social work research question examples

199+ Social Work Research Topics [Updated 2024]

In the vast and dynamic field of social work, research plays a pivotal role in shaping interventions, policies, and practices. Social work research is not just an academic pursuit but a powerful tool for effecting positive change in communities. As aspiring researchers delve into this realm, the journey begins with a crucial decision – selecting the right social work research topic.

In this blog, we will explore the significance of choosing the right social work research topics, provide insights into the selection process, highlight popular research areas, discuss emerging trends, offer tips for conducting research, and share valuable resources for social work researchers.

Significance of Choosing the Right Social Work Research Topics

Table of Contents

Impact on Research Quality

The choice of a research topic significantly influences the quality and relevance of the research conducted. A well-chosen topic enhances the researcher’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the existing body of knowledge in social work.

Alignment with Personal Interests and Goals

Selecting a topic aligned with personal interests and career goals fosters a sense of passion and commitment. This alignment not only sustains the researcher’s enthusiasm throughout the process but also increases the likelihood of producing impactful research.

Contribution to the Field of Social Work

The right research topic has the potential to contribute to the broader field of social work by addressing pressing issues, proposing innovative solutions, and advancing our understanding of complex social dynamics.

How to Select Social Work Research Topics?

Understanding the Scope of Social Work: Social work is a multifaceted discipline that encompasses various domains such as mental health, child welfare, community development, and more. Prospective researchers should explore the diverse scopes within social work to identify areas that resonate with their interests and expertise.
Identifying Personal Interests and Passion: Passion fuels research endeavors. Researchers should reflect on their personal experiences, values, and interests to identify areas within social work that evoke a strong sense of commitment.
Considering Relevance to Current Social Issues: Social work research gains significance when it addresses current societal challenges. Researchers should evaluate potential topics based on their relevance to contemporary issues, ensuring that the findings can contribute meaningfully to ongoing dialogues and efforts for social change.

199+ Social Work Research Topics: Category-Wise

Mental health and social work.

The impact of community support on mental health outcomes.
Examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in social work.
Exploring stigma surrounding mental health in diverse populations.
Integrating technology in mental health counseling: Challenges and opportunities.
The role of social work in preventing suicide and self-harm.

Diversity and Inclusion in Social Work

LGBTQ+ inclusivity in social work practice.
Addressing microaggressions and bias in social work interactions.
Promoting cultural competence in social work education.
Exploring challenges faced by immigrants and refugees in accessing social services.
Intersectionality in social work: Understanding and addressing multiple identities.

Social Work and Community Development

Evaluating the impact of community gardens on neighborhood well-being.
The role of social workers in disaster response and recovery.
Strategies for combating homelessness and housing insecurity.
Assessing the effectiveness of community-based participatory research in social work.
Social work’s contribution to sustainable community development.

Social Work and Child Welfare

Investigating the long-term outcomes of children in foster care.
The impact of parental substance abuse on child welfare.
Exploring cultural competence in child welfare services.
Innovative approaches to supporting kinship care families.
Assessing the effectiveness of early intervention programs for at-risk children.

Global Perspectives in Social Work Research

Cross-cultural perspectives on social work ethics.
Human rights and social work: An international comparison.
The role of social work in addressing global health disparities.
Social work responses to forced migration and refugee crises.
Comparative analysis of social work systems in different countries.

Technology and Social Work

Ethical considerations in the use of artificial intelligence in social work.
Online therapy and its implications for the future of social work.
Integrating telehealth in social work practice: Challenges and benefits.
Cyberbullying and the role of social workers in prevention and intervention.
The impact of social media on social work advocacy.

Policy and Advocacy in Social Work

Analyzing the impact of welfare reform on vulnerable populations.
Social work advocacy for criminal justice reform.
The role of social workers in shaping healthcare policies.
Addressing disparities in access to education through social work policy.
Environmental justice and the role of social work in sustainability.

Substance Abuse and Addiction in Social Work

Harm reduction strategies in social work practice.
Supporting families affected by substance abuse: A social work perspective.
Exploring the intersection of trauma and addiction in social work.
Assessing the effectiveness of drug prevention programs in schools.
The role of social workers in opioid addiction treatment.

Gerontology and Aging in Social Work

Aging in place: Examining the role of social work in supporting seniors at home.
Social isolation and mental health in the elderly population.
Addressing elder abuse: Strategies for prevention and intervention.
Palliative care and the role of social workers in end-of-life care.
The impact of dementia on families and the role of social work support.

Education and Social Work

The role of school social workers in addressing student mental health.
Inclusive education: Social work interventions for students with disabilities.
Bullying prevention programs in schools: A social work perspective.
Examining the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes.
Social work support for students experiencing homelessness.

Human Trafficking and Exploitation

Human trafficking prevention and intervention strategies in social work.
The role of social workers in supporting survivors of human trafficking.
Addressing labor exploitation through social work advocacy.
Intersectionality and human trafficking: A comprehensive approach.
Assessing the effectiveness of anti-trafficking policies and programs.

Family Dynamics and Social Work

Impact of divorce and separation on children: Social work interventions.
Foster care reunification: Challenges and success factors.
LGBTQ+ parenting and the role of social work in family support.
Domestic violence prevention programs: A social work perspective.
Blended families: Navigating challenges and fostering resilience.

Health and Healthcare Disparities

Social determinants of health and their impact on vulnerable populations.
Access to healthcare for underserved communities: A social work perspective.
The role of social workers in supporting individuals with chronic illnesses.
Reducing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities through social work interventions.
Palliative care and the psychosocial aspects of terminal illness.

Human Rights and Social Work

Social work advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.
Promoting gender equality through social work initiatives.
Indigenous rights and the role of social workers in reconciliation.
Advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities: A social work perspective.
Social work responses to human rights violations and social justice issues.

Disability and Inclusion

Social work interventions for children with developmental disabilities.
The impact of inclusive employment programs on individuals with disabilities.
Accessibility and social work advocacy for people with physical disabilities.
Autism spectrum disorder: Social work support for individuals and families.
Inclusive recreation programs: Enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Veterans and Military Social Work

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the role of social workers in veteran support.
Social work interventions for military families experiencing deployment stress.
Transitioning from military to civilian life: Challenges and opportunities.
The impact of substance abuse on veterans and social work prevention strategies.
Access to mental health services for veterans: A social work perspective.

Community Mental Health Programs

Evaluating the effectiveness of community mental health clinics.
Peer support programs in community mental health: A social work approach.
Social work interventions for reducing stigma around mental illness in communities.
Integrating mental health into primary care settings through collaborative care approaches.
Social workers’ roles in school-based mental health initiatives.

Immigration and Social Work

Social work responds to populations of immigrants and refugees’ mental health issues.
The effect of immigration laws on social service accessibility.
Community integration and social work support for immigrants.
Advocacy for immigrant rights: A social work perspective.
Family reunification and the role of social workers in immigration processes.

Social Work in Rural Communities

Access to healthcare in rural communities: Social work interventions.
Substance abuse prevention in rural settings: Challenges and solutions.
Community development strategies for promoting rural well-being.
Addressing mental health disparities in rural populations: A social work approach.
Social work support for families facing economic challenges in rural areas.

Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice

Integrating trauma-informed care into social work practice.
Addressing childhood trauma through school-based interventions.
Trauma-focused therapies and their application in social work.
Vicarious trauma and self-care strategies for social workers.
The role of social workers in supporting survivors of sexual assault.

Social Work in Schools

School-based bullying prevention programs: A social work perspective.
Social work interventions for students with learning disabilities.
The impact of school social workers on academic success.
Mental health support for at-risk youth in school settings.
The role of social workers in addressing the school-to-prison pipeline.

Criminal Justice and Social Work

Reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals: A social work approach.
Juvenile justice and the role of social workers in rehabilitation.
Addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system: A social work perspective.
The impact of incarceration on families and social work support.

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Principles and applications of community-based participatory research in social work.
Engaging communities in the research process: A CBPR approach.
Evaluating the outcomes of community-based interventions using CBPR.
Challenges and opportunities in implementing CBPR in diverse settings.
Empowering communities through CBPR: Case studies and best practices.

Social Work and Environmental Justice

Climate change and its impact on vulnerable populations: A social work perspective.
Environmental justice and community organizing: Social work interventions.
Sustainable community development and the role of social workers.
Access to clean water and sanitation: A social work advocacy approach.
Indigenous perspectives on environmental justice: A social work lens.

Human Services Administration

Leadership styles in human services administration: A social work perspective.
The role of technology in improving human services delivery.
Strategies for effective human services program evaluation.
Addressing burnout and promoting self-care in human services organizations.
Social work ethics and decision-making in human services administration.

Social Work and Artificial Intelligence

Applications of AI in social work practice: Opportunities and challenges.
The role of chatbots in mental health support: A social work perspective.
Bias and fairness in algorithmic decision-making in social work.
Human-AI collaboration in social work: Enhancing service delivery.

Crisis Intervention and Social Work

Social work responses to natural disasters: Lessons learned and best practices.
Crisis intervention strategies for individuals experiencing acute trauma.
The role of social workers in emergency shelters and disaster recovery.
Trauma-informed care in crisis intervention: A social work approach.
Collaborative approaches to crisis intervention in community settings.

Social Work in the LGBTQ+ Community

LGBTQ+ youth homelessness: Social work interventions and prevention.
Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals in social work practice.
Mental health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community: A social work perspective.
LGBTQ+ inclusive policies in social service organizations.
Social work advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and equal access to services.

Social Work and Aging

Aging in place: Social work interventions for promoting independence.
Social work support for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.
End-of-life decision-making and the role of social workers.
Social isolation among older adults: Strategies for prevention and intervention.
Exploring innovative housing models for aging populations.

Faith-Based Social Work

The intersection of faith and social work: Ethical considerations.
Faith-based organizations in community development: A social work perspective.
Pastoral care and counseling: Social work support in religious communities.
Addressing religious discrimination in social work practice.
Interfaith dialogue and its role in fostering social cohesion: A social work approach.

Social Work in Substance Use Prevention

Social work interventions for preventing substance use among adolescents.
The impact of early childhood experiences on later substance use: A social work perspective.
Prevention programs targeting high-risk populations: A social work approach.
Social work support for families affected by parental substance use.
Community-based strategies for preventing opioid misuse: A social work lens.

Global Mental Health and Social Work

Cultural considerations in global mental health: A social work approach.
Collaborative approaches to addressing mental health stigma globally.
The role of social workers in disaster mental health response internationally.
Integrating traditional healing practices into global mental health interventions.
Comparative analysis of mental health policies and services worldwide.

Social Work and Human-Animal Interaction

Animal-assisted therapy in social work practice: Applications and benefits.
The role of therapy animals in reducing stress and promoting well-being.
Animal cruelty prevention and the role of social workers.
The impact of pet ownership on mental health: A social work perspective.
Ethical considerations in incorporating animals into social work interventions.

Refugee Mental Health and Social Work

Trauma-informed approaches in working with refugee populations.
Social work support for refugee children in educational settings.
Addressing mental health disparities among refugee communities.
Cultural competence in providing mental health services to refugees.
Resettlement challenges and social work interventions for refugees.

Community Resilience and Social Work

Building community resilience in the face of adversity: A social work perspective.
Social work interventions for promoting resilience in vulnerable populations.
Resilience-based mental health programs in schools: A social work approach.
The role of social workers in disaster resilience planning.
Collective trauma and community healing: A social work lens.

Technology and Social Work Ethics

Ethical considerations in the use of social media in social work practice.
Privacy and confidentiality in the age of digital record-keeping.
Ensuring equity in access to technology-based interventions: A social work approach.
Social work responses to cyberbullying: Prevention and intervention strategies.
Ethical guidelines for the use of virtual reality in social work practice.

Social Work in Sports

Sports-based youth development programs: A social work perspective.
The role of social workers in promoting mental health in athletes.
Addressing substance use and performance-enhancing drugs in sports: A social work lens.
Inclusive sports programs for individuals with disabilities: A social work approach.
Social work interventions for preventing and addressing sports-related violence.

Social Work in the Arts

Arts-based interventions in social work practice: Applications and outcomes.
The role of creative expression in trauma recovery: A social work perspective.
Using theater and performance arts in social work education and therapy.
Arts programs for at-risk youth: A social work approach.
The impact of the arts on community well-being: A social work lens.

Social Work and Foster Care Adoption

Social work interventions for successful foster care reunification.
Addressing the unique needs of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care.
The impact of foster care placement on child development: A social work perspective.
Post-adoption support services: A social work approach.
Cultural competence in transracial and transcultural foster care and adoption.

Social Work in the Gig Economy

The Role of Social Work in Addressing Mental Health Challenges in the Gig Economy
Exploring Social Work Strategies for Supporting Gig Workers’ Financial Stability
Gig Economy and Social Work Advocacy: Ensuring Fair Labor Practices
Navigating Occupational Hazards: Social Work Interventions in Gig Work Environments
Social Work’s Contribution to Promoting Work-Life Balance in the Gig Economy

Emerging Trends in Social Work Research

The Impact of Technology on Social Work Practice: Examine how technology is influencing social work practices and service delivery, considering both advantages and ethical considerations.
Ethical Considerations in the Use of Technology in Social Work Research: Discuss the ethical challenges associated with the integration of technology in social work research and propose guidelines for responsible use.
Cross-Cultural Studies in Social Work: Explore the significance of cross-cultural studies in social work research, promoting a deeper understanding of diverse cultural contexts.
Addressing Global Social Issues through Research: Investigate how social work research can contribute to addressing global social challenges, such as poverty, migration, and climate change.

Tips for Conducting Social Work Research

Developing a Research Question

Craft a research question for social work research topics that is clear, concise, and aligns with the chosen social work research topic. The question should guide the research process and contribute meaningfully to the existing literature.

Choosing Appropriate Research Methods

Select research methods that align with the nature of the research question and the goals of the study. Consider whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches are most suitable for addressing the research objectives.

Ethical Considerations in Social Work Research

Prioritize ethical considerations throughout the research process. Ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for the dignity and rights of research participants.

Resources for Social Work Researchers

Journals and Publications

Explore reputable social work journals and publications to stay updated on the latest research, methodologies, and findings. Examples include the “Journal of Social Work” and the “British Journal of Social Work.”

Professional Organizations

Joining professional organizations such as the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) provides access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and conferences that enhance a researcher’s knowledge and skills.

Online Databases and Research Tools

Utilize online databases like PubMed , Social Work Abstracts, and Google Scholar to access a wide range of social work research articles. Additionally, familiarize yourself with research tools and software that can streamline the research process.

In conclusion, the journey of selecting the social work research topics is a crucial step that requires thoughtful consideration and reflection. The chosen topic should align with personal interests, address current social issues, and contribute meaningfully to the field of social work.

As researchers embark on this journey, they have the opportunity to explore diverse areas, from mental health and child welfare to emerging trends in technology and global perspectives.

By following ethical guidelines, employing appropriate research methods, and leveraging valuable resources, social work researchers can make significant contributions to improving the well-being of individuals and communities.

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9 9. Writing your research question

Chapter outline.

Empirical vs. ethical questions (4 minute read)
Characteristics of a good research question (4 minute read)
Quantitative research questions (7 minute read)
Qualitative research questions (3 minute read)
Evaluating and updating your research questions (4 minute read)

Content warning: examples in this chapter include references to sexual violence, sexism, substance use disorders, homelessness, domestic violence, the child welfare system, cissexism and heterosexism, and truancy and school discipline.

9.1 Empirical vs. ethical questions

Learning objectives.

Learners will be able to…

Define empirical questions and provide an example
Define ethical questions and provide an example

Writing a good research question is an art and a science. It is a science because you have to make sure it is clear, concise, and well-developed. It is an art because often your language needs “wordsmithing” to perfect and clarify the meaning. This is an exciting part of the research process; however, it can also be one of the most stressful.

Creating a good research question begins by identifying a topic you are interested in studying. At this point, you already have a working question. You’ve been applying it to the exercises in each chapter, and after reading more about your topic in the scholarly literature, you’ve probably gone back and revised your working question a few times. We’re going to continue that process in more detail in this chapter. Keep in mind that writing research questions is an iterative process, with revisions happening week after week until you are ready to start your project.

Empirical vs. ethical questions

When it comes to research questions, social science is best equipped to answer empirical questions —those that can be answered by real experience in the real world—as opposed to ethical questions —questions about which people have moral opinions and that may not be answerable in reference to the real world. While social workers have explicit ethical obligations (e.g., service, social justice), research projects ask empirical questions to help actualize and support the work of upholding those ethical principles.

