Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach

Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach is a comprehensive introduction to methods instruction that engages students innovatively and interactively. Using a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, authors Antoinette Y. Farmer and G. Lawrence Farmer utilize case examples to achieve a level of application which builds readers' confidence in methodology and reinforces their understanding of research across all levels of social work practice. These case examples, along with critical thinking questions, research tips, and step-by-step problem-solving methods, will improve student mastery and help them see why research is relevant. With the guidance of this new and noteworthy textbook, readers will transform into both knowledgeable consumers of research and skilled practitioners who can effectively address the needs of their clients through research. Included with this title: The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint(R) slides.

About the Author :
Dr. Antoinette Y. Farmer, Professor and faculty affiliate, Center for Prevention Science, and Center for Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, School of Social Work. Dr. Farmer's research examines the social and interpersonal factors that affect parenting as well as how parenting practices influence adolescent high risk behaviors, such as delinquency and substance use. Another strand of her research focuses on social work education, where she studies the effects of the implicit curriculum on students' outcomes and the use of research methods to study issues affecting diverse groups. She co-edited a special issue of the Journal of Social Service Research, which was devoted to informing researchers of the methodological issues confronting them when conducting research with minority and oppressed populations. She is the coauthor of the book "Research with Diverse Groups: Research Designs and Multivariate Latent Modeling for Equivalence". She is a Commissioner on the Council on Social Work Education Commission (CSWE) on Educational Policy and a Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellow. She previously served as a Commissioner on CSWE Commission for Accreditation, and additionally served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2018 at Rutgers. She is currently on the editorial board for the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought. G. Lawrence Farmer, MSW, PhD is an Associate Professor and Director of the Doctoral Program at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service. His scholarly interests center on understanding those factors that promote the well-being of youth. He has published work in Social Service Review, Children and Schools, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment and Social Work in Health Care, and Journal of Social Service Research. Two of the projects he is presently involved in, Resilient Scholars and Westchester Building the Future, seeks to promote youth's well-being. Both projects seek to increase protective and promotive factor by transforming institutions that provide services to youth. The Resilient Scholars Program seeks promote positive youth development by developing the social and emotional learning competencies of middle and high school students. Additionally, it seeks to develop a program implementation model that will build school's capability to implement youth-centered interventions that will be sustained overtime. The Westchester Building the Future project is a collaboration between the Westchester County Department of Social Services, Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health and Fordham University to restructure services to youth transitioning out of the foster care system. The goal is to empower youth in their efforts to successfully navigate the transition and to achieve changes in the system of care for youth in the system.

Review :
"Research Methods for Social Work Practice is a new take on the standard research text. This text incorporates a problem-based learning approach to addressing research content along with case studies to facilitate understanding of research content." --Patricia Saleeby "The authors have proposed a very innovative way to make research understandable and interesting to an audience that doesn't typically enjoy the research process. The problem-based learning model will engage students and challenge them to think about research in ways that many of them previously hadn't thought about it." --Juan J. Barthelemy "This text is student-friendly and offer students immediate answers related to why and how research is relevant and required in the social work profession. From my review, I believe Research Methods for Social Work Practice may be exactly what we′ve needed in our program." --Sonja V. Harry