1. Elspeth Slayter, Ph.D., Associate Professor School of Social Work, Salem State University

2. Introductions Your instructors The class Expectations On getting to ‘the right’ question Introduction to the process of evidence-based practice 2

3. 3 9:35 p.m.- 10:45 a.m. Check-in/ announcements& questions from last week Lecture/Discussion 15 minute break (location of break is negotiable) 11:00-12:05 p.m. Group work/consultation with your instructor

5. 5 Critical consumption of research Choose practice approaches Choose evaluation approaches Improve your critical thinking skills Explain research findings to your staff/team Understand what the process of evidence-based practice REALLY is Ability to evaluate practice Determine process/outcome effectiveness Interact with consultants Work in a team Present information to your staff Function effectively in a data-driven and cash- strapped world

6. Agency assessment and identification of research question Annotated bibliography Full literature review and evaluation proposal

7. What YOU should and should not expect

8. 8 “Translation” of “research language” “Demystification” of the world of research Understanding research as an tool for better practice, advocacy “Ujaama” Swahili – means a person becomes himself through the help of others, by pulling together we can achieve great things

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10. 10 Reinvigorate any childhood-specific math fears No scary math quizzes No scary math calculations

11. t=2/34*** p<.001 OR=1.56*** Match the statistical test to the question 11

12. Learn where to find social work practice-relevant research Review the literature for practice application Apply your learning to the real world Critical consumption of research Evaluate your own social work practice Further develop your critical thinking skills Improve your professional writing skills Reasons for using citations, Need for clarity, consistency 12

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15. Tell me if you need help Use tutoring/help sessions if you are having trouble Do your best! I don’t expect perfection - I expect a concerted effort to “wrestle” with the material. Don’t blow off the readings! Communicate with me!!! 15

16. 16 You: Name In field placement? Working? Where? Population of interest Passion areas in social work Thing that most hesitant about re: this course

17. 17 Semester follows the process of evidence-based practice and of developing an evaluation proposal Problem statement Research questions (hypotheses) Annotated bibliography-literature review Research design specifics Potential study implications Thinking about data analysis Ethical challenges/study limitations

18. Syllabus review 18

19. 19 Read the directions carefully Follow the directions carefully Give yourself enough time to do the work Take time to re-read your work If possible, have someone else read your work to see if it is grammatical and understandable Take time to proof-read …AND ONCE AGAIN…give yourself enough time to do the work!

20. 20 Asking questions Deciding how to get answers Thinking about what those answers mean Sharing all of the above with the relevant parties – in a way “real people” can understand

21. QualitativeQuantitative

22. Research QualitativeQuantitative Program evaluation Process/formativeOutcome/summative

23. 23 How is research used in your field placement, job or life? How do you know it is research? What problem areas does this research focus on? What are the questions that this research asks? Is it valid research? Why or why not?

24. 24 Policy analysis Implementation study Program evaluation Performance measurement Process and outcomes Case studies Social work Political science Intervention studies Treatment and control/comparison groups Secondary data analysis Observational studies Narrative analysis Phenomenology Opinion polling Survey research Primary data analysis Ethnography Participatory action research (PAR) Meta-analysis Fidelity analysis Content analysis Process evaluation

25. 25 3 functions: (1) Establishing a framework for practice (2) Informing actions in specific situations, and (3) Expanding the knowledge base or store of professional information

26. 26 Addresses psychosocial problems, preventive interventions, treatment of acute & chronic conditions, as well as community, organizational, policy and administrative issues. Covers lifespan - clinical, service & policy issues. Benefits consumers, practitioners, policymakers, educators Prevention and intervention Studies strengths, needs & interrelationships of individuals, families, groups, neighborhoods & institutions. Provides evidence for improved services & public policy

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28. 28 Mary RichmondJane Addams

29. 29 Mary Richmond Scientific philanthropy Social diagnosis Focus on individuals as “clients” and the delivery of individualized social services Comparative studies of client case records to identify common factors underlying social problems Jane Addams Social reform & advocacy Community focus Focus on individuals as neighbors Bio-psycho-social and person-in-environment focus Participant observation, compilation of data, surveys as prerequisites for informed action

30. 30 Is Social Work a Profession? Flexner argued: Doesn’t control an autonomous knowledge base No written body of knowledge Aftermath: Commitment to the role of research in social work

31. 31 Consistent claims that social workers rely on their experience …and not on knowledge gained from objective assessment Research-practice gap “Evidence-based practice” Continuous quality improvement (CQI)

32. 32 Numeric approach to what, where, when questions Develops & tests theory Establishes relationships and/or causation Researcher is independent from research process Use of instruments, measurements defined beforehand Structured data collection Have to learn to use computer programs/formulas to display and assess data

33. 33 Interpretive approach: (why & how questions) Develops or tests theory/theories Describes meaning or discovery Researcher is part of the process Unstructured data collection Have to work hard to keep track of themes through coding, feedback loops Rich detail

34. 34 Development of an interest area and research question through conversation, literature review Identification of a data source “Operationalization” Designing the study and analysis plan Implementing the data collection process Data entry and analysis Synthesis of results

35. 35 Have you taken a research course in the last 5 years? Yes No Not sure On a scale of 1-5 how good are you feeling about having to take this class? 1: Scared 2: Hesitant 3: Not sure 4: OK 5: Confident

36. 36 How are you feeling about having to take this class? What do you most want to gain out of this class? What have you heard about this class?

37. …on evidence-based practice…what does this mean to you? 37

38. Commonly-heard terms: Evidence-based practices Best practice/s Evidence-informed practice What do these terms really mean? Know what you are saying! 38

39. 39 A new way of thinking (or is it?) from medicine Using best-available evidence (a.k.a. research- based knowledge) about specific practice with specific problems & populations SYSTEM for integrating ethics, evidence and application – and client wishes! Philosophy and a process!

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41. (See back of syllabus for assignment instructions)

42. 42 Research in Social Work Practice Social Work Research Child and Youth Services Review Child Welfare Social Work Children & Schools Health and Social Work American Journal of Public Health American Journal of Community Psychology Journal of Health and Social Behavior Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research

43. 43 Salem State’s electronic library – as good as Harvard’s and better than Brandeis! Go to www.salemstate.edu/librarywww.salemstate.edu/library http://www.salemstate.edu/library/offcampus/ Look at database options Full-text resources available at: EBSCO/Academic Search Premier, ProQuest List of social work journals on next page Ordering articles at: www.salemstate.edu/librarywww.salemstate.edu/library

44. For you to add to your new toolbox

45. Just because it is in a peer-reviewed journal does not mean it is a research article! It could summarize research or critique research but that does not make it research! Needs to have either primary or secondary data

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48. 48 Abstract On getting busted in class Keywords Introduction/context Literature review What existing research and theory says on a topic and how it guided this study How the wheel was not re- created Methods Sample description Research design Measurement Data analysis Misc. – limitations, etc. Findings (the stuff you skip) Discussion Practice & policy implications Directions for future research

49. 49 What is the “n” anyway? Why do we use a lower- case n and not an N in this case? We’ll be breaking this down later in the semester… A note on the terms SES and “class”

50. 50 Many people refer to “the middle class” or the “working class” Max Weber: Social stratification - multidimensional ranking vs. simple hierarchy SES: Composite social ranking based on various dimensions of inequality (income/assets, education/culture, occupation) Other factos can play a part, too...

51. 51 Important definitions that will guide you through the article by giving context: A hint about the research question that is setting up the methods section A theory behind the study – a bit of a literature review too A theory

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53. 53 For now, think significant “results”

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