Introduction
3.3
Social work research should always be done with an eye toward informing or improving social work practice, policy, or service delivery. In this assignment, you will analyze a quantitative study conducted on a critical incident response unit to determine how the results could be applied to social work practice, policy, or service delivery. Learning about the methods and results of a quantitative study that used clinical data mining can provide insight not only on the conceptualization of the variables, the methods used to collect data, and other aspects of the research study, but also how the study outcomes can support or inform social work practice, service delivery, or policy regarding critical incident response services.
Background Information
An important consideration in social work is how well programs and interventions meet their stated goals and objectives. The methods of data gathering and analysis factor in to determine if programs are successful or effective. You will apply deep critical-thinking skills and an understanding of research to identify and conceptualize meaningful variables and how to measure them. Sometimes this is fairly straightforward and uncomplicated. Other times, you need to use much more insight and thought to determine appropriate variables and the best way to measure and analyze them. Some concepts are trickier than others to measure and evaluate.
In this activity, you will have the opportunity to read about a quantitative clinical data mining research study. It examines how well a critical incident response unit addressed critical organizational-level incidents that impact employees and the administration. You will analyze it for various aspects, including how the research impacted, and could impact, practice, service delivery, or policy. You will likely get some ideas about how to conduct your own research study as well.
Instructions
- Read the article “Knowledge Consumption to Knowledge Generation: Traveling the Road of Practitioner-Conducted Research.”
- Review the article “Creating Experimental Analogs with Available Clinical Information: Credible Alternatives to ‘Gold-Standard’ Experiments?”
- Write a three-page paper that focuses primarily on DeFraia’ “Knowledge Consumption to Knowledge Generation” article. Address the following:
a. What method of data collection was used in the study and why?
b. What are the strengths and weaknesses (such as validity, reliability and others) of the data collection method used?
c. How did the research results impact practice, policy, or service delivery?
d. How could the research impact other aspects of practice, policy, or service delivery not mentioned in the article, and why?
e. Identify three or four ethical issues in the research study. How were they addressed?
f. Are there other things that should have been done to better align the study with ethical codes related to research? - Before finalizing your work, ensure that you:
a. Read the assignment instructions carefully.
b. Write at least three pages.
c. Provide an introduction and conclusion.
d. Use your computer’s spelling and grammar check.
e. Review APA formatting and citation.
f. Use APA format for organization, style, and source credits, including:
i. 12-point, double-spaced Times New Roman font
ii. One-inch margins on all sides
iii. Normal character spacing
iv. In-text citations
v. Title page and reference page (not included in the page count)
vi. Properly formatted headings
Sample Solution