In order to help you better understand the difference between ethical and empirical questions, let’s consider a topic about which people have moral opinions. How about SpongeBob SquarePants? [1] In early 2005, members of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family (2005) [2] denounced this seemingly innocuous cartoon character as “morally offensive” because they perceived his character to be one that promotes a “pro-gay agenda.” Focus on the Family supported their claim that SpongeBob is immoral by citing his appearance in a children’s video designed to promote tolerance of all family forms (BBC News, 2005). [3] They also cited SpongeBob’s regular hand-holding with his male sidekick Patrick as further evidence of his immorality.

So, can we now conclude that SpongeBob SquarePants is immoral? Not so fast. While your mother or a newspaper or television reporter may provide an answer, a social science researcher cannot. Questions of morality are ethical, not empirical. Of course, this doesn’t mean that social science researchers cannot study opinions about or social meanings surrounding SpongeBob SquarePants (Carter, 2010). [4] We study humans after all, and as you will discover in the following chapters of this textbook, we are trained to utilize a variety of scientific data-collection techniques to understand patterns of human beliefs and behaviors. Using these techniques, we could find out how many people in the United States find SpongeBob morally reprehensible, but we could never learn, empirically, whether SpongeBob is in fact morally reprehensible.

Let’s consider an example from a recent MSW research class I taught. A student group wanted to research the penalties for sexual assault. Their original research question was: “How can prison sentences for sexual assault be so much lower than the penalty for drug possession?” Outside of the research context, that is a darn good question! It speaks to how the War on Drugs and the patriarchy have distorted the criminal justice system towards policing of drug crimes over gender-based violence.

Unfortunately, it is an ethical question, not an empirical one. To answer that question, you would have to draw on philosophy and morality, answering what it is about human nature and society that allows such unjust outcomes. However, you could not answer that question by gathering data about people in the real world. If I asked people that question, they would likely give me their opinions about drugs, gender-based violence, and the criminal justice system. But I wouldn’t get the real answer about why our society tolerates such an imbalance in punishment.

As the students worked on the project through the semester, they continued to focus on the topic of sexual assault in the criminal justice system. Their research question became more empirical because they read more empirical articles about their topic. One option that they considered was to evaluate intervention programs for perpetrators of sexual assault to see if they reduced the likelihood of committing sexual assault again. Another option they considered was seeing if counties or states with higher than average jail sentences for sexual assault perpetrators had lower rates of re-offense for sexual assault. These projects addressed the ethical question of punishing perpetrators of sexual violence but did so in a way that gathered and analyzed empirical real-world data. Our job as social work researchers is to gather social facts about social work issues, not to judge or determine morality.

Key Takeaways

Empirical questions are distinct from ethical questions.
There are usually a number of ethical questions and a number of empirical questions that could be asked about any single topic.
While social workers may research topics about which people have moral opinions, a researcher’s job is to gather and analyze empirical data.
Take a look at your working question. Make sure you have an empirical question, not an ethical one. To perform this check, describe how you could find an answer to your question by conducting a study, like a survey or focus group, with real people.

9.2 Characteristics of a good research question

Identify and explain the key features of a good research question
Explain why it is important for social workers to be focused and clear with the language they use in their research questions

Now that you’ve made sure your working question is empirical, you need to revise that working question into a formal research question. So, what makes a good research question? First, it is generally written in the form of a question. To say that your research question is “the opioid epidemic” or “animal assisted therapy” or “oppression” would not be correct. You need to frame your topic as a question, not a statement. A good research question is also one that is well-focused. A well-focused question helps you tune out irrelevant information and not try to answer everything about the world all at once. You could be the most eloquent writer in your class, or even in the world, but if the research question about which you are writing is unclear, your work will ultimately lack direction.

In addition to being written in the form of a question and being well-focused, a good research question is one that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. For example, if your interest is in gender norms, you could ask, “Does gender affect a person’s performance of household tasks?” but you will have nothing left to say once you discover your yes or no answer. Instead, why not ask, about the relationship between gender and household tasks. Alternatively, maybe we are interested in how or to what extent gender affects a person’s contributions to housework in a marriage? By tweaking your question in this small way, you suddenly have a much more fascinating question and more to say as you attempt to answer it.

A good research question should also have more than one plausible answer. In the example above, the student who studied the relationship between gender and household tasks had a specific interest in the impact of gender, but she also knew that preferences might be impacted by other factors. For example, she knew from her own experience that her more traditional and socially conservative friends were more likely to see household tasks as part of the female domain, and were less likely to expect their male partners to contribute to those tasks. Thinking through the possible relationships between gender, culture, and household tasks led that student to realize that there were many plausible answers to her questions about how gender affects a person’s contribution to household tasks. Because gender doesn’t exist in a vacuum, she wisely felt that she needed to consider other characteristics that work together with gender to shape people’s behaviors, likes, and dislikes. By doing this, the student considered the third feature of a good research question–she thought about relationships between several concepts. While she began with an interest in a single concept—household tasks—by asking herself what other concepts (such as gender or political orientation) might be related to her original interest, she was able to form a question that considered the relationships among those concepts.

This student had one final component to consider. Social work research questions must contain a target population. Her study would be very different if she were to conduct it on older adults or immigrants who just arrived in a new country. The target population is the group of people whose needs your study addresses. Maybe the student noticed issues with household tasks as part of her social work practice with first-generation immigrants, and so she made it her target population. Maybe she wants to address the needs of another community. Whatever the case, the target population should be chosen while keeping in mind social work’s responsibility to work on behalf of marginalized and oppressed groups.

In sum, a good research question generally has the following features:

It is written in the form of a question
It is clearly written
It cannot be answered with “yes” or “no”
It has more than one plausible answer
It considers relationships among multiple variables
It is specific and clear about the concepts it addresses
It includes a target population
A poorly focused research question can lead to the demise of an otherwise well-executed study.
Research questions should be clearly worded, consider relationships between multiple variables, have more than one plausible answer, and address the needs of a target population.

Okay, it’s time to write out your first draft of a research question.

Once you’ve done so, take a look at the checklist in this chapter and see if your research question meets the criteria to be a good one.

Brainstorm whether your research question might be better suited to quantitative or qualitative methods.

Describe why your question fits better with quantitative or qualitative methods.
Provide an alternative research question that fits with the other type of research method.

9.3 Quantitative research questions

Describe how research questions for exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory quantitative questions differ and how to phrase them
Identify the differences between and provide examples of strong and weak explanatory research questions

Quantitative descriptive questions

The type of research you are conducting will impact the research question that you ask. Probably the easiest questions to think of are quantitative descriptive questions. For example, “What is the average student debt load of MSW students?” is a descriptive question—and an important one. We aren’t trying to build a causal relationship here. We’re simply trying to describe how much debt MSW students carry. Quantitative descriptive questions like this one are helpful in social work practice as part of community scans, in which human service agencies survey the various needs of the community they serve. If the scan reveals that the community requires more services related to housing, child care, or day treatment for people with disabilities, a nonprofit office can use the community scan to create new programs that meet a defined community need.

Quantitative descriptive questions will often ask for percentage, count the number of instances of a phenomenon, or determine an average. Descriptive questions may only include one variable, such as ours about student debt load, or they may include multiple variables. Because these are descriptive questions, our purpose is not to investigate causal relationships between variables. To do that, we need to use a quantitative explanatory question.

Quantitative explanatory questions

Most studies you read in the academic literature will be quantitative and explanatory. Why is that? If you recall from Chapter 2 , explanatory research tries to build nomothetic causal relationships. They are generalizable across space and time, so they are applicable to a wide audience. The editorial board of a journal wants to make sure their content will be useful to as many people as possible, so it’s not surprising that quantitative research dominates the academic literature.

Structurally, quantitative explanatory questions must contain an independent variable and dependent variable. Questions should ask about the relationship between these variables. The standard format I was taught in graduate school for an explanatory quantitative research question is: “What is the relationship between [independent variable] and [dependent variable] for [target population]?” You should play with the wording for your research question, revising that standard format to match what you really want to know about your topic.

Let’s take a look at a few more examples of possible research questions and consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. Table 9.1 does just that. While reading the table, keep in mind that I have only noted what I view to be the most relevant strengths and weaknesses of each question. Certainly each question may have additional strengths and weaknesses not noted in the table. Each of these questions is drawn from student projects in my research methods classes and reflects the work of many students on their research question over many weeks.

Making it more specific

A good research question should also be specific and clear about the concepts it addresses. A student investigating gender and household tasks knows what they mean by “household tasks.” You likely also have an impression of what “household tasks” means. But are your definition and the student’s definition the same? A participant in their study may think that managing finances and performing home maintenance are household tasks, but the researcher may be interested in other tasks like childcare or cleaning. The only way to ensure your study stays focused and clear is to be specific about what you mean by a concept. The student in our example could pick a specific household task that was interesting to them or that the literature indicated was important—for example, childcare. Or, the student could have a broader view of household tasks, one that encompasses childcare, food preparation, financial management, home repair, and care for relatives. Any option is probably okay, as long as the researcher is clear on what they mean by “household tasks.” Clarifying these distinctions is important as we look ahead to specifying how your variables will be measured in Chapter 11 .

Table 9.2 contains some “watch words” that indicate you may need to be more specific about the concepts in your research question.

It can be challenging to be this specific in social work research, particularly when you are just starting out your project and still reading the literature. If you’ve only read one or two articles on your topic, it can be hard to know what you are interested in studying. Broad questions like “What are the causes of chronic homelessness, and what can be done to prevent it?” are common at the beginning stages of a research project as working questions. However, moving from working questions to research questions in your research proposal requires that you examine the literature on the topic and refine your question over time to be more specific and clear. Perhaps you want to study the effect of a specific anti-homelessness program that you found in the literature. Maybe there is a particular model to fighting homelessness, like Housing First or transitional housing, that you want to investigate further. You may want to focus on a potential cause of homelessness such as LGBTQ+ discrimination that you find interesting or relevant to your practice. As you can see, the possibilities for making your question more specific are almost infinite.

Quantitative exploratory questions

In exploratory research, the researcher doesn’t quite know the lay of the land yet. If someone is proposing to conduct an exploratory quantitative project, the watch words highlighted in Table 9.2 are not problematic at all. In fact, questions such as “What factors influence the removal of children in child welfare cases?” are good because they will explore a variety of factors or causes. In this question, the independent variable is less clearly written, but the dependent variable, family preservation outcomes, is quite clearly written. The inverse can also be true. If we were to ask, “What outcomes are associated with family preservation services in child welfare?”, we would have a clear independent variable, family preservation services, but an unclear dependent variable, outcomes. Because we are only conducting exploratory research on a topic, we may not have an idea of what concepts may comprise our “outcomes” or “factors.” Only after interacting with our participants will we be able to understand which concepts are important.

Remember that exploratory research is appropriate only when the researcher does not know much about topic because there is very little scholarly research. In our examples above, there is extensive literature on the outcomes in family reunification programs and risk factors for child removal in child welfare. Make sure you’ve done a thorough literature review to ensure there is little relevant research to guide you towards a more explanatory question.

Descriptive quantitative research questions are helpful for community scans but cannot investigate causal relationships between variables.
Explanatory quantitative research questions must include an independent and dependent variable.
Exploratory quantitative research questions should only be considered when there is very little previous research on your topic.
Identify the type of research you are engaged in (descriptive, explanatory, or exploratory).
Create a quantitative research question for your project that matches with the type of research you are engaged in.

Preferably, you should be creating an explanatory research question for quantitative research.

9.4 Qualitative research questions

List the key terms associated with qualitative research questions
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research questions

Qualitative research questions differ from quantitative research questions. Because qualitative research questions seek to explore or describe phenomena, not provide a neat nomothetic explanation, they are often more general and openly worded. They may include only one concept, though many include more than one. Instead of asking how one variable causes changes in another, we are instead trying to understand the experiences , understandings , and meanings that people have about the concepts in our research question. These keywords often make an appearance in qualitative research questions.

Let’s work through an example from our last section. In Table 9.1, a student asked, “What is the relationship between sexual orientation or gender identity and homelessness for late adolescents in foster care?” In this question, it is pretty clear that the student believes that adolescents in foster care who identify as LGBTQ+ may be at greater risk for homelessness. This is a nomothetic causal relationship—LGBTQ+ status causes changes in homelessness.

However, what if the student were less interested in predicting homelessness based on LGBTQ+ status and more interested in understanding the stories of foster care youth who identify as LGBTQ+ and may be at risk for homelessness? In that case, the researcher would be building an idiographic causal explanation . The youths whom the researcher interviews may share stories of how their foster families, caseworkers, and others treated them. They may share stories about how they thought of their own sexuality or gender identity and how it changed over time. They may have different ideas about what it means to transition out of foster care.

Because qualitative questions usually center on idiographic causal relationships, they look different than quantitative questions. Table 9.3 below takes the final research questions from Table 9.1 and adapts them for qualitative research. The guidelines for research questions previously described in this chapter still apply, but there are some new elements to qualitative research questions that are not present in quantitative questions.

Qualitative research questions often ask about lived experience, personal experience, understanding, meaning, and stories.
Qualitative research questions may be more general and less specific.
Qualitative research questions may also contain only one variable, rather than asking about relationships between multiple variables.

Qualitative research questions have one final feature that distinguishes them from quantitative research questions: they can change over the course of a study. Qualitative research is a reflexive process, one in which the researcher adapts their approach based on what participants say and do. The researcher must constantly evaluate whether their question is important and relevant to the participants. As the researcher gains information from participants, it is normal for the focus of the inquiry to shift.

For example, a qualitative researcher may want to study how a new truancy rule impacts youth at risk of expulsion. However, after interviewing some of the youth in their community, a researcher might find that the rule is actually irrelevant to their behavior and thoughts. Instead, their participants will direct the discussion to their frustration with the school administrators or the lack of job opportunities in the area. This is a natural part of qualitative research, and it is normal for research questions and hypothesis to evolve based on information gleaned from participants.

However, this reflexivity and openness unacceptable in quantitative research for good reasons. Researchers using quantitative methods are testing a hypothesis, and if they could revise that hypothesis to match what they found, they could never be wrong! Indeed, an important component of open science and reproducability is the preregistration of a researcher’s hypotheses and data analysis plan in a central repository that can be verified and replicated by reviewers and other researchers. This interactive graphic from 538 shows how an unscrupulous research could come up with a hypothesis and theoretical explanation after collecting data by hunting for a combination of factors that results in a statistically significant relationship. This is an excellent example of how the positivist assumptions behind quantitative research and intepretivist assumptions behind qualitative research result in different approaches to social science.

Qualitative research questions often contain words or phrases like “lived experience,” “personal experience,” “understanding,” “meaning,” and “stories.”
Qualitative research questions can change and evolve over the course of the study.
Using the guidance in this chapter, write a qualitative research question. You may want to use some of the keywords mentioned above.

9.5 Evaluating and updating your research questions

Evaluate the feasibility and importance of your research questions
Begin to match your research questions to specific designs that determine what the participants in your study will do

Feasibility and importance

As you are getting ready to finalize your research question and move into designing your research study, it is important to check whether your research question is feasible for you to answer and what importance your results will have in the community, among your participants, and in the scientific literature

Key questions to consider when evaluating your question’s feasibility include:

Do you have access to the data you need?
Will you be able to get consent from stakeholders, gatekeepers, and others?
Does your project pose risk to individuals through direct harm, dual relationships, or breaches in confidentiality? (see Chapter 6 for more ethical considerations)
Are you competent enough to complete the study?
Do you have the resources and time needed to carry out the project?

Key questions to consider when evaluating the importance of your question include:

Can we answer your research question simply by looking at the literature on your topic?
How does your question add something new to the scholarly literature? (raises a new issue, addresses a controversy, studies a new population, etc.)
How will your target population benefit, once you answer your research question?
How will the community, social work practice, and the broader social world benefit, once you answer your research question?
Using the questions above, check whether you think your project is feasible for you to complete, given the constrains that student projects face.
Realistically, explore the potential impact of your project on the community and in the scientific literature. Make sure your question cannot be answered by simply reading more about your topic.

Matching your research question and study design

This chapter described how to create a good quantitative and qualitative research question. In Parts 3 and 4 of this textbook, we will detail some of the basic designs like surveys and interviews that social scientists use to answer their research questions. But which design should you choose?

As with most things, it all depends on your research question. If your research question involves, for example, testing a new intervention, you will likely want to use an experimental design. On the other hand, if you want to know the lived experience of people in a public housing building, you probably want to use an interview or focus group design.

