Introduction to Social Work Research
Final Exam
Course Introduction
Introduction to Social Work Research provides students with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to understand and conduct research within the field of social work. The course emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practice, exploring various research methods, data collection techniques, and approaches to data analysis that are relevant to social work settings. Students learn how to critically evaluate existing research, formulate research questions, design basic studies, uphold ethical standards, and interpret findings to inform effective practice, policy, and advocacy for diverse populations.
Recommended Textbook
Empowerment Series Research Methods for Social Work 9th Edition by Allen Rubin
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Why Study Research
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the scientific method, all knowledge should be A) provisional.
B) subject to refutation.
C) based on evidence supported by objective observations.
D) All of the above
Answer: D
Q2) Our attempts to learn about the world we live in come from A) direct experience.
B) tradition.
C) direct, personal inquiry.
D) authority.
E) all of the above.
Answer: E
Q3) Legitimate ex post facto hypothesizing requires additional research.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Explain what is meant by the statement, "Tradition and authority are the two-edged swords in the search for knowledge about the world."
Answer: will vary
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Chapter 2: Evidence-Based Practice
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Q1) An evidence-based practice question should
A) incorporate client characteristics.
B) always inquire about only one specific intervention.
C) never be altered in light of the evidence emerging in one's literature search.
D) always specify at least two alternative interventions in advance.
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following statements is/are true about critically appraising the quality of evidence found in the evidence-based practice search process?
A) All evidence produced by randomized clinical trials should be deemed strong evidence
B) Randomized clinical trials always reside at the top of any research hierarchy.
C) Only evidence produced by randomized clinical trials should be considered as worthy of guiding practice decisions, regardless of the nature of the decision.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Answer: E
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4
Chapter 3: Factors Influencing the Research Process
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following are variables?
A) female, Jewish, high school graduate.
B) plumber, professor, dentist.
C) occupation, political party preference, birth date.
D) 21, violent, poor.
E) none of the above.
Answer: C
Q2) In reality, everything in human behavior can be explained entirely by factors we can identify.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) If the job turnover rate among child welfare workers with social work degrees is 10 percent per year, while the turnover rate among their counterparts without social work degrees is 50 percent per year, then a relationship exists between type of degree and turnover rate.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Comparing Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed
Methods of Inquiry
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Q1) Identify and briefly describe three advanced mixed-methods designs.
Q2) Identify the reasons for using mixed methods.
Q3) Which of the following is/are an aim of quantitative studies?
A) Deeper understanding.
B) Precision.
C) Discovery.
D) All of the above.
Q4) Describe the contrasting emphases of quantitative and qualitative studies.
Q5) Mixed-methods studies cannot put an equal emphasis on both quantitative and qualitative methods; they must emphasize one or the other type of methods.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Problem formulation is the last phase of the research process in mixed-methods studies.
A)True
B)False
Q7) Explain how one would decide whether to emphasize qualitative or quantitative research methods - or both - in a particular study.
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Chapter 5: The Ethics and Politics of Social Work Research
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Q1) Which of the following questions should be answered in an informed consent form?
A) Do you have to participate?
B) How will your privacy and the confidentiality of your research records be protected?
C) Will the researchers benefit from your participation in this study?
D) All of the above.
Q2) Although social work researchers rarely plan studies that could harm participants, the issue of harm to participants is still a real possibility.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Certificates of confidentiality are used because police or other authorities might force disclosure of participants' identities in research data.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Concealing the nature of the study from those being observed violates the norm of voluntary participation.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Culturally Competent Research
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Q1) Explain the difference between linguistic, conceptual and metric equivalence.
Q2) A good way to ensure that your data analysis is culturally competent is to combine all minority groups together as one category to compare to the majority group in the data analysis.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe the steps you would take to maximize the recruitment and retention of recently immigrated substance abusing Mexican American youths and their parents in a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of a family-oriented substance program in Laredo a U.S. city located on the Texas-Mexico border.
Q4) Using anonymous enrollment procedures can enhance efforts to recruit research participants from stigmatized populations.
A)True
B)False
Q5) It is not always easy to define who qualifies as a member of a specific ethnic minority group.
