Praise for the previous edition
"An extraordinary and important book. Its approach to evidence-based practice (EBP) is very sound, realistic, and generous to the complexities of everyday practice. Reading and using this book is a must."
Haluk Soydan, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Southern California
"This book has the potential to change practice in the helping professions. Rather than focusing on how to conduct research, Practitioner's Guide to Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice instead shows readers how to understand the literature.... [The] generous use of humor and the inclusion of simple, practice-relevant examples make this book a pleasure to read."
Aron Shlonsky, PhD, Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
"I particularly like the integration of research methods and EBP; this is the book's major innovation in my mind as it allows readers to see the connections between research and practice. [The book] also succeeds by taking very complex EBP principles and explaining them in practical terms."
Jeffrey M. Jenson, PhD, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver
Hands-on guidance for research-informed practice and practice-informed research
Now in a second edition, Practitioner's Guide to Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice offers a clinician-oriented approach to appraising and using research as part of the EBP process. This accessible guide presents essential and practical guidance on how to integrate research appraisal into EBP endeavors to determine which interventions, policies, and assessment tools are supported by the best evidence.
It introduces:
- Increased attention to macro-level EBP questions and studies
- New discussion on defining EBP, including the addition of a transdisciplinary model of EBP
- More detailed guidance on EBP question formulation and conducting Internet searches, including the PICO framework
- New content on multivariate designs, including propensity score matching, and on mixed-model and mixed-methods studies
Table of Contents:
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xxi
About the Authors xxiii
PART I: Overview of Evidence-Based Practice
Chapter 1 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice 3
Emergence of Evidence-Based Practice 5
Defining Evidence-Based Practice 6
Types of EBP Questions 7
Evidence-Based Practice Is Not Restricted to Clinical Decisions 17
Developing an Evidence-Based Practice Process Outlook 17
Easier Said Than Done 23
Key Chapter Concepts 25
Review Exercises 26
Additional Readings 27
Chapter 2 Steps in the EBP Process 28
Step 1: Question Formulation 29
Step 2: Evidence Search 30
Step 3: Critically Appraising Studies and Reviews 38
Step 4: Selecting and Implementing the Intervention 40
Step 5: Monitor Client Progress 43
Feasibility Constraints 44
Key Chapter Concepts 47
Review Exercises 48
Additional Readings 49
Chapter 3 Research Hierarchies: Which Types of Research Are Best for Which Questions? 50
More Than One Type of Hierarchy for More Than One Type of EBP Question 51
Qualitative and Quantitative Studies 53
What Types of Research Designs Apply to What Types of EBP Questions? 54
Key Chapter Concepts 65
Review Exercises 67
Additional Readings 67
PART II: Critically Appraising Studies for EBP Questions about Intervention Effectiveness
Chapter 4 Criteria for Inferring Effectiveness: How Do We Know What Works? 71
Internal Validity 72
Measurement Issues 78
Statistical Chance 83
External Validity 88
Synopses of Research Studies 90
Key Chapter Concepts 95
Review Exercises 96
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 97
Additional Readings 98
Chapter 5 Critically Appraising Experiments 99
Classic Pretest–Posttest Control Group Design 100
Posttest-Only Control Group Design 102
Solomon Four-Group Design 103
Alternative Treatment Designs 104
Dismantling Designs 106
Placebo Control Group Designs 107
Experimental Demand and Experimenter Expectancies 109
Obtrusive Versus Unobtrusive Observation 110
Compensatory Equalization and Compensatory Rivalry 111
Resentful Demoralization 111
Treatment Diffusion 112
Treatment Fidelity 113
Practitioner Equivalence 113
Differential Attrition 115
Synopses of Research Studies 117
Key Chapter Concepts 123
Review Exercises 124
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 125
Additional Readings 125
Chapter 6 Critically Appraising Quasi-Experiments:Nonequivalent Comparison Groups Designs 126
Nonequivalent Comparison Groups Designs 127