We will learn more about each one of these designs in the remainder of this textbook. We will also learn about using data that already exists, studying an individual client inside clinical practice, and evaluating programs, which are other examples of designs. Below is a list of designs we will cover in this textbook:

Surveys: online, phone, mail, in-person
Experiments: classic, pre-experiments, quasi-experiments
Interviews: in-person or via phone or videoconference
Focus groups: in-person or via videoconference
Content analysis of existing data
Secondary data analysis of another researcher’s data
Program evaluation

The design of your research study determines what you and your participants will do. In an experiment, for example, the researcher will introduce a stimulus or treatment to participants and measure their responses. In contrast, a content analysis may not have participants at all, and the researcher may simply read the marketing materials for a corporation or look at a politician’s speeches to conduct the data analysis for the study.

I imagine that a content analysis probably seems easier to accomplish than an experiment. However, as a researcher, you have to choose a research design that makes sense for your question and that is feasible to complete with the resources you have. All research projects require some resources to accomplish. Make sure your design is one you can carry out with the resources (time, money, staff, etc.) that you have.

There are so many different designs that exist in the social science literature that it would be impossible to include them all in this textbook. The purpose of the subsequent chapters is to help you understand the basic designs upon which these more advanced designs are built. As you learn more about research design, you will likely find yourself revising your research question to make sure it fits with the design. At the same time, your research question as it exists now should influence the design you end up choosing. There is no set order in which these should happen. Instead, your research project should be guided by whether you can feasibly carry it out and contribute new and important knowledge to the world.

Research questions must be feasible and important.
Research questions must match study design.
Based on what you know about designs like surveys, experiments, and interviews, describe how you might use one of them to answer your research question.
You may want to refer back to Chapter 2 which discusses how to get raw data about your topic and the common designs used in student research projects.
Not familiar with SpongeBob SquarePants? You can learn more about him on Nickelodeon’s site dedicated to all things SpongeBob: http://www.nick.com/spongebob-squarepants/ ↵
Focus on the Family. (2005, January 26). Focus on SpongeBob. Christianity Today . Retrieved from http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/januaryweb-only/34.0c.html ↵
BBC News. (2005, January 20). US right attacks SpongeBob video. Retrieved from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4190699.stm ↵
In fact, an MA thesis examines representations of gender and relationships in the cartoon: Carter, A. C. (2010). Constructing gender and relationships in “SpongeBob SquarePants”: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea . MA thesis, Department of Communication, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. ↵

research questions that can be answered by systematically observing the real world

unsuitable research questions which are not answerable by systematic observation of the real world but instead rely on moral or philosophical opinions

the group of people whose needs your study addresses

attempts to explain or describe your phenomenon exhaustively, based on the subjective understandings of your participants

"Assuming that the null hypothesis is true and the study is repeated an infinite number times by drawing random samples from the same populations(s), less than 5% of these results will be more extreme than the current result" (Cassidy et al., 2019, p. 233).

whether you can practically and ethically complete the research project you propose

the impact your study will have on participants, communities, scientific knowledge, and social justice

Graduate research methods in social work Copyright © 2021 by Matthew DeCarlo, Cory Cummings, Kate Agnelli is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

(9 reviews)

Matthew DeCarlo, Radford University

ISBN 13: 9781975033729

Publisher: Open Social Work Education

Language: English

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Reviewed by Shannon Blajeski, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 3/10/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book provides an introduction to research and inquiry in social work with an applied focus geared for the MSW student. The text covers 16 chapters, including several dedicated to understanding how to begin the research process, a chapter on ethics, and then eight chapters dedicated to research methods. The subchapters (1-5 per chapter) are concise and focused while also being tied to current knowledge and events so as to hold the reader's attention. It is comprehensive, but some of the later chapters covering research methods as well as the final chapter seem a bit scant and could be expanded. The glossary at the end of each chapter is helpful as is the index that is always accessible from the left-hand drop-down menu.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The author pulls in relevant current and recent public events to illustrate important points about social research throughout the book. Each sub-chapter reads as accurate. I did not come across any inaccuracies in the text, however I would recommend a change in the title of Chapter 15 as "real world research" certainly encompasses more than program evaluation, single-subject designs, and action research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Another major strength of this book is that it adds currency to engage the reader while also maintaining its relevance to research methods. None of the current events/recent events that are described seem dated nor will they fade from relevance in a number of years. In addition, the concise nature of the modules should make them easy to update when needed to maintain relevancy in future editions.

Clarity rating: 5

Clarity is a major strength of this textbook. As described in the interface section, this book is written to be clear and concise, without unnecessary extra text that detracts from the concise content provided in each chapter. Any lengthy excerpts are also very engaging which lends itself to a clear presentation of content for the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

The text and content seems to be presented consistently throughout the book. Terminology and frameworks are balanced with real-world examples and current events.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapters of this textbook are appropriately spaced and easily digestible, particularly for readers with time constraints. Each chapter contains 3-5 sub-chapters that build upon each other in a scaffolding style. This makes it simple for the instructor to assign each chapter (sometimes two) per weekly session as well as add in additional assigned readings to complement the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The overall organization of the chapters flow well. The book begins with a typical introduction to research aimed at social work practitioners or new students in social work. It then moves into a set of chapters on beginning a research project, reviewing literature, and asking research questions, followed by a chapter on ethics. Next, the text transitions to three chapters covering constructs, measurement, and sampling, followed by five chapters covering research methods, and a closing chapter on dissemination of research. This is one of the more logically-organized research methods texts that I have used as an instructor.

Interface rating: 5

The modular chapters are easy to navigate and the interface of each chapter follows a standard presentation style with the reading followed by a short vocabulary glossary and references. This presentation lends itself to a familiarity for students that helps them become more efficient with completing reading assignments, even in short bursts of time. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may juggle their assignment time with family and work obligations.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

At first glance at the table of contents, the book doesn't seem to be overtly committed to cultural representation, however, upon reading the chapters, it becomes clear that the author does try to represent and reference marginalized groups (e.g., women, individuals with disabilities, racial/ethnic/gender intersectionality) within the examples used. I also am very appreciative that the bottom of each introduction page for each chapter contains content trigger warnings for any possible topics that could be upsetting, e.g., substance abuse, violence.

As the author likely knows, social work students are eager to engage in learning that is current and relevant to their social causes. This book is written in a way that engages a non-researcher social worker into reading about research by weaving research information into topics that they might find compelling. It also does this in a concise way where short bits of pertinent information are presented, making the text accessible without needing to sustain long periods of attention. This is particularly important for online and returning learners who may need to sit with their readings in short bursts due to attending school while juggling work and family obligations.

Reviewed by Lynn Goerdt, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 9/17/21

Text appears to be comprehensive in covering steps for typical SWK research class, taking students from the introduction of the purpose and importance of research to how to design and analyze research. Author covers the multitude of ways that social workers engage in research as way of building knowledge and ways that social work practitioners conduct research to evaluate their practice, including outcome evaluation, single subject design, and action research. I particularly appreciated the last section on reporting research, which should be very practical.

Overall, content appears mostly accurate which few errors. Definitions and citations are mostly thorough and clear. Author does cite Wikipedia in at least one occasion which could be credible, depending on the source of the Wikipedia content. There were a few references within the text to comic or stories but the referenced material was not always apparent.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content of Scientific Inquiry for Social Work is relevant, as the field of social work research methods does not appear to change quickly, although there are innovations. The author referenced examples which appear to be recent and likely relatable to interests of current students. Primary area of innovation is in using technology for the collection and analysis of data, which could be expanded, particularly using social media for soliciting research participants.

Style is personable and content appears to be accessible, which is a unique attribute for a research textbook. Author uses first person in many instances, particularly in the beginning to present the content as relatable.

Format appears to be consistent in format and relative length. Each chapter includes learning objectives, content advisory (if applicable), key takeaways and glossary. Author uses color and text boxes to draw attention to these sections.

Modularity rating: 4

Text is divided into modules which could easily be assigned and reviewed in a class. The text modules could also be re-structured if desired to fit curricular uniqueness’s. Author uses images to illuminate the concepts of the module or chapter, but they often take about 1/3 of the page, which extends the size of the textbook quite a bit. Unclear if benefit of images outweighs additional cost if PDF version is printed.

Textbook is organized in a very logical and clear fashion. Each section appears to be approximately 6-10 pages in length which seems to be an optimal length for student attention and comprehension.

Interface rating: 4

There were some distortions of the text (size and visibility) but they were a fairly minor distraction and did not appear to reduce access to the content. Otherwise text was easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

No grammatical errors were noted but hyperlinks to outside content were referenced but not always visible which occasionally resulted in an awkward read. Specific link may be in resources section of each chapter but occasionally they were also included in the text.

I did not recognize any text which was culturally insensitive or offensive. Images used which depicted people, appeared to represent diverse experiences, cultures, settings and persons. Did notice image depicting homelessness appeared to be stereotypical person sleeping on sidewalk, which can perpetuate a common perception of homelessness. Would encourage author to consider images representing a wider range of experiences of a social phenomena. Content advisories are used for each section, which is not necessarily cultural relevance but is respectful and recognizes the diversity of experiences and triggers that the readers may have.

Overall, I was very impressed and encouraged with the well organized content and thoughtful flow of this important textbook for social work students and instructors. The length and readability of each chapter would likely be appreciated by instructors as well as students, increasing the extent that the learning outcomes would be achieved. Teaching research is very challenging because the content and application can feel very intimidating. The author also has provided access to supplemental resources such as presentations and assignments.

Reviewed by elaine gatewood, Adjunct Faculty, Bridgewater State University on 6/15/21

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with examples. read more

Content Accuracy rating: 5

From my perspective, content is highly accurate in the field of learning research method and unbiased. It's all there!

The content is highly relevant and up-to-date in the field. The book is written and arranged in a way that its easy to follow along with adding updates.

The book is written in clear and concise. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used along with examples which readers are able to follow along and understand.

The contents of the book flow quite well. The framework in the book is consistent.

The text appears easily adaptable for readers and the author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation tools for readers to use and implement.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The contents of the book flow very well. Readers would be able to put into practice the key reading strategies shared in the book ) because its organization is laid out nicely

Interface rating: 3

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. This may present issues for some student readers.

There are no grammatical errors.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from sexamples of intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses for students to consider in their practice.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW/MSW research course.

Reviewed by Taylor Hall, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/30/20

This text is more comprehensive than the text I currently use in my Research Methods in Social Work course, which students have to pay for. This text not only covers both qualitative and quantitative research methods, but also all parts of the research process from thinking about research ideas to questions all the way to evaluation after social work programs/policies have been employed.

Not much to say here- with research methods, things are black and white; it is or isn't. This content is accurate. I also like to way the content is explained in light of social work values and ethics. This is something our students can struggle with, and this is helpful in terms of showing why social work needs to pay attention to research.

There are upcoming changes to CSWE's competencies, therefore lots of text materials are going to need to be updated soon. Otherwise, case examples are pertinent and timely.

Clarity rating: 4

I think that research methods for social workers is a difficult field of study. Many go into the field to be clinicians, and few understand (off the bat) the importance of understanding methods of research. I think this textbook makes it clear to me, but hard to rate a 5 as I know from a student's perspective, lots of the terminology is so new.

Appears to be so- I was able to follow, seems consistent.

Yes- and I think this is a strong point of this text. This was easy to follow and read, and I could see myself easily divvying up different sections for students to work on in groups.

Yes- makes sense to me and the way I teach this course. I like the 30,000 ft view then honing in on specific types of research, all along the way explaining the different pieces of the research process and in writing a research paper.

I sometimes struggle with online platforms versus in person texts to read, and this OER is visually appealing- there is not too much text on the pages, it is spaced in a way that makes it easier to read. Colors are used well to highlight pertinent information.

Not something I found in this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

This is a place where I feel the text could use some work. A nod to past wrongdoings in research methods on oppressed groups, and more of a discussion on social work's role in social justice with an eye towards righting the wrongs of the past. Updated language re: person first language, more diverse examples, etc.

This is a very useful text, and I am going to recommend my department check it out for future use, especially as many of our students are first gen and working class and would love to save money on textbooks where possible.

Reviewed by Olubunmi Oyewuwo-Gassikia, Assistant Professor, Northeastern Illinois University on 5/5/20

This text is an appropriate and comprehensive introduction to research methods for BSW students. It guides the reader through each stage of the research project, including identifying a research question, conducting and writing a literature review, research ethics, theory, research design, methodology, sampling, and dissemination. The author explains complex concepts - such as paradigms, epistemology, and ontology - in clear, simple terms and through the use of practical, social work examples for the reader. I especially appreciated the balanced attention to quantitative and qualitative methods, including the explanation of data collection and basic analysis techniques for both. The text could benefit from the inclusion of an explanation of research design notations.

The text is accurate and unbiased. Additionally, the author effectively incorporates referenced sources, including sources one can use for further learning.

The content is relevant and timely. The author incorporates real, recent research examples that reflects the applicability of research at each level of social practice (micro, meso, and macro) throughout the text. The text will benefit from regular updates in research examples.

The text is written in a clear, approachable manner. The chapters are a reasonable length without sacrificing appropriate depth into the subject manner.

The text is consistent throughout. The author is effective in reintroducing previously explained terms from previous chapters.

The text appears easily adaptable. The instructions provided by the author on how to adapt the text for one's course are helpful to one who would like to use the text but not in its entirety. The author also provides accompanying PowerPoint presentations; these are a good foundation but will likely require tailoring based on the teaching style of the instructor.

Generally, the text flows well. However, chapter 5 (Ethics) should come earlier, preferably before chapter 3 (Reviewing & Evaluating the Literature). It is important that students understand research ethics as ethical concerns are an important aspect of evaluating the quality of research studies. Chapter 15 (Real-World Research) should also come earlier in the text, most suitably before or after chapter 7 (Design and Causality).

The interface is generally good, but I was only able to download the .pdf. The setup of the .pdf is difficult to navigate, especially if one wants to jump from chapter to chapter. This may present issues for the student reader.

The text was culturally relevant and provided diverse research and practice examples. The text could have benefited from more critical research examples, such as examples of research studies that incorporate intersectional and anti-oppressive lenses.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to research that can be easily adapted for a BSW level research course.

Reviewed by Smita Dewan, Assistant Professor, New York City College of Technology, Department of Human Services on 12/6/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a very good introductory research methodology textbook for undergraduate students of social work or human services. For students who might be intimidated by social research, the text provides assurance that by learning basic concepts of research methodology, students will be better scholars and social work or human service practitioners. The content and flow of the text book supports a basic assignment of most research methodology courses which is to develop a research proposal or a research project. Each stage of research is explained well with many examples from social work practice that has the potential to keep the student engaged.

The glossary at the end of each chapter is very comprehensive but does not include the page number/s where the content is located. The glossary at the end of the book also lacks page numbers which might make it cumbersome for students seeking a quick reference.

The content is accurate and unbiased. Suggested exercises and prompts for students to engage in critical thinking and to identify biases in research that informs practice may help students understand the complexities of social research.

Content is up-to-date and concepts of research methodology presented is unlikely to be obsolete in the coming years. However, recent trends in research such as data mining, using algorithms for social policy and practice implications, privacy concerns, role of social media are topics that could be considered for inclusion in the forthcoming editions.

Content is presented very clearly for undergraduate students. Key takeaways and glossary for each section of the chapter is very useful for students.

Presentation of content, format and organization is consistent throughout the book.

Subsections within each chapter is very helpful for the students who might be assigned readings just in parts for the class.

Students would benefit from reading about research ethics right after the introductory chapter. I would also move Chapter 8 to right after the literature review which might inform creating and refining the research question. Content on evaluation research could also be moved up to follow the chapter on experimental designs. Regardless of the organization, the course instructors can assign chapters according to the course requirements.

PDF version of the book is very easy to use especially as students can save a copy on their computers and do not have to be online. Charts and tables are well presented but some of the images/photographs do not necessarily serve to enhance learning. Image attributions could be provided at the end of the chapter instead of being listed under the glossary. Students might also find it useful to be able to highlight the content and make annotations. This requires that students sign-in. Students should be able to highlight and annotate a downloaded version through Adobe Reader.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Content is not insensitive or offensive in any way. Supporting examples in chapters are very diverse. Students would benefit from some examples of international research (both positive and negative examples) of protection of human subjects.

