Part I: AN INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY IN SOCIAL WORK
1. Why Study Research?
2. Evidence-Based Practice.
Part II: THE RESEARCH PROCESS
3. Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods of Inquiry.
4. Factors Influencing the Research Process.
Part III: ETHICAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH
5. Ethical Issues in Social Work Research.
6. Culturally Competent Research.
Part IV: PROBLEM FORMULATION AND MEASUREMENT
7. Problem Formulation.
8. Measurement in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry.
9. Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement Instruments.
Part V: SAMPLING AND SURVEYS
10. Surveys.
11. Sampling: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.
Part VI: DESIGNS FOR EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND PRACTICE
12. Experiments and Quasi-Experiments.
13. Single-Case Evaluation Designs.
14. Program Evaluation.
Part VII: ADDITIONAL QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS.
15. Additional Methods in Qualitative Inquiry.
16. Analyzing Available Records: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods.
Part VIII: DATA ANALYSYS.
17. Quantitative Data Analysis.
18. Qualitative Data Analysis.
Appendix A: Using the Library.
Appendix B: Writing Research Proposals.
Appendix C: Writing Social Work Research Reports.
Appendix D: Random Numbers.
Appendix E: Using Effect Sizes to Bridge the Gap Between Research and Practice.
Earl R. Babbie
Dr. Earl Babbie is the Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University in Southern California. Credited with defining research methods for the social sciences, Dr. Babbie has written several texts -- including THE BASICS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH -- as well as numerous research articles and monographs. For 25 years he has been active in the American Sociological Association, where he served on the executive committee. He also is a past president of the Pacific Sociological Association and the California Sociological Association. Dr. Babbie received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Allen Rubin
Allen Rubin has been doing and teaching research since 1976, when he received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Renowned in social work, Dr. Rubin has written several research texts, published numerous research studies on social work practice, and is a past president of the Society for Social Work and Research.