A)True B)False
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Chapter 7: Problem Formulation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Unlike social work practice, social work research seeks to advance knowledge just for knowledge's sake.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Dr. Jordan chronicles people's attitudes toward an upcoming poverty program. Jordan is doing explanatory research.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Feasibility should NOT be a consideration when formulating an idealistic, far-reaching study.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explanatory studies are designed to find answers to which of the following questions?
A) Are people's attitudes toward public welfare changing?
B) Why are people's attitudes toward public welfare changing?
C) Who watches soap operas?
D) Is a measurement scale valid?
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Conceptualization in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examining police records of the number of arrests for domestic violence is an example of the use of self-report as a source of data for an operational definition.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Construct two hypotheses of interest to social workers. One should predict a positive relationship, the other a negative relationship: Identify the independent and dependent variables in each hypothesis. Identify a control variable for each hypothesis. Operationally define each variable.
Q3) Conceptualization and operationalization in quantitative studies are always completed prior to the start of a research project.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A nominal definition
A) is a statement of the essential nature of some entity.
B) is a statement detailing what will be involved in measuring some entity.
C) is a statement that allows us to observe some entity.
D) is a statement that assigns a definition to a concept.
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Chapter 9: Measurement
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Sample Questions
Q1) Reliability and validity are handled precisely in the same ways in qualitative inquiry as they are in quantitative inquiry.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The tendency of people to answer questions through a filter that will convey a favorable impression is called
A) the acquiescent response set.
B) social desirability bias.
C) cultural bias.
D) random error.
Q3) Professor Smith gave an exam on Monday. On Wednesday Smith gave the same class the same exam. Professor Smith was clearly interested in assessing the exam's A) reliability.
B) validity.
C) face validity.
D) conceptualization. E) precision.
Q4) Describe how qualitative studies attempt to deal with reliability and validity.
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Chapter 10: Constructing Measurement Instruments
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Q1) In looking over the responses given to the items in question 7, you notice that a respondent checked "strongly agree" to all four items. As a methodologist, which of the following statements BEST describes your ideas about the respondent?
A) The respondent is a scale type 12.
B) The respondent probably fell into a response set.
C) The respondent is probably unsure about his or her feelings toward education.
D) The respondent must strongly agree with all the items.
E) The respondent has a high opinion of education.
Q2) In constructing a questionnaire it is better to squeeze questions and response categories close together and have a shorter, cluttered questionnaire than it is to have a longer, uncluttered questionnaire.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If person A received a score of 15 on a Likert scale of happiness and person C received a score of 12, person A is 3 units happier than person C.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Identify acceptable options for handling missing data in an index or scale.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Causal Inference and Experimental Designs
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Sample Questions
Q1) The one-group pretest-posttest design controls for passage of time.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Briefly describe how a study would be particularly vulnerable to the threat of statistical regression.
Q3) Assume that you have developed a study technique that you believe will result in students scoring higher on research methods exams. You test your study technique with the design diagrammed below.
R = random assignment
0 = observation
X = stimulus
R 01 X 02
R 03 04
Using the diagrammed design, what predictions will you make?
A) 02 should be greater than 01.
B) 02 should be less than 04.
C) 04 should be greater than 03.
D) 04 should be less than 01.
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Chapter 12: Quasi-Experimental Designs
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Q1) When we switch replications in a non-equivalent comparison group design, we:
A) administer the treatment to the control group before posttesting.
B) can determine whether the difference between the groups at the first posttest may be attributed to the lack of comparability between the two groups.
C) decrease the chances of determining whether the difference between the groups at the first posttest may be attributed to a selection bias.
D) decrease the internal validity of the design.
Q2) Discuss how qualitative methods can be used to try to avoid or alleviate the pitfalls identified above in essay number 2.
Q3) Administering multiple pretests in a non-equivalent comparison group design:
A) enables us to detect whether participants are already engaged in a change process before treatment begins.
B) increases the likelihood that improvement from pretest to posttest is a function of statistical regression.
C) makes it more difficult to detect trends in the data..