Reviewed by Jill Hoffman, Assistant Professor, Portland State University on 10/29/19

This text includes 16 chapters that cover content related to the process of conducting research. From identifying a topic and reviewing the literature, to formulating a question, designing a study, and disseminating findings, the text includes research basics that most other introductory social work research texts include. Content on ethics, theory, and to a lesser extent evaluation, single-subject design, and action research are also included. There is a glossary at the end of the text that includes information on the location of the terms. There is a practice behaviors index, but not an index in the traditional sense. If using the text electronically, search functions make it easy to find necessary information despite not having an index. If using a printed version, this would be more difficult. The text includes examples to illustrate concepts that are relevant to settings in which social workers might work. As most other introductory social work research texts, this book appears to come from a mainly positivist view. I would have appreciated more of a discussion related to power, privilege, and oppression and the role these play in the research topics that get studied and who benefits, along with anti-oppressive research. Related to evaluations, a quick mention of logic models would be helpful.

The information appears to be accurate and error free. The language in the text seems to emphasize "right/wrong" choices/decisions instead of highlighting the complexities of research and practice. Using gender-neutral pronouns would also make the language more inclusive.

Content appears to be up-to-date and relevant. Any updating would be straightforward to carry out. I found at least one link that did not work (e.g., NREPP) so if you use this text it will be important to check and make sure things are updated.

The content is clearly written, using examples to illustrate various concepts. I appreciated prompts for questions throughout each chapter in order to engage students in the content. Key terms are bolded, which helps to easily identify important points.

Information is presented in a consistent manner throughout the text.

Each chapter is divided into subsections that help with readability. It is easy to pick and choose various pieces of the text for your course if you're not using the entire thing.

There are many ways you can organize a social work research text. Personally, I prefer to talk about ethics and theory early on, so that students have this as a framework as they read about other's studies and design their own. In the case of this text, I'd put those two chapters right after chapter 1. As others have suggested, I'd also move up the content on research questions, perhaps after chapter 4.

In the online version, no significant interface issues arose. The only thing that would be helpful is to have chapter titles clearly presented when navigating through the text in the online version. For example, when you click through to a new chapter, the title simply says "6.0 Chapter introduction." In order to see the chapter title you have to click into the contents tab. Not a huge issue but could help with navigating the online version. In the pdf version, the links in the table of contents allowed me to navigate through to various sections. I did notice that some of the external links were not complete (e.g., on page 290, the URL is linked as "http://baby-").

Cultural representation in the text is similar to many other introductory social work research texts. There's more of an emphasis on white, western, cis-gendered individuals, particularly in the images. In examples, it appeared that only male/female pronouns were used.

Reviewed by Monica Roth Day, Associate Professor, Social Work, Metropolitan State University (Saint Paul, Minnesota) on 12/26/18

The book provides concrete and clear information on using research as consumers, then developing research as producers of knowledge. It provides a comprehensive review of each step to take to develop a research project from beginning to completion, with appropriate examples. More specific social work links would be helpful as students learn more about the field and the uses of research.

The book is accurate and communicates information and largely without bias. Numerous examples are provided from varied sources, which are then used to discuss potential for bias in research. The addition of critical race theory concepts would add to this discussion, to ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness.

The book is highly relevant. It provides historical and current examples of research which communicate concepts using accessible language that is current to social work. The text is written so that updates should be easy. Links need to be updated on a regular basis.

The book is accessible for students at it uses common language to communicate concepts while helping students build their research vocabulary. Terminology is communicate both within the text and in glossaries, and technical terms are minimally used.

The book is consistent in its use of terminology and framework. It follows a pattern of development, from consuming research to producing research. The steps are predictable and walk students through appropriate actions to take.

The book is easily readable. Each chapter is divided in sections that are easy to navigate and understand. Pictures and tables are used to support text.

Chapters are in logical order and follow a common pattern.

When reading the book online, the text was largely free of interface issues. As a PDF, there were issues with formatting. Be aware that students who may wish to download the book into a Kindle or other book reader may experience issues.

The text was grammatically correct with no misspellings.

While the book is culturally relevant, it lacks the application of critical race theory. While students will learn about bias in research, critical race theory would ground students in the importance of understanding implicit bias as researchers and ways to develop their own awareness. It would also help students understand why the background of researchers is important in relation to the ways of knowing.

Reviewed by Jennifer Wareham, Associate Professor, Wayne State University on 11/30/18

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to research methods from the perspective of the discipline of Social Work. The book borrows heavily from Amy Blackstone’s Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods open textbook. The book is divided into 16 chapters, covering: differences in reasoning and scientific thought, starting a research project, writing a literature review, ethics in social science research, how theory relates to research, research design, causality, measurement, sampling, survey research, experimental design, qualitative interviews and focus groups, evaluation research, and reporting research. Some of the more advanced concepts and topics are only covered at superficial level, which limits the intended population of readers to high school students, undergraduate students, or those with no background in research methods. Since the book is geared toward Social Work undergraduate students, the chapters and content address methodologies commonly used in this field, but ignore methodologies that may be more popular in other social science fields. For example, the material on qualitative methods is narrow and focuses on commonly used qualitative methods in Social Work. In addition, the chapter on evaluation is limited to a general overview of evaluation research, which could be improved with more in-depth discussion of different types of evaluation (e.g., needs assessment, evaluability assessment, process evaluation, impact/outcomes evaluation) and real-world examples of different types of evaluation implemented in Social Work. Overall, the author provides examples that are easy for practitioners in Social Work to understand, which are also easily relatable for students in similar disciplines such as criminal justice. The book provides a glossary of key terms. There is no index; however, users can search for terms using the find (Ctrl-F) function in the PDF version of the book.

Overall, the content inside this book is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. However, the content is limited to the Social Work perspective, which may be considered somewhat biased or inaccurate from the perspective of others in different disciplines.

The book describes classic examples used in most texts on social science research methods. It also includes contemporary and relevant examples. Some of the content (such as web addresses and contemporary news pieces) will need to be updated every few years. The text is written and arranged in such a way that any necessary updates should be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The book is written in clear and accessible prose. The book provides appropriate context for any jargon/technical terminology used. Readers from any social science discipline should be able to understand the content and context of the material presented in the book.

The framework and use of terminology in the book are consistent.

This book is highly modular. The author has even improved upon the modularity of the book from Blackstone’s open text (which serves as the basis of the present text). Each chapter is divided into short, related subsections. The design of the chapters and their subsections make it easy to divide the material into units of study across a semester or quarter of instruction.

Generally, the book is organized in a similar manner as other texts on social science research methods. However, the organization could be improved slightly. Chapters 2 through 4 describe the process of beginning a research project and conducting a literature review. Chapter 8 describes refining a research question. This chapter could be moved to follow the Chapter 4. Chapter 12 describes experimental design, while Chapter 15 provides a description and examples of evaluation research. Since evaluation research tends to rely on experimental and quasi-experimental design, this chapter should follow the experimental design chapter.

For the online version of the book, there were no interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. The hyperlinks to sources mentioned in the text worked. The Contents menu allowed for easy and quick access to any section of the book. For the PDF version of the book, there were interface issues. The images and charts were clear and readable. However, the URLs and hyperlinks were not active in the PDF version. Furthermore, the PDF version was not bookmarked, which made it more difficult to access specific sections of the book.

I did not find grammatical errors in the book.

Overall, the cultural relevance and sensitivity were consistent with other social science research methods texts. The author does a good job of using both female and male pronouns in the prose. While there are pictures of people of color, there could be more. Most of the pictures are of white people. Also, the context is generally U.S.-centric.

Chapter 1: Introduction to research
Chapter 2: Beginning a research project
Chapter 3: Reading and evaluating literature
Chapter 4: Conducting a literature review
Chapter 5: Ethics in social work research
Chapter 6: Linking methods with theory
Chapter 7: Design and causality
Chapter 8: Creating and refining a research question
Chapter 9: Defining and measuring concepts
Chapter 10: Sampling
Chapter 11: Survey research
Chapter 12: Experimental design
Chapter 13: Interviews and focus groups
Chapter 14: Unobtrusive research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches
Chapter 15: Real-world research: Evaluation, single-subjects, and action research
Chapter 16: Reporting and reading research

Ancillary Material

Open Social Work Education

About the Book

As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the design, interpret quantitative or qualitative results, and disseminate their findings to a variety of audiences. Examples are drawn from the author's practice and research experience, as well as topical articles from the literature.

There are ancillary materials available for this book.

About the Contributors

Matt DeCarlo earned his PhD in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University and is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Radford University. He earned an MSW from George Mason University in 2010 and a BA in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2007. His research interests include open educational resources, self-directed Medicaid supports, and basic income. Matt is an Open Textbook Network Campus Leader for Radford University. He is the founder of Open Social Work Education, a non-profit collaborative advancing OER in social work education.

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Social Work Research Topics

Table of contents

1 What is a Social Work Research Paper?
2 Tips for Selecting a Good Topic for a Social Work Research Paper
3.1 Social Work Research Topics for Beginners
3.2 Social Work Research Topics for College Students
3.3 Human Services Research Paper Topics
3.4 Interesting Social Work Research Paper Topics
3.5 Controversial Social Work Research Paper Topics
3.6 Social Work Thesis Topics
3.7 Critical Social Work Research Paper
3.8 Disputable Social Work Research Topics
3.9 Social Work Topics for Presentation
3.10 Social Work Research Paper for Literature Review

With these topics in mind, you can explore further into the field of social work and gain a better understanding of how research can help shape our society for the better. Read on to learn what is a social research paper, review helpful tips to select one, and explore a list of the 100 best social work research topics ideas.

What is a Social Work Research Paper?

A social work research paper is a document that presents facts, analysis, and research findings about a particular social work topic. Students often find it overwhelming to find the best social work topics for their research papers. Also, it’s not always possible to buy research paper and avoid the investigation altogether. Researching and writing about these topics can help students understand the causes of social issues and how to address them best.

It also provides insights into how to improve services for those who are most vulnerable and in need of assistance. The most popular social work research topics are those that treat issues of this kind, and they can be excellent as research papers.

However, focusing on the most popular research topics for social work is not the only option. It is important for students to analyze the topic they like and learn more about it. Even better if the work can somehow help solve a problem in their community. A research paper with factually accurate data and information can help you make your project look more engaging and informative. But it can also have an impact right away.

For these reasons, writing a research paper on social work can be a rewarding experience for students. It allows them to expand their knowledge along with developing a sense of empathy towards the community. Furthermore, it is important to select a topic that is relevant to the field of social work and provides enough scope for further exploration.

Tips for Selecting a Good Topic for a Social Work Research Paper

There are many topics in the field of social work that are important for understanding various aspects of social problems, their causes, and effective solutions. Research in this area can take many forms, including quantitative studies and qualitative interviews.

To write an effective social work paper, students should learn how to identify and assess topics that can add value to their project. Selecting topics that allow you to develop evidence-based interventions and include the necessary amount of information can be helpful. When selecting a topic, consider the various aspects of social work, such as its history, current trends, legal implications, and ethical considerations. Generally speaking, choose a topic that is flexible enough to conduct research and analysis.

Additionally, look for topics that allow you to focus on one particular area without getting overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Having access to adequate resources such as journals and books that provide in-depth information about your chosen topic is also helpful. Also, don’t forget to interview a social worker active in the field to have first-hand impressions. This will make it easier to select a good topic for your social work research paper.

You can also consider getting help for your research paper from professional writers. They can help you manage all aspects of the process, including choosing a suitable topic. In some cases, you can also get a “ write my research paper ” option. This allows you to get the job done by a professional or get a piece that you only have to fine-tune. Another piece of advice is to do a quick scan of available resources, both offline and online. Moreover, choose a unique and practical topic that differentiates you from other students.

Here are some additional tips to help you select a good topic for a social work research paper.

Read Extensively. Reading widely about a general topic that interests you is crucial. Consider writing down the ideas, information, and sources that interest you the most. You can then review the notes to select a topic. Consider your interests and expertise in the field of social work. If you are passionate about a particular topic or have prior experience in it, then this could be the perfect place to start your research. Doing quick research on each potential topic before choosing one will help you decide whether it’s worth writing.

Select a Relevant Topic. Make sure the topic you choose is relevant to the field of social work you intend to work on or you’ve been tasked to analyse. An irrelevant topic that does not have any connection with the subject will fail to interest the readers. This may lead to a dull paper or, if you’re a student, to a low mark or a fail. Select a topic related to social work application theories. Think about the latest trends in social work and identify topics that are currently being discussed or researched by other people. Explore different current events related to social work and determine if there is anything relevant that could be best for your paper.

Choose a Specific Topic . A research topic that is too broad or too narrow can make it difficult to carry out research. If the topic is too wide, you may end up writing in general and not including the information that is necessary. Selecting a specific topic will allow you to conduct detailed research and provide reasonable arguments and solutions. With so many potential topics to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down the choices and select one. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make this process easier. Firstly, understand the context of your research paper and set specific goals to select a topic that is both meaningful and manageable.

Consider a Flexible Topic. Go with a topic that is flexible and allows you to conduct research and analysis. Find a unique topic that matches your field of interest and add value to your research paper. Choosing a flexible topic will help you provide real benefits to the readers. A flexible topic will provide you with numerous opportunities to explore different aspects of a particular issue or event. Additionally, by selecting a flexible topic that allows for multiple arguments and solutions, you can ensure that your paper is comprehensive and engaging.

Discuss With Others. Another great way to select a good social work topic for a research paper is by communicating with other students and researchers. You can also discuss it with your professors and learn about their opinions. By discussing with other students or professors, you can get different perspectives on potential topics and gain valuable insights. Moreover, talking to other people about their experiences in social work can help you discover your interest and select the best possible topic for your research paper .

Selecting a good topic for your social work research paper may feel overwhelming. With careful thought and consideration, you can find a relevant and appropriate one for the paper. To help you in this process, here is a broad list of social work research topics.

Social Work Research Topics for Beginners

Social work research papers are a great way to explain the complex issues affecting individuals, families, and communities. Newcomers can still write a persuasive research paper in this field by sharing their own experiences.

If you are a beginner, then the following research topics for social work can be best for you:

The impacts that clinical depression has on adolescents
Impact of alcoholism on family members and personal lifestyle
Hardships and happiness in adopting a teenager
How to become social workers? What are the legal requirements?
Why do we need more women leaders in our community?
Why it’s important to raise awareness to stop domestic violence?
The importance of women denouncing domestic violence
The effects of alcohol on a person’s behavior and sociality
Depression and society: stigmas and stereotypes
The best strategies for ensuring the health and basic education for every child

Social Work Research Topics for College Students

College students can benefit from performing in-depth research on a specific topic and applying theories, concepts, and principles of social work in their research papers. To help you select a specific topic of your interest, here are some popular ones in the field of social work:

Possible solutions to limit child abuse in society
How to fight the bullying of disabled children
Effects of domestic violence on family members
Raising a child as a single parent: challenges and strategies
Helping bipolar patients: effective strategies
How divorce impacts children’s lifestyle and upbringing
Reasons and prevention of the increase in suicide rates among students
Drugs abuse among teenagers: an insight
The impact of interracial adoption on children’s development
Fighting human trafficking: strategies and issues

There are a few common problems that may arise when writing a social work research paper, such as difficulty in finding relevant sources, inability to properly structure the paper or difficulty in staying focused on the topic.

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Students interested in delivering care and support to individuals or communities in need can select a human services topic for their research paper. You can find a topic related to helping empower people, providing guidance in their everyday lives, or offering resources to meet their needs.

Here are a few example topics that you may select:

An essay on homophobia
Causes and impacts of child trafficking
Effective ways to deal with depression and anxiety among students
Impact of unemployment on the society
How to prevent the most common causes of depression among teenagers
Gender disparity and incarceration: an overview
Effect of feminism throughout the ages
How does racism affect society?
The importance of freedom of speech
Social structure for disabled people

Interesting Social Work Research Paper Topics

While the following social work research topics list will help you find a good topic, communicating with experts in this field is also helpful. Consider choosing a topic that will make an impact on society and provide value to your audience.

How does parental drug use impact children?
Changing career to social work: what does it take?
The development of social work throughout the history
Women and alcohol
What are the benefits of free education?
Why should the educational system be accessible to everyone?
Abortion: history and modern thoughts
Is feminism a plot of modern society?
Effective ways to decrease criminal activities
The influence of war and peace on children’s minds

Controversial Social Work Research Paper Topics

It is important to note that the following research paper topics may be controversial and complex. Approaching controversial research topics with sensitivity and conducting thorough research before drawing any conclusions can help you write a good research paper .

