Developing and Validating Rapid Assessment Instruments

Developing and Validating Rapid Assessment Instruments PDF Author: Neil Abell
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199715505
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
This pocket guide provides a comprehensive start-to-finish overview of the basics of scale development, giving practical guidance that practitioners at all levels will be able to put to use.

Developing and Validating Rapid Assessment Instruments

Developing and Validating Rapid Assessment Instruments PDF Author: Neil Abell
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199715505
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

Get Book Here

Book Description
This pocket guide provides a comprehensive start-to-finish overview of the basics of scale development, giving practical guidance that practitioners at all levels will be able to put to use.

Clinical Data-Mining

Clinical Data-Mining PDF Author: Irwin Epstein
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019533552X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Clinical Data-Mining (CDM) involves the conceptualization, extraction, analysis, and interpretation of available clinical data for practice knowledge-building, clinical decision-making and practitioner reflection. Depending upon the type of data mined, CDM can be qualitative or quantitative; it is generally retrospective, but may be meaningfully combined with original data collection.Any research method that relies on the contents of case records or information systems data inevitably has limitations, but with proper safeguards these can be minimized. Among CDM's strengths however, are that it is unobtrusive, inexpensive, presents little risk to research subjects, and is ethically compatible with practitioner value commitments. When conducted by practitioners, CDM yields conceptual as well as data-driven insight into their own practice- and program-generated questions.This pocket guide, from a seasoned practice-based researcher, covers all the basics of conducting practitioner-initiated CDM studies or CDM doctoral dissertations, drawing extensively on published CDM studies and completed CDM dissertations from multiple social work settings in the United States, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. In addition, it describes consulting principles for researchers interested in forging collaborative university-agency CDM partnerships, making it a practical tool for novice practitioner-researchers and veteran academic-researchers alike.As such, this book is an exceptional guide both for professionals conducting practice-based research as well as for social work faculty seeking an evidence-informed approach to practice-research integration.

Secondary Data Analysis

Secondary Data Analysis PDF Author: Thomas P. Vartanian
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019538881X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
This slim volume is one of a number of excellent guides published as part of Oxford's "Pocket Guide to Social Work Research Methods" series. Compact but comprehensive, it provides a thorough introduction to one of the fastest-growing genres of research in the social work field today: secondary data analysis. After an all-too-brief summary of what constitutes this genre and a balanced analysis of its advantages and disadvantages, Vartanian (Bryn Mawr) provides guidelines for those considering the feasibility and appropriateness of using secondary data in their work. He then offers extensive summaries of 29 of the most commonly used secondary data sets. For all of the data sets, he provides a full and complete description, including key characteristics and where and how to access them. He also provides, most valuably, citations to examples of how researchers have recently used them in their empirical work. Rather redundantly, a similar package of information appears in appendixes at the end of the book. This is an admirable contribution whose only detractions are the rather random and poorly identified screenshots and other "pictures" interspersed throughout the text. Those seriously considering using secondary data analysis in their research should find this book immensely beneficial. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty/researchers. Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by J. C. Altman.

Research with Diverse Groups

Research with Diverse Groups PDF Author: Antoinette Y. Farmer PhD
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199914370
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 146

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Book Description
Social work researchers often conduct research with groups that are diverse in terms of gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnic background, or age. Consequently, social work researchers must take great care to establish research-design equivalence at all phases of the research process (e.g., problem formulation, research design, sampling, measurement selection, data collection, and data analysis); otherwise, the results might reflect methodological flaws rather than true group differences and therefore lead to erroneous conclusions. This book introduces the methodological precautions that must be taken into consideration when conducting research with diverse groups. Multigroup Confirmatory Analysis (MG-CFA) using structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to demonstrate how to assess seven types of measurement and structural equivalence that Milfont and Fischer (2010) have deemed important for studies with diverse samples. A hypothetical example was provided to illustrate how to design a study with good research-design equivalence. A case example was provided to demonstrate how to conduct an MG-CFA for each type of measurement and structural equivalence discussed. The Mplus syntax used to conduct the MG-CFA was provided. The results from the MG-CFA analyses were written up as they would be for publication.

Conducting Substance Use Research

Conducting Substance Use Research PDF Author: Audrey L. Begun
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199395861
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
This book assists new and experienced scholars in planning and conducting high quality, contemporary studies for knowledge building about substance use. The target audience is individuals new to substance use as a field of study, either as novice researchers or as experienced researchers in other areas who find themselves lacking experience to address overlapping issues of substance use. Organized around a translational science framework, the contents address substance use research about epidemiology, etiology, intervention efficacy and effectiveness, and implementation of evidence-informed interventions. In addition, examples and issues are drawn from social work traditions involving multiple levels of study (organisms to large social systems), integrating biopsychosocial aspects, and adopting a lifespan perspective. The authors examine the implications for research of current "great debates" in the field and present readers with a variety of specific substance use research resources and tools. This practical "how to" guide takes the reader step-by-step through issues specific to substance use research in study design, participant recruitment and retention, measurement and analysis, and the processes involved in the dissemination, diffusion, and implementation of evidence-informed innovations. A variety of technical resources and measurement tools are provided, as are references to journals for scholars to consider both as knowledge resources and as outlets for disseminating their work. In sum, this book offers a fresh approach to conducting substance use research that is not readily available in other texts.