D) decreases the internal validity of the design.
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Chapter 13: Single-Case Evaluation Designs
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Sample Questions
Q1) Target problems can be quantified in terms of their A) frequency, only.
B) duration, only.
C) magnitude, only.
D) frequency, duration, and/or magnitude
Q2) B and B+ designs have value in the evidence-based practice process despite lacking a baseline phase.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Identify the major advantages and disadvantages of each of the following single-case designs:?a. AB design?b. ABAB design?c. multiple baseline design
Q4) The term research reactivity means that
A) at least some client improvement can be attributed to the impact of the research. B) the research was effective in depicting desired results.
C) there is a strong social-desirability bias in measurement.
D) a generalization of effects occurred.
Q5) Explain why it is important to obtain a stable baseline, if possible. Explain your answer in connection to threats to internal validity.
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Chapter 14: Program Evaluation
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Q1) Which of the following statements is true about evaluation for program planning?
A) A prime advantage of the key informants approach to needs assessment is that the information comes directly from the target population.
B) It makes a difference whether we define needs in normative terms or in terms of demand.
C) Feasibility problems are the prime disadvantage of the community forum approach to needs assessment.
D) A prime disadvantage of the social indicators approach to needs assessment is its obtrusiveness.
Q2) In order to maximize scientific objectivity, program evaluators should avoid involving stakeholders in planning an evaluation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) External evaluators may not be objective and independent of stakeholder influences in the way they design, carry out, and report their evaluations.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the impact managed care has had on program evaluation.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Sampling
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Q1) Selecting a sample that the researcher believes will yield the most comprehensive understanding of a subject based on the researcher's knowledge of the population is employing purposive or judgmental sampling.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To obtain samples of the same size from strata of varying sizes, it would be necessary to use
A) simple random sampling.
B) systematic sampling.
C) proportionate sampling.
D) disproportionate sampling.
E) quota sampling.
Q3) In qualitative research, the informants selected should usually be somewhat typical of the groups being studied.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Sampling error is reduced through an increase in the sample size.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Survey Research
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Sample Questions
Q1) In general, survey research is an appropriate observational method for
A) describing a population too large to observe directly.
B) descriptive purposes, only.
C) explanatory purposes, only
D) exploratory purposes, only.
Q2) Identify three do's and three don'ts among the tips for conducting online surveys.
Q3) Describe three research questions for which survey research is an appropriate technique of observation. Explain whether these three topics are better suited to an interview or a mailed questionnaire and why.
Q4) Give a comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of survey research.
Q5) Interview surveys have a number of advantages over mail surveys. Which of the following is NOT one of those advantages?
A) Higher response rates.
B) There is generally a smaller number of 'don't knows' and 'no answers.'
C) There are a smaller number of relevant responses given.
D) Observations can be made.
Q6) Discuss the advantages of combining qualitative research methods with survey research methods.
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Chapter 17: Analyzing Existing Data: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
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Q1) Which of the following is NOT illustrative of unobtrusive observations?
A) Examining the floor tiles at a museum to determine which exhibits are the most popular.
B) Examining the number of beer cans in the university garbage collections to determine beer consumption patterns.
C) Examining the wear on the tires of squad cars to determine the extent of police patrols.
D) Interviews.
Q2) Historical and comparative researchers can use both qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe the difference between primary and secondary sources in historical research and the cautions to keep in mind when using each type of source.
Q4) Historical and comparative data analysis often is influenced by a particular theoretical paradigm.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: Qualitative Research: General Principles
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Q1) In comparison to quantitative research methods, what are the major strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research methods?
Q2) Professor Smith was interested in reporting the reality of the experiences of teenage runaways living on the streets in their own terms. Smith is probably most interested in:
A) being a complete participant.
B) grounded theory.
C) ethnography.
D) hermeneutics.
Q3) A study that begins with observations and then looks for patterns, themes, or common categories is using what method?
A) Being a complete participant
B) Participatory action research.
C) Grounded theory.
D) Client logs.
Q4) Discuss how the use of qualitative methods can enhance a case study that uses a single-subject design to evaluate practice effectiveness.