Does the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy enhance the lives of jailed people’s lives?
What do people think about war in our peaceful times?
Racial profiling for criminal cases: is it really effective?
Impact of abortion on women
The importance of receiving family support for LGBT teenagers
Effects of community on the mental health of minorities
Depression: Major symptoms and causes
How the criminal justice system benefits from social workers
Preventing suicide in schools: understanding reasons and finding solutions
Does poverty affect your mental health?

Social Work Thesis Topics

A social work thesis is a research paper that focuses on a specific topic related to social work practice. A good thesis can demonstrate your ability to conduct independent research and apply theoretical concepts to address various social work issues and causes.

Explore this list to find a suitable topic for your social work thesis:

Conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals: definition and effects
Use of medication in treating mental health disorders
How does social media affect mental health?
Immigration policies: Impact on families and children
Race and racism affecting mental health
Restorative justice programs in the criminal justice system
Police brutality on communities of color
The impact of climate change on vulnerable populations
Strategies social workers can use to address income inequality
Healing from domestic violence: Tips and advice

Critical Social Work Research Paper

If you want to focus on ongoing critical issues in this field then here are a few interesting topics for you:

Effectiveness of therapy and why it works for some.
Mindfulness and its importance in the process of recovery
The effectiveness of wellness therapy
Is mental health neglected in low-income and poor households
Social integration of individuals with Down syndrome
Everything about drug rehabilitation programs
The impact of psychological abuse in promoting low self-esteem
The current role of government in improving welfare conditions
How does stress response in children with autism work?
In-depth analysis of children raised in abusive homes

Disputable Social Work Research Topics

By writing on disputable social issues essay topics , you can explain the current state of society and an important way to raise awareness on a variety of issues. From racism to gender inequality, there are plenty of topics that can be explored in a research paper. Before you start writing, gain insight into why certain disputable problems exist and explore potential solutions.

Here is a list of disputable research topics for social work:

Why some people become shopaholics
Best ways to improve the participation of adolescents in the development of the local community
What’s the effect of welfare policies in fighting poverty
A report on AIDS caregivers and their experience
Best practices to improve the health system in rural areas
What is fuelling racism on a global level?
Couple therapy in building relationships: Pros and cons
Addressing workplace violence: Steps for leaders and managers
An overview of social problems faced by autistic children
How income and behavioral health are connected

Social Work Topics for Presentation

You can make your presentation more engaging by adding relevant graphs, charts, or images. Start by selecting and researching a topic that is relevant to your audience. The following list of social work topics to research can help you create an engaging presentation:

Child welfare and protection
Immigration and refugees
Community development and empowerment
Mental health services and support
LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy
Aging and elder care
Homelessness and housing insecurity
Domestic violence and abuse
Disability rights and services
Social work integration in healthcare services

Social Work Research Paper for Literature Review

A literature review should be written in a way that covers the most recent and relevant research in the field. Here are some common social work topics suitable for a literature review:

Understanding the significance of poverty on child development
Evidence-based practices in substance abuse treatment
Nutrition assistance programs
Juvenile justice system
Research on the gender pay gap
Why do some people experience homelessness?
The importance of early childhood education
Benefits of career counseling
Educational achievements of childcare in America
Welfare programs for immigrants

One of the most pressing challenges of social work researchers is finding reliable and relevant sources for their work. Online essay writers can be a great asset in this regard, as they can provide reliable information backed up by research and data. Furthermore, they can also provide creative and thoughtful insights into the topic at hand, making them invaluable resources for social work research.

While selecting a good social work topic can be challenging, the above-mentioned lists can help you write a good research paper. Once you select a topic, make sure it is relevant, interesting, and appropriate for your task or purpose.

From researching existing materials on your chosen topic to considering the scope of the project in terms of current trends in social work, there are a few things that will make your social work research paper stand out from others. Now that you have a comprehensive list of topics, you’re ready to find the best one for your needs and write a convincing and data-driven research paper for your audience.

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Social Work Research Guide

Getting Started
Finding Articles
Finding Books
Citing Sources - APA
Developing a Research Question
Literature Review Assignment
Annotated Bibliography Assignment

From Topic to Question

What makes a good research question?
QuickSearch
Using Google

In chapter 2 of Research Methods for Social Workers: An Introduction , the authors describe the criteria for determining whether you have a good research question. There are four elements to consider when evaluating your research question:

Researchable

Ethical and culturally sensitive

A relevant research question is one whose answers will have an impact on policies, theories, or practices related to the social work profession. Other factors determining the relevance include the organization who funds the research, the program that houses it, and the research team that undertakes it.

Generally, questions that involve moral or faith-based decisions are outside of the realm of research. A researchable question is appropriate for scientific inquiry, where it is possible to collect viable and reliable data to answer the question.

Feasibility

What are the resources available to you to conduct this research? The scope of the research study might be limited because of your resources, or lack thereof. Could you practically do what you have planned?

Ethical and Cultural Acceptability

The way your research question is phrased as well as the way the study is eventually conducted have the potential to cause harm. As you begin your research for the literature review, you will become more aware of what came before on a similar topic, including anything that study missed.

If you are struggling to develop a good research question talk to your professor or contact me!

QuickSearch is a tool that searches across many of the resources available to you at SHU Library. With one search box, you can search keywords for your topic and the results will include books, eBooks, peer-reviewed articles, as well as newspapers, magazines and other media (like streaming video).

QuickSearch is a good place to start your research for your topic. With the results you get a general idea of what is available about the topic and you have the ability to start reading through the research.

You can use the search box below to test it out.

What am I searching?

For more information about using QuickSearch, watch the video below.

Google is a natural place to start for all of use when looking for information. It's easy to use and generally gives you the answers you want or need.

When it comes to academic research though, it might not be the best option. Typing in "palliative care" gives you more than 26 million results with no easy way to narrow them down or to know what is reputable, scholarly and peer-reviewed. Don't get me wrong, you could probably figure all that out with a Google search, but how much time would you end up spending to do so?

A better option is to do a search in Google Scholar. This will search through scholarly books, research articles, open access and subscription journals. So it narrows down to the resources you need to consult (are required to consult) in research in the Social Work field.

The biggest drawback is that you might not get full-text access to all of the citations, articles and books available in a Google Scholar search. Check out the Research Tools at SHU page in this guide to find out about Citation Linker and Journal Finder, which can help connect you to the resources you find in a Google Scholar search.

The pitfalls of Google

Google dominates our lives in so many ways. They are the most used search engine (about 65% of the market). Doesn't everyone use Chrome and have a Gmail account? Google knows a lot about us, but we don't know everything about them.

How does Google decide on the search results and the order they display?

Many factors influence this:

Your search history
Your location
What other people are searching
Money: ads and sponsored content

It is important to be aware of these issues, not only when searching for an assignment, but even when you need some information for your personal life. These factors can sway your search results.

Sometimes this is okay. If you are looking for information about a place to eat lunch, you want to get results that are closest to you, not in a totally different state.

Here is a very informative and complex infographic about this issue: http://www.seobook.com/learn-seo/infographics/how-search-works.php

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Next: Literature Review Assignment >>
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8.3: Quantitative research questions

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Page ID 25644

Matthew DeCarlo
Radford University via Open Social Work Education

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Learning Objectives

Describe how research questions for exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory quantitative questions differ and how to phrase them
Identify the differences between and provide examples of strong and weak explanatory research questions

Quantitative descriptive questions

Quantitative descriptive questions will often ask for percentage, count the number of instances of a phenomenon, or determine an average. Descriptive questions may only include one variable, such as ours about debt load, or they may include multiple variables. Because these are descriptive questions, we cannot investigate causal relationships between variables. To do that, we need to use a quantitative explanatory question.

Quantitative explanatory questions

Most studies you read in the academic literature will be quantitative and explanatory. Why is that? If you recall from Chapter 7, explanatory research tries to build nomothetic causal relationships. They are generalizable across space and time, so they are applicable to a wide audience. The editorial board of a journal wants to make sure their content will be useful to as many people as possible, so it’s not surprising that quantitative research dominates the academic literature.

Structurally, quantitative explanatory questions must contain an independent variable and dependent variable. Questions should ask about the relationship between these variables. My standard format for an explanatory quantitative research question is: “What is the relationship between [independent variable] and [dependent variable] for [target population]?” You should play with the wording for your research question, revising it as you see fit. The goal is to make the research question reflect what you really want to know in your study.

Let’s take a look at a few more examples of possible research questions and consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. Table 8.1 does just that. While reading the table, keep in mind that I have only noted what I view to be the most relevant strengths and weaknesses of each question. Certainly each question may have additional strengths and weaknesses not noted in the table.

Making it more specific

Table 8.2 contains some “watch words” that indicate you may need to be more specific about the concepts in your research question.

It can be challenging in social work research to be this specific, particularly when you are just starting out your investigation of the topic. If you’ve only read one or two articles on the topic, it can be hard to know what you are interested in studying. Broad questions like “What are the causes of chronic homelessness, and what can be done to prevent it?” are common at the beginning stages of a research project. However, social work research demands that you examine the literature on the topic and refine your question over time to be more specific and clear before you begin your study. Perhaps you want to study the effect of a specific anti-homelessness program that you found in the literature. Maybe there is a particular model to fighting homelessness, like Housing First or transitional housing that you want to investigate further. You may want to focus on a potential cause of homelessness such as LGBTQ discrimination that you find interesting or relevant to your practice. As you can see, the possibilities for making your question more specific are almost infinite.

Quantitative exploratory questions

In exploratory research, the researcher doesn’t quite know the lay of the land yet. If someone is proposing to conduct an exploratory quantitative project, the watch words highlighted in Table 8.2 are not problematic at all. In fact, questions such as “What factors influence the removal of children in child welfare cases?” are good because they will explore a variety of factors or causes. In this question, the independent variable is less clearly written, but the dependent variable, family preservation outcomes, is quite clearly written. The inverse can also be true. If we were to ask, “What outcomes are associated with family preservation services in child welfare?”, we would have a clear independent variable, family preservation services, but an unclear dependent variable, outcomes. Because we are only conducting exploratory research on a topic, we may not have an idea of what concepts may comprise our “outcomes” or “factors.” Only after interacting with our participants will we be able to understand which concepts are important.

Key Takeaways

Quantitative descriptive questions are helpful for community scans but cannot investigate causal relationships between variables.
Quantitative explanatory questions must include an independent and dependent variable.

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233 Social Work Research Topics: Helpful List For Students

Social work research topics deal with many things. They look into some of the problem generating areas within the social works field and the use of research methodology to understand these problems. They also try to sort these problems out and address some of the challenges encountered both in the lives of social workers and their primary field of practice.

Like every other research writing, writing a social work research topic requires the carrying out of in-depth research finding on the subject which requires the application of theories, the use of concepts, understanding the basic and advanced principles of social works, observing the intricacies within the field of study, finding ways to address these social issues through the use of experimental, survey, analytic, cause and effect researching procedure.

To craft an intriguing and compelling essay topic on social works, all of the aforementioned will need to be present as they help you not just in the topic formulation process but also in the research writing. Every research writing follows a particular style and writing on social works partakes in this process. Here are some social work-related research topics to put into consideration.

Social Work Research Topics

Social work as a field of work and field of study deals primarily with practicality. Even though the understanding of some of its underlying principles requires first the use and application of theories, social workers deal with practical applications daily. Writing a research topic on this field, therefore, requires that each topic will have undertones of practicality woven within it.

This is necessary as the primary goal of both social work research writing and the field itself is in carrying out investigations and the understanding of various issues that impact the lives of individuals and how they could be addressed. Research social worker research topics on it can look like.

The importance of group therapy for children in foster homes
Impacts of clinical depression on teenage girls
Lack of child support and its impact on child care in America
A look into depression and the stigma associated with it.
ADHD within foster homes and its impacts on children
The impacts of constant mobility in the lives of orphaned toddlers
Addressing the inherent PTSD in the lives of medical veterans
The social relegation of Autism children
Addressing the stigma surrounding disability
Disability and how it affects the lives of middle-aged parents
The recurring case of displacement and its violent effects on street children
How homelessness impacts people psyche
Misdiagnosed mental illness and its negative impacts on people
Suicidal tendencies within military units and possible ways to address them.
The need for the social interrogation of mental illness stigma
Parents living with Bipolar and how it impacts their parenting and children’s lives
How early childhood displacement amounts to antisocial lifestyle in foster children
Adoption of teenagers: the struggles and joys associated within
A look into the undisclosed cases of rape violence amongst women in the military and how it impacts their lives and service
Substance abuse and how it affects parenting
Understanding the trauma associated with child-parent separation
How divorce positively impacts the health and lifestyle of children
A close analysis of the myths associated with Welfare mothers
Addressing the issue of substance abuse amongst teenagers
Death and how it impacts the collective well-being of the family
A study into family support as a viable way for alcohol recovery
Alcoholism and its impacts on a person’s psyche
How sponsors positively impact the lives of recovering addicts
A clinical study of anti-depressants and their current effectiveness
The breeding of social exclusion of children with Down syndrome
Why social and academic integration is important for children with Down syndrome
Depression and how family exacerbates it
Alcoholism: it impacts on social, family, and personal lifestyle
An analysis of the difference and similarities between Dyslexia and ADHD
Creating awareness for Dyslexic patients

Social Work Research Questions

Social works as a field of study fall within the social sciences, as a result of this the field of study deals with the use of questioning as an approach to arrive at a conclusive and reflective answer (empirical evidence). This is why research in this field deals with data collection, data analysis, experimentations, investigation, etc. The research questions asked when researching within social works are important as it’s through it that informative research is carried out and meanings derived through it. Here are some social work research questions.

How does trauma inform the education of children in foster homes?
The protest of police brutality, does it have the potential of promoting transformative change?
Why does society insist that divorce impacts the psyche of all children negatively
Is informed trauma in foster homes the primary cause of children disappearing from foster homes?
Does the implementation of learning curriculums that positively impacts Dyslexic students improve their academics?
Is trauma-informed learning reflective of parenting?
Do house and food insecurity impact the lives of foster children for life?
How does community violence have effects on the lives LGBT+ community?
What are the ways the criminal justice system is failing America’s social lifestyle?
What are the signs of identifying workplace trauma
Workplace violence: how can it be addressed?
How do poverty and scarcity affect the psychology of young children?
What are the ways through which the American healthcare system is failing minority groups
What are the ways the misuse of substances breeds addictive behaviors?
How to point out the early signs of depression in teenagers?
Who is at greater risk of child-parent separation?
What are the consequences of living with Dyslexia?
Why is depression diagnosed as a mental disorder?
What are the defining differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II?
How can bipolar patients receive support?
What percentage of incarcerated adults is from minority groups?
What are the results of racial disparity in America?
How does America’s racial disparity manifest in the healthcare system?
What are the challenges experienced by minority kids in foster homes?
How can the American government support welfare parents more?
How can addiction be controlled?
How does alcohol abuse affect college students’ academic performance?
What are the ways community reentry proves challenging for formerly incarcerated people?
What are the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of pregnant incarcerated mothers?
How can cases within addiction be curbed in America?
What are the ways to approach America’s carceral system?
What are the ways nursing homes can be better equipped for old folks?
What are the social and psychological impacts of student loans?
How can assistance be extended to adults with learning disabilities?
How can America’s rise in obesity be addressed?

Human Services Research Paper Topics

Human services research papers also fall within the social work research topics ideas to look into. This area of social works essay topics deal with issues which are primarily related to human service, how it’s being impacted, and ways to understand and address some of its challenges. Human services research paper topics that fall within it include.

How America’s carceral system affects low-income and minority homes majorly.
Social integration of Down syndrome and Dyslexic people
How the government can improve welfare conditions
The negative psychological impacts of food banks
How food banks benefit the lives of many Americans.
How home violence affects children
Understanding the effects of high school bullying
Welfare workers and why they need therapy and support groups
How to build love in foster care
The practice of resilience amongst social workers
The effects of juvenile delinquency in America
Understanding America’s carceral shortcomings
Minority groups at the expense of America’s carceral system
Addressing the issue of homophobia in America
Homophobia and how it impacts LGBTQ+ adults
Factors contributing to family violence
Spousal violence and how to address it
Family cruelty and how it impacts lives
Undiagnosed cases of Bipolar and its effects
Misdiagnosed mental illness and its effects
Improving support systems for LGBTQ+ kids
Home insecurity and how it impacts the homeless
Bridging the disparity of formerly incarcerated people
Understanding gender inequality when dealing with incarcerated people
The failure of America’s correctional system
Incarceration: Reformed or abolished?
Police system: Reformed, defunded, or abolished?
Factors contributing to increase in youth depression
Unemployment and its effects on people
Similarities between juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
Psychological impacts of child trafficking
Human trafficking and its psychological effects on victims
Addressing depression, anxiety, and panic in little children

Interesting Social Work Topics

Within the field of social works, there are some topics and issues that draw extra attention due to their uniqueness. These topics often make for interesting research topics as they often draw on several relevant but often neglected issues or topics that are not paid due attention to. There are so many interesting social work topics that talk within this category and some of them include.

