Research Methods for Social Workers 4e: A Practice-Based Approach

From the outset, the ultimate goal of Research Methods for Social Workers has been to serve as a research text that students can understand and read in full. This revised fourth edition features important additions and changes to the original text while maintaining its accessible style. The authors have included some much-needed information to meet the changing and evolving standards of social work education and EDI. At its core, this book is designed to bring complex ideas down to a level that can be grasped by someone with little to no knowledge of research methods - it is an invaluable resource for social work students and anyone who wishes to have a comprehensive introduction to research methods.

Table of Contents:
1. Defining Research Methods 2. Ethical and Cultural Considerations 3. Developing the Research Question 4. Qualitative Research Designs 5. Creating a Literature Review 6. Quantitative Research Designs 7. Variables and Measures 8. Sampling 9. Survey Research 10. Program Evaluation Research 11. Single-Subject Design 12. Introduction to Descriptive Statistics 13. Introduction to Inferential Statistics 14. Integrating Research and Practice

About the Author :
Cynthia A. Faulkner is Professor of Social Work at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she served four years as MSW Program Director. She previously retired from Morehead State University, Kentucky, as Professor of Social Work, where she held the positions of Field Education Coordinator and BSW Program Coordinator. She is currently the Editor of the British Social Science Journal: Social Work. She has published articles, textbooks, and book chapters and presented at numerous conferences. Samuel S. Faulkner served as Professor of Social Work at Morehead State University until he retired in 2017. His positions included BSW Program Coordinator and Director of International Education, and he served as Chair of the IRB for thirteen years. He has published articles, textbooks, and book chapters and presented at numerous conferences.

Review :
This a very comprehensive BSSW-level text that prepares the student for MSW-level social work research. The topic order is one of the best that I have seen and will make it even easier to teach the concepts because the students will not have to jump around chapters." The book's layout is easy to digest and easy to read. I didn't feel like I was reading a dry textbook, but rather a book that was so engaging, and which incorporates our Code of Ethics throughout, reminding students of the why and how for the research that we do." The Faulkner text makes research easy to digest and apply to practice. There is excellent explanation of basic research concepts and terminology, good use of case examples and quizzes to ensure learning and retention, and the fourth edition builds on prior editions using feedback from teaching to make it better than ever."