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Qualitative Research: Specific Methods
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Q1) An example of the participant-as-observer includes
A) joining a sorority or fraternity to study initiation rituals without revealing your identity as a researcher.
B) telling people you're a spy to find out how they react.
C) telling a motorcycle gang that you are a researcher and would like to ride with them for a year to understand their interaction patterns.
D) being a newspaper reporter who interviews union workers to learn about recent strike efforts.
Q2) Which of the following statements is/are true about the interview guide approach?
A) It uses an outline of interview topics and issues to cover.
B) It is the most highly structured approach to qualitative interviewing.
C) It is the least structured approach to qualitative interviewing.
D) It relieves interviewers of the need to be completely familiar with its contents before beginning any interviews.
Q3) How does qualitative interviewing differ from quantitative survey interviewing?
Q4) Select a research topic. Describe how a complete participant, a participant-as-observer, an observer-as-participant, and a complete observer might study that subject.
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Qualitative Data Analysis
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Sample Questions
Q1) Jeremy was born in 1948 and grew up during the 1960's. He was sent to Viet Nam in 1967. In Viet Nam he was horrified by what he saw and when he returned home he suffered sleepless nights and nightmares. He began to work at a bank but often fell asleep during the day. He met Mary, another bank employee, in 1980 and they married in 1981. They divorced in 1983. Mary could not cope with Jeremy's nightmares, bouts of depression, and bouts with alcohol. After the divorce, Jeremy's depression increased and began to drink even more heavily. He was fired from his job in the latter part of 1983. As an explanation for Jeremy's job loss, this could be termed
A) idiographic and case-oriented analysis.
B) idiographic and variable-oriented analysis.
C) nomothetic and case-oriented analysis.
D) nomothetic and variable-oriented analysis.
Q2) Identify at last one way that computer programs analyze qualitative data.
Q3) Describe how coding, memoing, and concept mapping are used in qualitative analysis.
Q4) The utility of case-oriented analysis is the fact that one case canmake theory.
A)True
B)False
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Page 22
Chapter 21: Descriptive Data Analysis
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Sample Questions
Q1) A codebook is a guide for locating variables and interpreting entries in one's data file.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Assuming that there are no missing data, which line of three codes would reflect a data entry error for at least one of the following three variables: gender male or female; whether currently incarcerated yes or no; and ethnicity White/not Hispanic, African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Other?
A) 2 2 3
B) 3 3 6
C) 1 2 4
D) 2 1 5
Q3) Given the following values, the median is 4, 8, 5, 11, 13, 7, 9, 10, 3
A) 8
B) 13
C) 7.8
D) 5
Q4) An interval variable is a discrete variable.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 22: Inferential Data Analysis
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Q1) Two-tailed tests of significance should be used whenever there isa non-directional hypothesis.
A)True
B)False
Q2) We commit a Type II error when we
A) accept a false null hypothesis.
B) accept a true null hypothesis.
C) reject a false null hypothesis.
D) reject a true null hypothesis
Q3) If a Cohen's d effect size exceeds .6, the finding is statistically significant.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The ultimate aim of every significance test is to discern the probability that an observed relationship between variables can be attributed to chance.
A)True
B)False
Q5) If a result is statistically significant, it is also substantivelysignificant.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 23: Writing Research Proposals and Reports
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Q1) Which of the following is true about finding a funding source for a research proposal?
A) Find a funding source for which your research question is a priority.
B) Using the internet is a poor way to find potential funding sources.
C) Examining recently issued requests for proposals should be avoided.
D) Avoid government sources.
Q2) Discuss how the guidelines for writing a research proposal will vary depending on the proposal's purpose.
Q3) The sampling section of a research proposal should
A) identify any inclusion or exclusion criteria to be used.
B) address issues associated with sample attrition and refusal to participate.
C) include a statistical power analysis.
D) indicate why it will be feasible to obtain the needed sample size.
E) do all of these.
Q4) Even if you have already revised your research report and are satisfied with it, you should ask your colleagues to read it and criticize it - and then, based on their criticism, you should revise it yet again.
A)True
B)False
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