Understanding the experiences of women living within shelter homes
The racial disparity prevalent in America’s food bank system
A study and understanding of the stigma and social relegations welfare mothers are subjected to.
The challenges of living with both parents suffering from Alzheimer’s
A sociological and environmental outlook into the academic transition from high school to college and how it manifests in the lives of students.
An analysis of the client-therapist relationship of psychiatric therapists
An evaluation of the sociological impact of including sex education in the high school curriculum
An in-depth analysis of the emotional and psychological effects of induced child labor
Psychological, emotional, and physical effects of abusive parenting
Verbal and physical abuse in families and how it manifests in the lives of children
How emotional and psychological abuse encourages low self-esteem
A study of children raised in abusive homes
How physical abuse affects spousal intimacy
A critical study of the learning challenges of disabled children
How inclusivity in the social system will impact disabled children
Why there’s the need to encourage more flexible social structures for disabled people
A case study of the inherent challenges of interracial marriages
A case of study of how a functional and inclusive healthcare system improve social growth
How conversion therapy negatively impacts the LGBTQ+ community
How religion impacts social workers interaction with social issues
A study of the prevalence of poverty in the American Deep South and the ways it impedes growth
Sustainability of wellness therapy
An in-depth analysis of how first-time menstrual experiences impacts teenage girls in foster homes
The relationship between teenagers, school, and the general society
The negative impacts of birth control laws
How abortion bans are leading to more psychological issues
How the increases in the cost of housing in America is affecting young millennials
How low paid labor propagates workplace abuse
The impacts of gender roles and cultural beliefs in marriages
Why America needs more rehabilitation centers than carceral systems
The relationship between welfare systems and low-income neighborhoods
How teenage pregnancy impacts teenage mothers
The growing effect and pressure of social media in the lives of teenage children

Controversial Topics in Social Work

Social worker’s research topics also look into areas within the field of study that are often regarded as controversial. These topics are referred to as so due to their nature of occurrence which usually has provoked significant public interest. When writing on controversial topics in social work in this field, here are some of the topics that fall well within this category.

Rising cases of drug abuse in low-income neighborhoods
How incarceration negatively impacts the psychological well-being of incarcerated people
The dangers of confinement and why it should be looked into
Drug vulnerability and how to help addicts
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and how it enables social workers to relate more to their environment and situations
Hypnosis and its health benefits on an individual
Therapy for the less represented groups and why it’s important
A clear distinction between clinical depression and undiagnosed depression
Misdiagnosis: how it’s affecting the lives of mentally challenged people
Understanding ADHD and the stigmas associated with it
An investigative study into the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy to improve the livelihood of incarcerated people
Understanding adolescents development about kids in foster cares
The social effects of living within an immigrant home in America
Social workers remuneration and how it impacts their dedication and diligence to their work
The negative impact of child-parent legally signed separation and ways through which it can be contained
A qualitative study of dealing with Dyslexia as an adolescent
Catering safe spaces for minority groups and the impacts of community on their mental health.
Child poverty, food insecurity, house insecurity: how they impact the academic abilities of children
Examining the use of empathy to facilitate the improvement of the social work sector
Why there needs to be more qualitative examining of foster homes for child safety and peace
The positive impacts within the foster home system and why it should be championed
Understanding sexual health education for incarcerated women
Addressing violence as a social problem within the correctional system
Court sanctioned confinement, how it promotes mental illness rather than facilitate correction
The hidden and unnoticed trauma prevalent in counselors and therapists
The continuous cycle of therapy: why therapists need therapy
The need to facilitate awareness on the stigma associated with AIDS
The social and health implication of abortion ban on women in low-income neighborhoods
The psychological, health, and social implications of abortion ban on rape survivors
The unreported cases of abuse in homes and how it propagates violence
Trafficking: the impacts of it on the social well-being of a society
Exploring the challenges of the hurricanes in low-income neighborhoods
The hidden trauma of hurricane and flood survivors

Social Work Thesis Topics

As a field of study on its own, social work will require you to write series of papers, research assignments and essays on a select topic of your choice. This is also compulsory if you are doing your master’s program or your Ph.D. You’ll be required to carry out evaluative or qualitative research on your area of interest. Some interesting social work essay topics to consider include the following ones.

The psychological impacts of adult children of emotionally immature parents
The treatment plan for diagnosed drug addiction
Navigating the challenges of visually impaired learners in the academia
Evaluating child abuse in foster care
The emotional effect of transitioning into nursing homes
A study of parenthood in immigrant families
The psychological weight of child abuse
Understanding child labor and its intricacies
Encouraging cognitive-behavioral therapy for foster parents
Trauma: Understanding the challenges of the foster kid
Abortion illegality as the increasing cause of teenage pregnancy
Understanding displacement and its nuances
The distinction between the displacement of children in war areas and children in foster homes
The psychological impacts of growing within a war zone
The barrier to working faced by formerly incarcerated people
Juvenile delinquency: how it harms rather than benefits children
Examining the American rehabilitation system
Examining the gender disparity in correctional facilities
The use of empathy: social workers in the discharge of duty
How to address compassion fatigue amongst counselors and social workers
The effects of structural racism on the welfare systems
Understanding depression from the welfare mom’s perspective
Myths associated with ADHD
Integrating compassion in social works
Building an inclusive system for foster kids
The disability challenges in the healthcare system
Disability disparity in the social works department
Future attachment styles in foster kids
Codependency: a feature of displacement
Home emotional unavailability as the rising cause for codependency
Understanding interdependency for the codependent
Distinctions between codependency and interdependency in youth adults
Prepatrum depression in expecting mothers

Social Work Topics for Presentation

One of the social work project ideas to look into while writing your paper is the possibility of including a presentation. As a practical field, social works research requires some level of presentation included. Here are some social work topics for presentation.

The historical development of social works
Importance of social works in school
Importance of therapy for teenagers
An exploration of challenges faced in forensic social works
Understanding the struggles of minority groups
A study of abuse in middle-class homes
Importance of finance in sustaining social works
The overall effect of compassion fatigue
Challenges of modern-day social works
Psychological impacts of child drug abuse
Importance of inclusivity in social works
Understanding same-sex relationships for the social worker
Importance of drug sensitization in high school
The abuse of drugs in low-income neighborhoods as an economic factor
Depression stereotypes
Effects and impacts of spirituality as a social works technique
Damages of psychological violence
Domestic violence and its impacts
Role of social workers in the prevention of drug abuse
Role or foster parents in the prevention of violence
Role of foster homes in creating a safe space
Positive impacts of foster parenting
Understanding trauma for the social worker
Importance of diversity in the social works sector
Understanding the neglect-syndrome of foster kids
Adolescent transitioning and trauma of LGBTQ+ children
Trauma and juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency and adult incarceration
Importance of free healthcare for foster children and children in low-income neighborhoods
A study of sexually violated children
Understanding the impacts of incest in homes
The victim syndrome and how to better understand it
Understanding Stockholm syndrome

We have provided above a list of interesting social work topics that social science students, whether they are college students or master’s students, can choose from. But if you are hoping to meet up with your college or university essay deadlines, there are professional ENL US writers, including some of the best professors for hire online. They can assist you with fast and top-notch essays that will get you high grades all at a cheap rate. You will be provided with custom, amazing assignments that will attain you high grades.

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4.4 Qualitative research questions

Learning objectives.

List the key terms associated with qualitative research questions
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research questions

Qualitative research questions differ from quantitative research questions. Because qualitative research questions seek to explore or describe phenomena, not provide a neat nomothetic explanation, they are often more general and vaguely worded. They may include only one concept, though many include more than one. Instead of asking how one variable causes changes in another, we are instead trying to understand the experiences , understandings , and meanings that people have about the concepts in our research question.

Let’s work through an example from our last section. In Table 4.1, a student asked, “What is the relationship between sexual orientation or gender identity and homelessness for late adolescents in foster care?” In this question, it is pretty clear that the student believes that adolescents in foster care who identify as LGBTQ may be at greater risk for homelessness. This is a nomothetic causal relationship—LGBTQ status causes homelessness.

two people thinking about each other with the word empathy above

However, what if the student were less interested in predicting homelessness based on LGBTQ status and more interested in understanding the stories of foster care youth who identify as LGBTQ and may be at risk for homelessness? In that case, the researcher would be building an idiographic causal explanation. The youths whom the researcher interviews may share stories of how their foster families, caseworkers, and others treated them. They may share stories about how they thought of their own sexuality or gender identity and how it changed over time. They may have different ideas about what it means to transition out of foster care.

Because qualitative questions usually look for idiographic causal explanationsthey look different than quantitative questions. (For a detailed discussion of idiographic causal explanations, see DeCarlo (2018), Chapter 7.2) . Table 4.3 below takes the final research questions from Table 4.1 and adapts them for qualitative research. The guidelines for research questions previously described in this chapter still apply, but there are some new elements to qualitative research questions that are not present in quantitative questions. First, qualitative research questions often ask about lived experience, personal experience, understanding, meaning, and stories. These keywords indicate that you will be using qualitative methods. Second, qualitative research questions may be more general and less specific. Instead of asking how one concept causes another, we are asking about how people understand or feel about a concept. They may also contain only one variable, rather than asking about relationships between multiple variables.

Qualitative research questions have one final feature that distinguishes them from quantitative research questions. They can change over the course of a study. Qualitative research is a reflexive process, one in which the researcher adapts her approach based on what participants say and do. The researcher must constantly evaluate whether their question is important and relevant to the participants. As the researcher gains information from participants, it is normal for the focus of the inquiry to shift.

For example, a qualitative researcher may want to study how a new truancy rule impacts youth at risk of expulsion. However, after interviewing some of the youth in her community, a researcher might find that the rule is actually irrelevant to their behavior and thoughts. Instead, her participants will direct the discussion to their frustration with the school administrators or their family’s economic insecurity. This is a natural part of qualitative research, and it is normal for research questions and hypothesis to evolve based on the information gleaned from participants.

Key Takeaways

Qualitative research questions often contain words like lived experience, personal experience, understanding, meaning, and stories.
Qualitative research questions can change and evolve as the researcher conducts the study.

Image attributions

Empathy by sean macentee cc-by-2.0.

Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions Copyright © 2020 by Rebecca Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Qualitative Research Questions: Gain Powerful Insights + 25 Examples

We review the basics of qualitative research questions, including their key components, how to craft them effectively, & 25 example questions.

Einstein was many things—a physicist, a philosopher, and, undoubtedly, a mastermind. He also had an incredible way with words. His quote, "Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted," is particularly poignant when it comes to research.

Some inquiries call for a quantitative approach, for counting and measuring data in order to arrive at general conclusions. Other investigations, like qualitative research, rely on deep exploration and understanding of individual cases in order to develop a greater understanding of the whole. That’s what we’re going to focus on today.

Qualitative research questions focus on the "how" and "why" of things, rather than the "what". They ask about people's experiences and perceptions , and can be used to explore a wide range of topics.

The following article will discuss the basics of qualitative research questions, including their key components, and how to craft them effectively. You'll also find 25 examples of effective qualitative research questions you can use as inspiration for your own studies.

Let’s get started!

What are qualitative research questions, and when are they used?

When researchers set out to conduct a study on a certain topic, their research is chiefly directed by an overarching question . This question provides focus for the study and helps determine what kind of data will be collected.

By starting with a question, we gain parameters and objectives for our line of research. What are we studying? For what purpose? How will we know when we’ve achieved our goals?

Of course, some of these questions can be described as quantitative in nature. When a research question is quantitative, it usually seeks to measure or calculate something in a systematic way.

For example:

How many people in our town use the library?
What is the average income of families in our city?
How much does the average person weigh?

Other research questions, however—and the ones we will be focusing on in this article—are qualitative in nature. Qualitative research questions are open-ended and seek to explore a given topic in-depth.

According to the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry , “Qualitative research aims to address questions concerned with developing an understanding of the meaning and experience dimensions of humans’ lives and social worlds.”

This type of research can be used to gain a better understanding of people’s thoughts, feelings and experiences by “addressing questions beyond ‘what works’, towards ‘what works for whom when, how and why, and focusing on intervention improvement rather than accreditation,” states one paper in Neurological Research and Practice .

Qualitative questions often produce rich data that can help researchers develop hypotheses for further quantitative study.

What are people’s thoughts on the new library?
How does it feel to be a first-generation student at our school?
How do people feel about the changes taking place in our town?

As stated by a paper in Human Reproduction , “...‘qualitative’ methods are used to answer questions about experience, meaning, and perspective, most often from the standpoint of the participant. These data are usually not amenable to counting or measuring.”

Both quantitative and qualitative questions have their uses; in fact, they often complement each other. A well-designed research study will include a mix of both types of questions in order to gain a fuller understanding of the topic at hand.

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Crafting qualitative research questions for powerful insights

Now that we have a basic understanding of what qualitative research questions are and when they are used, let’s take a look at how you can begin crafting your own.

According to a study in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, there is a certain process researchers should follow when crafting their questions, which we’ll explore in more depth.

1. Beginning the process

Start with a point of interest or curiosity, and pose a draft question or ‘self-question’. What do you want to know about the topic at hand? What is your specific curiosity? You may find it helpful to begin by writing several questions.

For example, if you’re interested in understanding how your customer base feels about a recent change to your product, you might ask:

What made you decide to try the new product?
How do you feel about the change?
What do you think of the new design/functionality?
What benefits do you see in the change?

2. Create one overarching, guiding question

At this point, narrow down the draft questions into one specific question. “Sometimes, these broader research questions are not stated as questions, but rather as goals for the study.”

As an example of this, you might narrow down these three questions:

into the following question:

What are our customers’ thoughts on the recent change to our product?

3. Theoretical framing

As you read the relevant literature and apply theory to your research, the question should be altered to achieve better outcomes. Experts agree that pursuing a qualitative line of inquiry should open up the possibility for questioning your original theories and altering the conceptual framework with which the research began.

If we continue with the current example, it’s possible you may uncover new data that informs your research and changes your question. For instance, you may discover that customers’ feelings about the change are not just a reaction to the change itself, but also to how it was implemented. In this case, your question would need to reflect this new information:

How did customers react to the process of the change, as well as the change itself?

4. Ethical considerations

A study in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education stresses that ethics are “a central issue when a researcher proposes to study the lives of others, especially marginalized populations.” Consider how your question or inquiry will affect the people it relates to—their lives and their safety. Shape your question to avoid physical, emotional, or mental upset for the focus group.

In analyzing your question from this perspective, if you feel that it may cause harm, you should consider changing the question or ending your research project. Perhaps you’ve discovered that your question encourages harmful or invasive questioning, in which case you should reformulate it.

5. Writing the question

The actual process of writing the question comes only after considering the above points. The purpose of crafting your research questions is to delve into what your study is specifically about” Remember that qualitative research questions are not trying to find the cause of an effect, but rather to explore the effect itself.

Your questions should be clear, concise, and understandable to those outside of your field. In addition, they should generate rich data. The questions you choose will also depend on the type of research you are conducting:

If you’re doing a phenomenological study, your questions might be open-ended, in order to allow participants to share their experiences in their own words.
If you’re doing a grounded-theory study, your questions might be focused on generating a list of categories or themes.
If you’re doing ethnography, your questions might be about understanding the culture you’re studying.

Whenyou have well-written questions, it is much easier to develop your research design and collect data that accurately reflects your inquiry.

In writing your questions, it may help you to refer to this simple flowchart process for constructing questions:

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25 examples of expertly crafted qualitative research questions

It's easy enough to cover the theory of writing a qualitative research question, but sometimes it's best if you can see the process in practice. In this section, we'll list 25 examples of B2B and B2C-related qualitative questions.

Let's begin with five questions. We'll show you the question, explain why it's considered qualitative, and then give you an example of how it can be used in research.

1. What is the customer's perception of our company's brand?

Qualitative research questions are often open-ended and invite respondents to share their thoughts and feelings on a subject. This question is qualitative because it seeks customer feedback on the company's brand.

This question can be used in research to understand how customers feel about the company's branding, what they like and don't like about it, and whether they would recommend it to others.

