number of dissertation research-related tasks such as creation of the dissertation committee, understanding research ethics and the institutional review board process, exploring dissertation funding and identifying needed resources, creation of realistic timelines for dissertation phases, and strategies for dissemination of work through conference presentations and publications. Each student will develop a complete draft of his/her dissertation prospectus and evaluate the proposed research in terms of its relevance for the field of social welfare, including relevance to the profession's mission to pursue social justice, the rigor of the proposed study, the originality of the research, and the feasibility of the overall proposal.