Understanding a Social Work Research Study: An Analysis

Research Questions and Importance

Question:

1.What is the basic research question or problem? State it in one or two sentences.

2.Is the purpose of the study explanatory, evaluative, or descriptive? Did the study have more than one purpose?

3.How did the author(s) explain the importance of research question? Consider it relevance to social work practice (or social welfare policy or social work education).

4.Was a theoretical framework presented? What was it? Did it seem appropriate for the research question addressed?

5.What prior literature was reviewed? Does the literature review appear to be adequate? Is the literature review up to date (its publication date)?

6.Were any hypotheses stated?

7.What were the independent and dependent variables in the hypothesis or hypotheses?

8.What were the major concepts in the research? What were the nominal definitions?

9.How were variables operationally defined by the author(s)? Did the instruments used and the measures of the variables seem valid and reliable? How the measures in used in the study been evaluated in terms of reliability and validity?

10.What specific type of sampling method was used? How was the sample recruited and selected? Did the authors think the sample was generally representative of the population from which it was drawn, and why?

11.What specific research design was used?

12.Did the research design eliminate potential alternative explanations? How satisfied and (why) are you with the internal validity of the conclusions?

13.How were data collected? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the particular data-collection?

14.How did the author(s) analyze the data?

15.What did the author(s) find?

16.Did the author(s) adequately represent the findings in the discussion or conclusion sections?

17.Compare the research to others addressing the same research question. Did the research yield additional insights?

18.Did the author(s) acknowledge specific methodological limitations or strengths?

19.What did the author(s) do in regarding to research ethics?

20.Are specific implications (suggestions on future research or social work practice / policy /education) discussed? What are the specific implications?

21.What did you learn from this article and how may it help you in your future work as a social worker?

Answer these questions based on article B

1.What is the basic research question or problem? State it in one or two sentences.

2.How did the author(s) explain the importance of research question? Consider its relevance to social work practice (or social welfare policy or social work education).

3.What prior literature was reviewed? Does the literature review appear to be adequate? Is the literature review up to date (its publication date)?

4.Describe the orientation of the study. Is it described in general terms as a qualitative study or is there a specific approach such as ethnography, grounded theory, or narrative analysis?

5.Do you think the methodological approach appears to be appropriate for the stated purpose or research question? Do the author(s) offer a rationale for using the chosen method?

6.Describe the setting or settings in which the study was conducted. Is the description sufficient to aid in judging the situation sand people to which the study findings might be relevant?

7.What specific type of sampling method was used? How was the sample recruited and selected? How do the authors justify the particular number of participants and the sampling method?

8.What methods were used to gather information (data)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the particular data-collection?

9.Who gathered the information? What kind of training was provided to prepare for data collection?

10.How did the author(s) analyze the data?

11.What did the author(s) find?

12.Was there an effort to triangulate findings?

13.Do the author(s) adequately represent the findings in the discussion or conclusion sections? Are conclusions grounded in the findings?

14.What study limitations are identified by the author(s)?

15.What insight does the research offer for social work practice, policy, or education?

16.What did the author(s) do in regarding to research ethics?

17.What did you learn from this article and how may it help you in your future work as a social worker?