2. Why do customers buy our product?

This question is also qualitative because it seeks to understand the customer's motivations for purchasing a product. It can be used in research to identify the reasons customers buy a certain product, what needs or desires the product fulfills for them, and how they feel about the purchase after using the product.

3. How do our customers interact with our products?

Again, this question is qualitative because it seeks to understand customer behavior. In this case, it can be used in research to see how customers use the product, how they interact with it, and what emotions or thoughts the product evokes in them.

4. What are our customers' biggest frustrations with our products?

By seeking to understand customer frustrations, this question is qualitative and can provide valuable insights. It can be used in research to help identify areas in which the company needs to make improvements with its products.

5. How do our customers feel about our customer service?

Rather than asking why customers like or dislike something, this question asks how they feel. This qualitative question can provide insights into customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a company.

This type of question can be used in research to understand what customers think of the company's customer service and whether they feel it meets their needs.

20 more examples to refer to when writing your question

Now that you’re aware of what makes certain questions qualitative, let's move into 20 more examples of qualitative research questions:

How do your customers react when updates are made to your app interface?
How do customers feel when they complete their purchase through your ecommerce site?
What are your customers' main frustrations with your service?
How do people feel about the quality of your products compared to those of your competitors?
What motivates customers to refer their friends and family members to your product or service?
What are the main benefits your customers receive from using your product or service?
How do people feel when they finish a purchase on your website?
What are the main motivations behind customer loyalty to your brand?
How does your app make people feel emotionally?
For younger generations using your app, how does it make them feel about themselves?
What reputation do people associate with your brand?
How inclusive do people find your app?
In what ways are your customers' experiences unique to them?
What are the main areas of improvement your customers would like to see in your product or service?
How do people feel about their interactions with your tech team?
What are the top five reasons people use your online marketplace?
How does using your app make people feel in terms of connectedness?
What emotions do people experience when they're using your product or service?
Aside from the features of your product, what else about it attracts customers?
How does your company culture make people feel?

As you can see, these kinds of questions are completely open-ended. In a way, they allow the research and discoveries made along the way to direct the research. The questions are merely a starting point from which to explore.

This video offers tips on how to write good qualitative research questions, produced by Qualitative Research Expert, Kimberly Baker.

Wrap-up: crafting your own qualitative research questions.

Over the course of this article, we've explored what qualitative research questions are, why they matter, and how they should be written. Hopefully you now have a clear understanding of how to craft your own.

Remember, qualitative research questions should always be designed to explore a certain experience or phenomena in-depth, in order to generate powerful insights. As you write your questions, be sure to keep the following in mind:

Are you being inclusive of all relevant perspectives?
Are your questions specific enough to generate clear answers?
Will your questions allow for an in-depth exploration of the topic at hand?
Do the questions reflect your research goals and objectives?

If you can answer "yes" to all of the questions above, and you've followed the tips for writing qualitative research questions we shared in this article, then you're well on your way to crafting powerful queries that will yield valuable insights.

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Asking the right questions in the right way is the key to research success. That’s true for not just the discussion guide but for every step of a research project. Following are 100+ questions that will take you from defining your research objective through screening and participant discussions.

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Module 2 Chapter 2: Formulating Practice Evidence Questions

the COPES framework for developing strong practice questions to inform the search for evidence,
the PICO framework for developing practice questions,
a working example where COPES was applied.

Question Formulation

The questions that drive a social worker’s search for evidence to inform practice decisions differ somewhat from the kind of questions that drive social workers to understand diverse populations, social work problems, and social phenomena. Two frameworks for helping develop questions for evidence-based practice are prevalent in the literature: COPES and PICO .

Abstract art containing many question marks

Using the COPES Framework to Formulate the Practice Question.

The COPES framework refers to engaging in a C lient O riented P ractical E vidence S earch. In this framework, the client system might be an individual client, individuals in a relationship, a family, a group, an agency or institution, a neighborhood or community, or larger social system.

Well-formulated COPES practice questions, according to Gibbs (2003) have four features:

Client type and problem. The practitioner to specifically identifies the client system, what problem the client system experiences, and the practice context in which intervention would or could occur. This is at the heart of the C lient O riented approach—the COPES question is central to the welfare of the client system and those whose lives are affected by the client. For example, a social worker in a hospital setting being able to address an individual’s probable alcohol use disorder is important to that person, as well as to that person’s family, friends, co-workers, and others (including the general public who share the road with this person when driving). The problem is complicated by the fact that feedback handled poorly leads to a person becoming become angry and resistant to seeking treatment for the suspected alcohol problem.
What you might do. This involves identifying a possible strategy for intervening around the identified practice problem. This includes whether the approach will be a specific treatment intervention, acting to prevent a problem, measuring to assess a problem, screening to assess risk, surveying clients, or engaging in some other specific action. Considering our alcohol use disorder example from step 1, the strategy might be to engage in screening for an alcohol problem and to provide feedback about the screening results using a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approach—SBIRT is based on principles of screening and feedback using a motivational interviewing (MI) approach.
Alternative course(s) of action . This involves the practitioner identifying at least one main alternative course of action for addressing the identified problem. This might possibly include doing nothing, observing and monitoring over time, or applying a specific intervention protocol. In our alcohol use disorder example, the alternative might be to monitor the problem over time if the screening result indicates a low likelihood of a substance use problem. Or, it might be to refer the individual for specialized assessment and treatment for an alcohol/substance use disorder if the screening result indicates a moderate or high likelihood of an alcohol/substance use problem.
What you want to accomplish . This feature specifies what will be accomplished with the intervention the evidence leads you to select. In other words, what outcome(s) should be expected if the intervention is successful—defining the goal of intervening in this way. This is directly related to the P ractical aspects of the COPES question—not only does it have practical relevance to the client, it has relevance to social workers who encounter this problem with frequency in their routine practice. In our alcohol problem example, the goal would be for the person to engage in alcohol treatment if the drinking problem is serious enough or for the person to cut down on drinking if the problem does not warrant treatment but is causing problems for the person (and significant others).

Furthermore, the COPES question leads the practitioner’s E vidence S earch. It contains information to guide the selection of key terms for an electronic search of literature and other appropriate sources of evidence. To complete our example, the COPES question could be phrased as follows:

If a person seen in the hospital setting is suspected of having an alcohol use disorder, would the SBIRT or Johnson Model Intervention be more likely to result in either becoming engaged in treatment for an alcohol use disorder (if warranted) or decreasing problematic alcohol use (if treatment is not warranted)?

Searching for evidence around this question led the social worker to support adopting an SBIRT approach within the medical/hospital setting. (The Johnson Model is similar to what you see on the television show, Intervention . The evidence does not consistently support applying this confrontational approach.)

In addition to specifying the four features of a well-constructed COPES question, Gibbs (2003) identified five general types of COPES questions:

effectiveness
description, and

He provided examples of each in a table with the prior four features of well-constructed COPES questions across the top and these five question types down the left side. This format (adapted from Gibbs, 2003) guides practitioners in moving toward a well-specified COPES question.

Here are examples Gibbs (2003) provided, edited for format (see originals at http://www.evidence.brookscole.com/copse.html and http://www.evidence.brookscole.com/moredetails.html ). Note that [1]through [4]refer to each of the four features of well-formulated COPES questions running along the top of the table.

“If disoriented aged persons who reside in a nursing home [1] are given Reality Orientation Therapy [2] or Validation Therapy [3] which will result in better orientation to time, place, person [4] ?”

Gibbs’ (2003) second example:

“Among adult criminal offenders on probation, [1] will a group cognitive intervention program [2] compared to no such program [3] result in a lower recidivism (re-offense) rate [4] ?”

Prevention. The prevention type of question is also an effectiveness question, but it concerns interventions intended to avoid the problem occurring rather than treat it after the fact. Gibbs’ (2003) first example:

“If sexually active high school students at high risk for pregnancy [1] are exposed to Baby-Think-It-Over [2] or to didactic material on proper use of birth control methods, [3] will the former have fewer pregnancies during an academic year and better knowledge of birth control methods? [4] ”

Gibbs’ (2003) second example is a little different from the previous examples in that the social worker does not yet know which specific intervention to search:

“Among Hmong and Asians less than sixteen years old, [1] which gang prevention program [2,3] will most effectively prevent them from joining the gang [4] ?”

A final note about the examples presented by Gibbs is warranted: these were published prior to a point in time when social work professionals were conscientiously addressing the language that we use to describe people and populations. If he were writing today, Gibbs would likely revise many of these COPES questions to eliminate labelling language (e.g., “disoriented aged persons,” “adult criminal offenders,” and “chronically mentally ill”). It is a sign of the times that we address this issue of language use at all.

Using the PICO Framework to Formulate the Practice Question.

P atient (or client or consumer) refers to specifically identifying the characteristics of the population around which the search for evidence is directed.
I ntervention requires specification of the interventions or other practice activities (e.g., type of assessment or clinical test, treatment, prevention, or policy) under consideration.
C omparison is the act of comparing the intervention options identified in the prior step.
O utcome refers to the goal or goals to be achieved by intervening.

“If an elder residing in a nursing home[1] participates in a pet therapy program[2] or attends an adult day program[3] which intervention will result in lower depression[4]? (Heltzer, n.d., p. 2)

Where COPES and PICO Questions Fit

As you may recall from our earlier course, there are two general categories of questions that practitioners might ask: background and foreground questions. COPES and PICO questions fit under the heading of foreground questions because the practitioner seeks evidence to inform professional practice decision-making. COPES and PICO questions are complex forms of foreground questions. The COPES framework was developed on the PICO structure, but designed for use in non-medical contexts (Gibbs, 2003), which explains why they appear to be so similar. The main reason for sharing the PICO framework in a social work course is because social workers often work on interdisciplinary teams with practitioners trained in medical models. Knowing how to engage in COPES prepares social workers to function with colleagues trained in PICO, and vice versa.

Working Example: Addressing High School Dropout

Here is an example of a practice question that we can follow through the next chapters. The example details steps in evidence-based practice decision-making described in a chapter by Kelly and Franklin (2011).

“…we can’t keep doing the same things we’ve been doing and expecting a new result. It’s time to make some changes in our dropout interventions…” (Kelly & Franklin, 2011, p. 141).

What are best practices for preventing student dropout from high school?

What are the outcomes of the problem? How are poor and minority youth at risk of dropping out?

“If students deemed at risk for dropping out of high school are given a specific school-based dropout intervention program or standard school-based intervention, such as counseling and academic advising, will the school-based dropout program produce better outcomes, specifically helping youths stay in school and graduate on time? (Kelly & Franklin, 2011, p. 147).

Stop and Think

Chapter Summary

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Social Work Research Methods That Drive the Practice

A social worker surveys a community member.

Social workers advocate for the well-being of individuals, families and communities. But how do social workers know what interventions are needed to help an individual? How do they assess whether a treatment plan is working? What do social workers use to write evidence-based policy?

Social work involves research-informed practice and practice-informed research. At every level, social workers need to know objective facts about the populations they serve, the efficacy of their interventions and the likelihood that their policies will improve lives. A variety of social work research methods make that possible.

Data-Driven Work

Data is a collection of facts used for reference and analysis. In a field as broad as social work, data comes in many forms.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

As with any research, social work research involves both quantitative and qualitative studies.

Quantitative Research

Answers to questions like these can help social workers know about the populations they serve — or hope to serve in the future.

How many students currently receive reduced-price school lunches in the local school district?
How many hours per week does a specific individual consume digital media?
How frequently did community members access a specific medical service last year?

Quantitative data — facts that can be measured and expressed numerically — are crucial for social work.

Quantitative research has advantages for social scientists. Such research can be more generalizable to large populations, as it uses specific sampling methods and lends itself to large datasets. It can provide important descriptive statistics about a specific population. Furthermore, by operationalizing variables, it can help social workers easily compare similar datasets with one another.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative data — facts that cannot be measured or expressed in terms of mere numbers or counts — offer rich insights into individuals, groups and societies. It can be collected via interviews and observations.

What attitudes do students have toward the reduced-price school lunch program?
What strategies do individuals use to moderate their weekly digital media consumption?
What factors made community members more or less likely to access a specific medical service last year?

Qualitative research can thereby provide a textured view of social contexts and systems that may not have been possible with quantitative methods. Plus, it may even suggest new lines of inquiry for social work research.

Mixed Methods Research

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods into a single study is known as mixed methods research. This form of research has gained popularity in the study of social sciences, according to a 2019 report in the academic journal Theory and Society. Since quantitative and qualitative methods answer different questions, merging them into a single study can balance the limitations of each and potentially produce more in-depth findings.

However, mixed methods research is not without its drawbacks. Combining research methods increases the complexity of a study and generally requires a higher level of expertise to collect, analyze and interpret the data. It also requires a greater level of effort, time and often money.

The Importance of Research Design

Data-driven practice plays an essential role in social work. Unlike philanthropists and altruistic volunteers, social workers are obligated to operate from a scientific knowledge base.

To know whether their programs are effective, social workers must conduct research to determine results, aggregate those results into comprehensible data, analyze and interpret their findings, and use evidence to justify next steps.

Employing the proper design ensures that any evidence obtained during research enables social workers to reliably answer their research questions.

Research Methods in Social Work

The various social work research methods have specific benefits and limitations determined by context. Common research methods include surveys, program evaluations, needs assessments, randomized controlled trials, descriptive studies and single-system designs.

Surveys involve a hypothesis and a series of questions in order to test that hypothesis. Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends.

Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable. However, surveys generally require large participant groups, and self-reports from survey respondents are not always reliable.

Program Evaluations

Social workers ally with all sorts of programs: after-school programs, government initiatives, nonprofit projects and private programs, for example.

Crucially, social workers must evaluate a program’s effectiveness in order to determine whether the program is meeting its goals and what improvements can be made to better serve the program’s target population.

Evidence-based programming helps everyone save money and time, and comparing programs with one another can help social workers make decisions about how to structure new initiatives. Evaluating programs becomes complicated, however, when programs have multiple goal metrics, some of which may be vague or difficult to assess (e.g., “we aim to promote the well-being of our community”).

Needs Assessments

Social workers use needs assessments to identify services and necessities that a population lacks access to.

Common social work populations that researchers may perform needs assessments on include:

People in a specific income group
Everyone in a specific geographic region
A specific ethnic group
People in a specific age group

In the field, a social worker may use a combination of methods (e.g., surveys and descriptive studies) to learn more about a specific population or program. Social workers look for gaps between the actual context and a population’s or individual’s “wants” or desires.

For example, a social worker could conduct a needs assessment with an individual with cancer trying to navigate the complex medical-industrial system. The social worker may ask the client questions about the number of hours they spend scheduling doctor’s appointments, commuting and managing their many medications. After learning more about the specific client needs, the social worker can identify opportunities for improvements in an updated care plan.

In policy and program development, social workers conduct needs assessments to determine where and how to effect change on a much larger scale. Integral to social work at all levels, needs assessments reveal crucial information about a population’s needs to researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders. Needs assessments may fall short, however, in revealing the root causes of those needs (e.g., structural racism).

Randomized Controlled Trials

Randomized controlled trials are studies in which a randomly selected group is subjected to a variable (e.g., a specific stimulus or treatment) and a control group is not. Social workers then measure and compare the results of the randomized group with the control group in order to glean insights about the effectiveness of a particular intervention or treatment.

Randomized controlled trials are easily reproducible and highly measurable. They’re useful when results are easily quantifiable. However, this method is less helpful when results are not easily quantifiable (i.e., when rich data such as narratives and on-the-ground observations are needed).

Descriptive Studies

Descriptive studies immerse the researcher in another context or culture to study specific participant practices or ways of living. Descriptive studies, including descriptive ethnographic studies, may overlap with and include other research methods:

Informant interviews
Census data
Observation

By using descriptive studies, researchers may glean a richer, deeper understanding of a nuanced culture or group on-site. The main limitations of this research method are that it tends to be time-consuming and expensive.

Single-System Designs

Unlike most medical studies, which involve testing a drug or treatment on two groups — an experimental group that receives the drug/treatment and a control group that does not — single-system designs allow researchers to study just one group (e.g., an individual or family).

Single-system designs typically entail studying a single group over a long period of time and may involve assessing the group’s response to multiple variables.

For example, consider a study on how media consumption affects a person’s mood. One way to test a hypothesis that consuming media correlates with low mood would be to observe two groups: a control group (no media) and an experimental group (two hours of media per day). When employing a single-system design, however, researchers would observe a single participant as they watch two hours of media per day for one week and then four hours per day of media the next week.

