1. Foundations of Social Work Research Ralph Holcomb, MSW, Ph.D.

2. Agenda Introductions Syllabus The Essentials What I want you to learn:
Reduce threats to validity of findings.
Increase confidence that the conclusions you assert as a consequence of your research is really true.
The unique nature of social work research
Linear reality, organic process

3. Pretest
Finish quickly
Does not have a bearing on your grade

4. Scientific Inquiry Epistemology
Physical vs. metaphysical
Quantitative vs. qualitative
Deduction vs. induction
Errors in knowing
Units of analysis: individual and group
Errors in extrapolation
Time
Patterns and inconsistencies
“compare and contrast”