Research and APA Outside of the Box The Art of Understanding What You need CALLIE WIYGUL, SOCIAL WORK LIBRARIAN USC LIBRARIES

What is research? “Research is a systematic methodological approach to collecting and analyzing information to create new knowledge” (Saini, 2015). Research informs practice: Evidence Based Practice Interventions Both a noun and a verb Saini, M. (2010). Research. Oxford Bibliographies Online. DOI: 0.1093/OBO/9780195389678-0033

Social Work Policy Institute “Assess the needs and resources of people in their environments Evaluate the effectiveness of social work services in meeting peoples needs Demonstrate relative costs and benefits of social work services Advance professional education in light of changing contexts for practice Understand the impact of legislation and social policy on the clients and communities we serve” Social Work Policy Institute. (2010). Research. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkpolicy.org/research

Policies “Social policy is how a society responds to social problems. Any government enactment that affects the well-being of people, including laws, regulations, executive orders, and court decisions, is a social policy” (Herrick, 2014). Policies are mandated at the following levels: Federal State Local Herrick, J.M. (2014). Social Policy Overview. Encyclopedia of Social Work. 10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.607

Studies Systematic Reviews Meta Analyses Qualitative Studies Usually focus on a specific clinical question and conduct extensive literature searches to identify studies with sound methodology. Studies are reviewed, assessed, and the results summarized according to the predetermined criteria of the review question Meta Analyses Combine the results from many studies (can be trans-disciplinary) Results inform policy and practice Qualitative Studies “Qualitative studies seek to convey the complex worlds of respondents in a holistic, on- the-ground manner” (Padgett, 2013). Padgett, D.K. (2013). Qualitative Research. Encyclopedia of Social Work.

Demographics Components of population change Projections for future population growth Transformations in population composition pertaining to: Age Race Ethnicity Trends that shape family household structure (for example, marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and non-marital child bearing) Trends pertaining to the distribution of income, wealth, and poverty Class-based disparities Marriage and non-marital child bearing Contributions of immigration to population growth and diversity Information is found in popular sources of information U.S. Census Bureau Kids Count Data Center Not located in academic journals

APA Citations Citations help you avoid plagiarism. Help the reader locate your sources APA – American Psychological Association The rules can be confusing – always follow your professor’s instructions Many APA citation sources are available online. Check the Social Work Library Guide http://libguides.usc.edu/APA-citation-style When in doubt, cite it out.

Four Basic Elements Author of content Date content was published Title of content Publication information. This can be the website you got it from or the journal or book's publication information.

Check the Social Work Library Guide http://libguides.usc.edu/APA-citation-style Includes examples of how to cite: Books Articles Encyclopedia entries Census data Policies Emails Podcasts Social Media

Commonly Asked Citation Questions How do I cite asynchronous content (lecture slides on Blackboard, etc.)?  In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  (Author Surname, Year)   In-Text Citation (Quotation):  References: Wiygul, C.B. (2015). How to Cite in APA Format[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from University of Southern California Blackboard Course SOWK 503: http://blackboard.usc.edu.

Commonly Asked Citation Questions How do I cite the Mental Measurements Yearbook ONLINE Mental Measurements Yearbook Entire Test Description Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales. (2001). In The fourteenth mental measurements yearbook. Available from http://buros.unl.edu/buros/ Individual Test Review Kaufman, N. L., & Kaufman, A. S. (2001). [Review of the test Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales]. In The fourteenth mental measurements yearbook.Available from http://www.unl.edu/buros/