These designs allow researchers to test multiple variables over a longer period of time. However, similar to descriptive studies, single-system designs can be fairly time-consuming and costly.

Learn More About Social Work Research Methods

Social workers have the opportunity to improve the social environment by advocating for the vulnerable — including children, older adults and people with disabilities — and facilitating and developing resources and programs.

Learn more about how you can earn your Master of Social Work online at Virginia Commonwealth University . The highest-ranking school of social work in Virginia, VCU has a wide range of courses online. That means students can earn their degrees with the flexibility of learning at home. Learn more about how you can take your career in social work further with VCU.

From M.S.W. to LCSW: Understanding Your Career Path as a Social Worker

How Palliative Care Social Workers Support Patients With Terminal Illnesses

How to Become a Social Worker in Health Care

Gov.uk, Mixed Methods Study

MVS Open Press, Foundations of Social Work Research

Open Social Work Education, Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

Open Social Work, Graduate Research Methods in Social Work: A Project-Based Approach

Routledge, Research for Social Workers: An Introduction to Methods

SAGE Publications, Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach

Theory and Society, Mixed Methods Research: What It Is and What It Could Be

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Social Work Research and Evaluation Foundations

Female social work researcher observes a young boy's social behavior.

Studying social work and its effect on societies is essential to understanding and enhancing human and community well-being. By effectively measuring and evaluating social work outcomes, practitioners can employ evidence-based social work practices and evidence-based treatments (EBTs) to provide structured approaches to addressing client needs. For example, in the case of a client with an anxiety disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral science can be applied as efficient and ethical frameworks to address communication and collaboration problems. 1

Read on to learn more about the essential role of social work research and evaluation.

The Importance of Research and Evaluation in Social Work Practice

By rigorously assessing and evaluating social work studies, researchers can better identify the most effective strategies to achieve their client’s objectives. 2 Instead of trial and error, a data-driven approach ensures researchers make better use of the resources available to them.

Evidence-based interventions result from analyzing past research findings. After choosing a solution, researchers test it to verify replicability in multiple real-world scenarios before it’s deemed successful. 3 New intervention methods are constantly being standardized across the social work field of study, letting practitioners choose from a wider range of tools and techniques suitable for their study. These are usually taught in more advanced research courses in graduate or master's programs.

For example, at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, students participate in individual research projects and learn the basics of conducting social work research . This includes learning how to use measurement instruments; logic of research design, including sampling and design selection; ethical and legal issues; quantitative and qualitative modes of observation; analysis of data; use of computers and computer programs; and research report writing.

Methodologies and Approaches for Conducting Social Work Research

Conducting social work research requires access to large amounts of data supplied by study participants, which can be historical data or up-to-date surveys. 4 Due to social work’s multifaceted nature, researchers must then use their understanding of how psychosocial factors intersect. They need to develop and adhere to strict research methodologies that are evidence-based instead of preconceived notions of a particular social issue. 5

Action Research and Participatory-Action Research (PAR)

By emphasizing the importance of direct collaboration with communities, researchers can hope to identify and address a demographic’s needs. 6

Empowerment Research

Studies, surveys and experiments aim to increase the feelings of empowerment, equality and social justice among people in communities by having them participate directly in the research process. 7

Constructivist Research

Constructivist research begins with the individual and their social contexts instead of the community as a whole. 8 It highlights the importance of perspective and social standing in shaping communities .

Designing Effective Evaluation Frameworks for Social Programs

Data collected from participants in a target demographic is considered raw data that needs to go through several stages of cleaning and refining before any insights can be extracted. 9 That’s why researchers need to be able to develop robust evaluation frameworks that facilitate access to the data.

Logic Models

Logic models are often used to evaluate a single program or intervention. 10 Logic models are designed to offer:

Development approaches: Using forward logic to develop models starts from activities to predict outcomes, or vice versa in the case of reverse logic
Framework utility: Frameworks guide the implementation and reporting of the logic model by clarifying its methodology and expected results
Visual representation: Graphical depictions of data illustrate the connections between a study’s input, activities and outputs, showcasing the anticipated outcomes
Components: Key elements include the problem statement, outcomes, outputs, resources and strategies

Theories of Change and Program Theory

Merging theories with logic models adds depth to frameworks by outlining the research process, mechanisms and the logic behind the expected outcomes. 11 Furthermore, theories explain the “how” and “why” the desired changes and outcomes are expected to occur in the program’s context, including factors outside the program’s control.

Furthermore, leveraging resources such as The Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide and the CDC Framework for Program Evaluation in Social Work can offer guidance and tools for constructing and utilizing robust evaluation frameworks. 12,13

Data Collection and Analysis Techniques in Social Work Research

Researchers can collect relevant data in a variety of ways , such as surveys, in-person focus groups, observations and official census reports. They can then select the suitable social work data analysis technique based on the type of data they have and the nature of the insights they’re looking for. 14 These techniques include:

Thematic analysis: A qualitative approach that identifies, analyzes and reports patterns and anomalies
Descriptive statistics: Mean, medians, modes and averages of datasets
Inferential statistics: Predictive models that provide insights based on patterns

Ethical Considerations in Social Work Research and Evaluation

Ethical considerations determine the efficacy of social work research methods and evaluations. 15 Participants in the study must give informed consent to the data being collected on them without attempts to persuade or influence their answers. 16 Similarly, confidentiality and anonymity, especially when handling socially sensitive topics, are needed to ensure candid responses from study participants.

Utilizing Research Findings to Inform Evidence-Based Practice

In order to use results from past studies to inform future practices, researchers need to translate the studies’ outcomes through systematic reviews and guideline development. 17 The outcomes of earlier implementations often require constant monitoring to detect any underlying biases that can be addressed early on.

Challenges and Limitations in Social Work Research and Evaluation

Research in social work often faces numerous challenges that might impact the quality and efficacy of studies. Some of the most common ones include:

Time constraints
Hard-to-reach populations
Inadequate strategies
Financial constraints

Case Study of Successful Research and Evaluation Initiative

Despite the many complexities, many research studies can be successfully conducted in the field of social studies. One example is the study of developing new treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients.

First developed in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing has been successful in treating emotional distress associated with PTSD. The method’s application was then expanded to include a wide range of issues from trauma and anxiety to addiction.

It’s been supported by over 30 controlled outcomes studies and has since been recognized by the World Health Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as an effective therapeutic method. 18

Deepen Your Impact Through Social Work

The intersection between theoretical research and practical evaluation in the field of social work produces solutions that make a profound impact on the quality of life of communities and individuals. 19 This is a testament to the commitment of researchers to advance the field through progressively available means, particularly technology for data collection and mathematical algorithms for Big Data analytics.

Yeshiva University’s online Master of Social Work focuses on cultural responsiveness, social justice, and human transformation. You will gain hands-on experience in the field of social work and obtain CSWE accreditation that qualifies you for the post-graduate state exam. The expert faculty will equip you with the tools to create positive change in the world. Make an appointment to speak with an admissions outreach advisor today.

Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from hbr.org/podcast/2021/01/using-behavioral-science-to-improve-well-being-for-social-workers
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from researchgate.net/publication/323370072_Evaluating_effectiveness_in_social_work_sharing_dilemmas_in_practice
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547524/
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from researchgate.net/publication/298697140_Big_data_in_social_work_The_development_of_a_critical_perspective_on_social_work’s_latest_electronic_turn
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from https://caseworthy.com/articles/why-is-evidence-based-practice-important-in-social-work/
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from nature.com/articles/s43586-023-00214-1
Retrieved on April 10, 2024, from academic.oup.com/bjsw/article/51/4/1482/6202975
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IMAGES

💌 Social work paper topics. 35 Interesting Social Work Research Topics
7.4 Designing effective questions and questionnaires
233 Brilliant Social Work Research Topics To Use
Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions
Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions
🌷 Good social work research topics. 70 Cutting. 2022-10-31

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL RESEARCH AND SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH
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Introduction to Social Work Research by Dr A Alagarsamy
Social Work Research 31 October 2023

COMMENTS

100 Social Work Research Topics and Tips on Choosing One
50 Controversial Research Topics. Group therapy vs individual therapy for increasing autistic children adaptability. Impact on parents having children with autism spectrum disorder. Role play vs group discussion efficiency in increasing knowledge regarding drug abuse among high-school students. Addressing the stigma associated with depression.
4.3 Quantitative research questions
Table 4.1 Sample research questions: Strengths and weaknesses; Sample question: Question's strengths: Question's weaknesses: ... However, social work research demands that you examine the literature on the topic and refine your question over time to be more specific and clear before you begin your study. Perhaps you want to study the effect ...
Module 2 Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Research Questions
For example, a social worker might have a question about the "shape" of a problem defined as sexual violence victimization. Data from the United States' 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) indicated that over 36% of woman (1 in 3) and 17% of men (1 in 6) have experienced sexual violence involving ...
199+ Social Work Research Topics [Updated 2024]
Craft a research question for social work research topics that is clear, concise, and aligns with the chosen social work research topic. The question should guide the research process and contribute meaningfully to the existing literature. ... Examples include the "Journal of Social Work" and the "British Journal of Social Work." ...
10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project
The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but note that it may not be practically feasible. For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk driving laws in just one or two countries.
9. Writing your research question
Writing a good research question is an art and a science. It is a science because you have to make sure it is clear, concise, and well-developed. It is an art because often your language needs "wordsmithing" to perfect and clarify the meaning. This is an exciting part of the research process; however, it can also be one of the most stressful.
4.2 Writing a good research question
For example, she knew from her own experience that her more traditional and socially conservative friends were more likely to see household tasks as part of the female domain and were less likely to expect their male partners to contribute to those tasks. ... Social work research questions must contain a target population. Her study would be ...
PDF Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions
In the summer of 2019, Dr. Rebecca L. Mauldin coordinated a project to adopt an open textbook for the School of Social Work's Research Methods courses across the BSW and MSW programs. In that project, she used Scientific Inquiry in Social Work by Matthew DeCarlo as a source text. That book included much of the material in this guidebook.
Social Work Research Methods I (19:910:505)
CIAO is a framework for crafting research questions for evidence-based research in social work. CIAO stands for: CLIENT; ... aspects, we can brainstorm keywords and synonyms (other terms authors might be using) to use in our search. See the example below. Example of CIAO. Example CIAO construction of a research question. Client:
8.2 Writing a good research question
In sum, a good research question generally has the following features: It is written in the form of a question. It is clearly written. It is not answerable with a simple "yes" or "no". It has more than one plausible answer. It considers relationships among multiple variables. It is specific and clear about the concepts it addresses.
Scientific Inquiry in Social Work
As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the ...
8.3 Quantitative research questions
Table 8.1 Sample research questions: Strengths and weaknesses; Sample question: Question's strengths: Question's weaknesses: ... However, social work research demands that you examine the literature on the topic and refine your question over time to be more specific and clear before you begin your study. Perhaps you want to study the effect ...
Social Work Research Topics [With Tips]
A literature review should be written in a way that covers the most recent and relevant research in the field. Here are some common social work topics suitable for a literature review: Understanding the significance of poverty on child development. Evidence-based practices in substance abuse treatment.
Developing a Research Question
A relevant research question is one whose answers will have an impact on policies, theories, or practices related to the social work profession. Other factors determining the relevance include the organization who funds the research, the program that houses it, and the research team that undertakes it. Researchable
Writing Strong Research Questions
A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or issue. Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources. Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints. Specific enough to answer thoroughly.
3.3 Refining your question
Develop and revise questions that focus your inquiry. Create a concept map that demonstrates the relationships between concepts. Once you have selected your topic area and reviewed literature related to it, you may need to narrow it down to something that can be realistically researched and answered. In the last section, we learned about asking ...
8.3: Quantitative research questions
Table 8.1 Sample research questions: Strengths and weaknesses; Sample question: Question's strengths: Question's weaknesses: ... However, social work research demands that you examine the literature on the topic and refine your question over time to be more specific and clear before you begin your study. Perhaps you want to study the effect ...
233 Brilliant Social Work Research Topics To Use
Social works as a field of study fall within the social sciences, as a result of this the field of study deals with the use of questioning as an approach to arrive at a conclusive and reflective answer (empirical evidence). This is why research in this field deals with data collection, data analysis, experimentations, investigation, etc.
4.4 Qualitative research questions
The guidelines for research questions previously described in this chapter still apply, but there are some new elements to qualitative research questions that are not present in quantitative questions. First, qualitative research questions often ask about lived experience, personal experience, understanding, meaning, and stories.
Qualitative Research Questions: Gain Powerful Insights + 25 Examples
In this section, we'll list 25 examples of B2B and B2C-related qualitative questions. Let's begin with five questions. We'll show you the question, explain why it's considered qualitative, and then give you an example of how it can be used in research. 1.
Module 2 Chapter 2: Formulating Practice Evidence Questions
a working example where COPES was applied. Question Formulation. The questions that drive a social worker's search for evidence to inform practice decisions differ somewhat from the kind of questions that drive social workers to understand diverse populations, social work problems, and social phenomena.
Social Work Research Methods
Social work researchers will send out a survey, receive responses, aggregate the results, analyze the data, and form conclusions based on trends. Surveys are one of the most common research methods social workers use — and for good reason. They tend to be relatively simple and are usually affordable.
8.4 Qualitative research questions
First, qualitative research questions often ask about lived experience, personal experience, understanding, meaning, and stories. These keywords indicate that you will be using qualitative methods. Second, qualitative research questions may be more general and less specific. Instead of asking how one concept causes another, we are asking about ...
Social Work Research and Evaluation Foundations
Methodologies and Approaches for Conducting Social Work Research. Conducting social work research requires access to large amounts of data supplied by study participants, which can be historical data or up-to-date surveys. 4 Due to social work's multifaceted nature, researchers must then use their understanding of how psychosocial factors ...
21 Behavioral Interview Questions and How to Respond
It's a formula worth memorizing because it can help you structure your responses to behavioral interview questions. Situation: Start by establishing the situation and sharing any important details. Task: Recount your specific task or responsibility. Action: Describe, step-by-step, what you did to address the task or responsibility.
Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
B2B Content Marketing Trends 2024 [Research]
The online survey was emailed to a sample of marketers using lists from CMI and MarketingProfs. This article presents the findings from the 894 respondents, mostly from North America, who indicated their organization is primarily B2B and that they are either content marketers or work in marketing, communications, or other roles involving content.

199+ Social Work Research Topics [Updated 2024]

Significance of Choosing the Right Social Work Research Topics

Impact on Research Quality

Alignment with Personal Interests and Goals

Contribution to the Field of Social Work

How to Select Social Work Research Topics?

199+ Social Work Research Topics: Category-Wise

Diversity and Inclusion in Social Work

Social Work and Community Development

Social Work and Child Welfare

Global Perspectives in Social Work Research

Technology and Social Work

Policy and Advocacy in Social Work

Substance Abuse and Addiction in Social Work

Gerontology and Aging in Social Work

Education and Social Work

Human Trafficking and Exploitation

Family Dynamics and Social Work

Health and Healthcare Disparities

Human Rights and Social Work

Disability and Inclusion

Veterans and Military Social Work

Community Mental Health Programs

Immigration and Social Work

Social Work in Rural Communities

Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice

Social Work in Schools

Criminal Justice and Social Work

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Social Work and Environmental Justice

Human Services Administration

Social Work and Artificial Intelligence

Crisis Intervention and Social Work

Social Work in the LGBTQ+ Community

Social Work and Aging

Faith-Based Social Work

Social Work in Substance Use Prevention

Global Mental Health and Social Work

Social Work and Human-Animal Interaction

Refugee Mental Health and Social Work

Community Resilience and Social Work

Technology and Social Work Ethics

Social Work in Sports

Social Work in the Arts

Social Work and Foster Care Adoption

Social Work in the Gig Economy

Emerging Trends in Social Work Research

Tips for Conducting Social Work Research

Resources for Social Work Researchers

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9 9. Writing your research question

9.1 Empirical vs. ethical questions

Empirical vs. ethical questions

Key Takeaways

9.2 Characteristics of a good research question

9.3 Quantitative research questions

Quantitative descriptive questions

Quantitative explanatory questions

Making it more specific

Quantitative exploratory questions

9.4 Qualitative research questions

9.5 Evaluating and updating your research questions

Feasibility and importance

Matching your research question and study design

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Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

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Social Work Research Topics

What is a Social Work Research Paper?

Tips for Selecting a Good Topic for a Social Work Research Paper

Social Work Research Topics for Beginners

Social Work Research Topics for College Students

Human Services Research Paper Topics

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