Additional Logical Arrangements to Control for Potential Selectivity Biases 130
Statistical Controls for Potential Selectivity Biases 134
Propensity Score Matching Using a Policy Example 144
Pilot Studies 145
Synopses of Research Studies 147
Key Chapter Concepts 152
Review Exercises 153
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 153
Additional Readings 154
Chapter 7 Critically Appraising Quasi-Experiments: Time-Series Designs and Single-Case Designs 155
Simple Time-Series Designs 156
Multiple Time-Series Designs 159
Single-Case Designs 161
Synopses of Research Studies 168
Key Chapter Concepts 174
Review Exercises 175
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 176
Additional Reading 176
Chapter 8 Critically Appraising Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 177
Advantages of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 179
Risks in Relying Exclusively on Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses 180
Where to Start 181
What to Look for When Critically Appraising Systematic Reviews 182
What Distinguishes a Systematic Review from Other Types of Reviews? 190
What to Look for When Critically Appraising Meta-Analyses 191
Synopses of Research Studies 205
Key Chapter Concepts 209
Review Exercises 211
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 212
Additional Readings 212
PART III: Critically Appraising Studies for Alternative EBP Questions
Chapter 9 Critically Appraising Nonexperimental Quantitative Studies 215
Surveys 216
Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies 228
Case-Control Studies 229
Synopses of Research Studies 231
Key Chapter Concepts 240
Review Exercises 242
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 242
Additional Readings 242
Chapter 10 Critically Appraising Qualitative Studies 243
Qualitative Observation 245
Qualitative Interviewing 247
Qualitative Sampling 250
Grounded Theory 252
Frameworks for Appraising Qualitative Studies 252
Mixed Model and Mixed Methods Studies 257
Synopses of Research Studies 258
Key Chapter Concepts 266
Review Exercises 271
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 272
Additional Readings 272
PART IV: Assessing Clients and Monitoring Their Progress
Chapter 11 Critically Appraising and Selecting Assessment Instruments 275
Reliability 276
Validity 280
Sensitivity 285
Feasibility 287
Sample Characteristics 288
Locating Assessment Instruments 289
Synopses of Research Studies 291
Key Chapter Concepts 296
Review Exercises 297
Exercise for Critically Appraising Published Articles 298
Additional Readings 298
Chapter 12 Monitoring Client Progress 299
A Practitioner-Friendly Design 301
Feasible Assessment Techniques 304
Summary 313
Looking Ahead 316
Key Chapter Concepts 318
Review Exercises 319
Additional Readings 319
Appendix A Illustrative Answers to Selected Review Exercises 321
Chapter 3 Review Exercises 321
Chapter 4 Review Exercises 322
Chapter 5 Review Exercises 323
Chapter 7 Review Exercises 324
Chapter 8 Review Exercises 324
Chapter 12 Review Exercises 325
Appendix B What You Do and Don’t Need to Know About Statistics When Critically Appraising Studies 327
Why Do We Need Inferential Statistics? The Bottom Line 328
The Benchmark Made Simple 329
Is That Really All You Need to Know? 330
The Benchmark Is Not Sacred! 331
What Else Do You Need to Know? 332
Conclusion 333
Glossary 335
References 345
Index 351
About the Author :
Allen Rubin, Ph.D. is the Kantambu Latting College Professorship for Leadership and Change at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. He is the author of a number of best-selling titles in social work research and he currently serves as Chair of the Evidence-Based Practice track for the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Rubin led an international symposium on Improving Teaching of EBP.
Jennifer Bellamy, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Service Administration at The University of Chicago, where she has been a faculty member since 2008. She has numerous publications in the area of EBP in social work.
Review :
"I believe that clinicians of all experience levels would do well to read this book. While some of the topics may be familiar to recent graduates, a review of the techniques for critically assessing research can never be anything but beneficial. Rubin's use of personal examples from his own clinical work brings the area into the real world. In addition, readers should find his inclusion of synopses, key chapter concepts, and exercises useful and informative." (PsycCritiques, August 2008)
