Critical And Creative Research Methodologies In Social Work

This volume develops critical and creative research methodologies that place questions of social justice at their centre and take innovative approaches to collecting, analysing, interpreting and presenting research data. The first section of the book examines textual data produced from an array of methodologies focused on the spoken and/or written word. These approaches allow those who are often silenced to speak by providing space and time to capture memory and meanings that may not come to light in a time driven structured research method like an interview or a questionnaire. The second section of the book discusses visual methods, including an examination of historical artefacts like, photographs and objects, and participant engagement with art, specifically clay sculpture and drawings.

Social work research is concerned with complex social issues closely connected to communities of people who are marginalized and oppressed. This volume develops critical and creative research methodologies that place questions of social justice at their centre and take innovative approaches to collecting, analysing, interpreting and presenting research data. The first section of the book examines textual data produced from an array of methodologies focused on the spoken and/or written word. These approaches allow those who are often silenced to speak by providing space and time to capture memory and meanings that may not come to light in a time driven structured research method like an interview or a questionnaire. The second section of the book discusses visual methods, including an examination of historical artefacts like, photographs and objects, and participant engagement with art, specifically clay sculpture and drawings. Both sets of methods examine the concept of ’time’, that is, how we understand time, as in our past memories, how we develop relationships and knowledge over time. These creative and critical methods provide new insights into ways of undertaking social research in social work which captures the complexity of social experiences, problems and meanings that are, more often than not, embedded in time and place.

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® slides.

`A really fine book... an impressive work that adds much to the development of the use of qualitative methodology in social work research' - William J Reid, University at Albany 'The back cover of the book proclaims that "Qualitative Research in Social Work will be essential reading for all students, practitioners and researchers undertaking social work research." That just about sums it up for me' - British Journal of Social Work `This book is a significant milestone in the development of social work research. It is characterized by an unparalleled command of the field of qualitative research in social work, and by a commitment to an understanding of the demands and potential of day-to-day social work practice' - Mike Fisher, Director of Research, National Institute for Social Research `Qualitative Research in Social Work edited by Ian Shaw and Nick Gould, provides a state-of-the-art exposition and analysis of qualitative inquiry in relation to social work.... The book has an unusual degree of coherence for one with several authors. The five chapters by the editors (parts one and three) do an exceptional job of providing the necessary background information and setting the context for the six application chapters and of highlighting and discussing the issues raised in those chapters. The editors are respected scholars well-versed in the theory and practice of qualitative research. Similarly, the contributing authors represent both considerable experience in this field and a diversity of interests. This combination makes Qualitative Research in Social Work an excellent text for students, practitioners, and researchers alike. It is a benchmark for social work progress in this area and points the way for the continued development of qualitative inquiry' - Professor Stanley L Witkin, Department of Social Work, University of Vermont There is a clear need for a book which treats qualitative research as a substantive theme within social work, setting epistemological and methodological issues in a context whereby the agenda is set by, and is relevant to, social work. Qualitative Research in Social Work is just such a book and will be immensely useful for students, practitioners and researchers interested in and undertaking social work research. In the introductory chapters the co-authors set qualitative research within a context of social work developments and problems. The central section provides additional topicality and directness through specially commissioned chapters from leading figures in this field each covering key qualitative methods and relating them to social work settings, and the final section which reviews qualitative research in social work, and aims to exemplify ways in which social work thought and practice can be advanced through research.

From the outset, the ultimate goal of Research Methods for Social Workers has been to serve as a research text that students would be able to understand and read in full. This third edition features important additions and changes to the original text (while maintaining its accessible style). The order of chapters is re-arranged to improve the flow of introducing and developing concepts of the research process, and the authors have included some much-needed information to meet the changing and evolving standards of social work education. 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.

"Scholarship on adult education has fueled a high level of methodological creativity and innovation in order to tackle a diverse range of issues in a wide range of settings and locations in a critical and participatory manner. Adult education research is marked by the desire to do research differently and to conduct critical research with rather than about people which requires theoretical and methodological creativity. This entails a particular approach to how we seek to know the world in collaboration with people, to rupture hierarchical relations and to create new collaborative spaces of learning and research that encompass the diversity of people's life experiences. Doing Critical and Creative Research in Adult Education brings together both leading and emerging scholars in adult education research in order to capture the vitality and complexity of contemporary adult education research. This includes contributions on biographical, narrative, embodied, arts and media-based and ethnographic methods alongside the critical use of quantitative and mixed methods. This distinctive and rich methodological contribution has a general relevance and usefulness for all researchers and students in the social science and humanities, which draws attention to the importance of critical and creative participatory learning processes in human life and learning"--

Research Methods in Social Work helps students develop evidence-based practice by involving them in the process of research methodology. An innovative storytelling approach follows two students engaged in internships who go through the steps and tasks required to design a program and evaluate it in their practicum. Readers can see how realistic decisions arise in planning research and the activities necessary to support and conduct a research effort. Students learn the importance of comparison group designs, operationalizing variables, the use of valid and reliable measurements, and how these can affect the obtained results. Specific topics include research ethics, developing questionnaires and instruments, techniques for selecting client and community samples, and evaluating one's practice with single system designs. This edition features a new focus on understanding the statistical procedures, symbols, and findings commonly found in research publications. Instructor and student friendly, it contains self-review questions as well as potential assignments. Research Methods in Social Work prepares students to successfully consume social work research and lays the foundation for those who may want to create research during their academic and professional careers. David Royse is the Joanne I. Bell Professor of Social Policy and Critical Thinking in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Royse has an extensive publication record with his work appearing in Children and Youth Services Review, Child Abuse & Neglect, Social Work in Health Care, Journal of Public Child Welfare, among others. He is the author of several methodology books for social workers, including Program Evaluation: An Introduction to an Evidence-based Approach with Bruce Thyer and Deborah Padgett, as well as Child Welfare and Child Protection with Austin Griffiths (Cognella).

This handy book is a one-stop introduction to research and evaluation for social workers. Including unique project examples, exercises, discussion points and extensive signposting to further reading, and drawing on the author's many years of teaching experience, it is essential reading for students who may be unfamiliar with research methods.