An instructor of a social work research methods course is lecturing on the limitations of research
designs.
She acknowledges that some research designs allow for causal inferences, others shed light
on correlations, and that other designs are used to describe social phenomena. Which research design
is considered the weakest?
a) Time series design
b) One-group pretest/posttest design
c) Pretest/posttest comparison group design
d) Pretest/posttest control group design
It has become apparent over the past two decades that solution-focused interventions are effective.
These trends are consistent whether it pertains to treating substance abusers, mental health clients, or
family systems.
As a social work student, clinician, or administrator it will be beneficial to gain
knowledge into the solution-focused paradigm. Which question elicits the best qualitative data on
this subject?
a) Rank the effectiveness of solution-focused interventions on a scale of 1-10, where 1 = ineffective
and 10 = most effective
b) Identify the frequency per month that you implement solution-focused interventions
c) What are your experiences with using solution-focused interventions?
d) In your opinion which social issue, substance abuse or mental health, benefits the most from
solution-focused interventions?
A social work researcher is interested learning more about the legislative processes that lead to the
mental health deinstitutionalization movement.
He proceeds to find multiple transcripts on the
legislative debates that occurred in the 1950's and 1960's. The goal of the data analysis is to better
understand the legislative discourse patterns that occurred over twenty year period. What type of data
analysis is the most appropriate?
a) Summarizing open-ended questions
b) Theme analysis
c) Case Studies
d) Multivariate
Quick Reply