Cross-cultural Research

Cross-cultural Research PDF Author: Jorge Delva
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195382501
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
This pocket guide offers researchers a framework for conducting research in a culturally sensitive manner with individuals, families, and communities in diverse settings. This unique framework focuses on a process, rather than a typology of behaviors, attitudes, values, and beliefs. All too frequently, cross-cultural research improperly attributes behaviors, beliefs, and values entirely to culture, when a closer examination would reveal the shared influences of gender, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and racial and ethnic backgrounds that interact in complex ways. By encouraging practitioners to incorporate an intersectionality lens into their work, this pocket guide helps researchers reveal stories that are more than the sum of particular identities. Sharing their extensive research experience with diverse populations around the world, the authors present a range of fluid and dynamic cross-cultural research practices that readers can easily adapt to their unique circumstances. At the intersection of culture and research methods, chapters illustrate the application of the model to three broad areas of inquiry: describing the nature of a problem; understanding the etiology of the problem; and evaluating the interventions designed to ameliorate the problem. Each area is illustrated with examples of research projects that incorporate multiple epistemologies and methodologies in order to better understand and respond to a population's needs. This guide offers a complete roadmap for developing cross-cultural projects that truly engage communities, and will be a trusted resource for students and seasoned researchers alike.

Culturally Competent Research

Culturally Competent Research PDF Author: Mo Yee Lee
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019984660X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 181

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Book Description
With the changing demographic landscape of American society, there has been a steady increase in studies and research on diverse populations and groups. However, it is not uncommon for these studies to be affected by methodological problems, including but not limited to the problems of overgeneralization, misuse of measurements, misinterpretation of findings, and the interpretation of differences not as diversity but as deficiencies. Simply put, the application of conventional research strategies with a different population does not qualify a study as culturally competent research. This pocket guide adopts ethnography as a meta-framework for conducting culturally competent research. This suggests the following components of culturally competent research: (1) a collaborative social relationship with the study group and community, (2) use of firsthand, long-term participant observation, (3) use of self as research instrument, (4) researcher as learner, (5) a contextual view of phenomena, (6) a holistic perspective, (7) an interactive-reactive research process, (8) a cross-cultural frame of reference, and (9) a spirit of discovery. Each phase of research is described and incorporated throughout the process, from framing and designing the study; to data collection, management, and analysis; to final analysis and report writing; and to dissemination to a variety of audiences. With a practical, step-by-step approach, this book provides social work researchers, doctoral students, and professionals with a model for conducting culturally competent research with and close to the lived experience of diverse populations and groups.

The Dissertation

The Dissertation PDF Author: Peter Lyons
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199706026
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
Many otherwise strong doctoral students get stuck at the dissertation stage, but this trusty guide takes students from the early planning phase to finishing the final draft. It contains straightforward advice for each stage of the dissertation process: selecting a chair, completing the literature review, developing a hypothesis, selecting a study sample and appropriate measures, managing and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data, establishing good writing habits, and overcoming obstacles to completing the dissertation on schedule. Practical guidelines, tips and strategies, and action steps checklists in each chapter make this a handy pocket guide for students as well as advisors seeking a comprehensive, unintimidating road map to the social work dissertation.

Grounded Theory

Grounded Theory PDF Author: Julianne S. Oktay
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199753695
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
With practice exercises, guidelines for formulating problems and gathering and analyzing data, tips for working with software, this pocket guide offers social work researchers a strong, practical introduction to grounded theory research.

Analyzing Single System Design Data

Analyzing Single System Design Data PDF Author: William Nugent
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195369629
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Single system, or single case, design studies are a convenient method for evaluating practice, allowing professionals to track clients' response to treatment and change over time. They also allow researchers to gather data where it might be difficult to conduct a study involving treatment and control groups; in a school setting, or a community mental health agency, for example, random assignment may be impossible, whereas individual student or client progress across time can be more easily monitored.This pocket guide reviews a wide range of techniques for analyzing single system design data, including visual analysis methods, graphical methods, and statistical methods. From basic visual observation to complex ARIMA statistical models for use with interrupted time series designs, numerous data analysis methods are described and illustrated in this unique and handy book. The author frankly describes limitations and strengths of the data analysis methods so that readers can select an appropriate method and use the results responsibly in order to improve practice and client well-being.This accessible yet in-depth introduction will serve as a highly practical resource for doctoral students and researchers alike.