E-Book Overview
The importance of 'evidence based practice' in health and social work has been emphasised by recent policy and legislative initiatives, but how do professionals decide which research findings are valuable and relevant to them? This accessible introduction provides social work students and practitioners with the knowledge they need both to evaluate research and to apply it to their own practice. Exploring the range of research methodologies used in health and social care, from randomised control trials to surveys, interviews, experimental designs and ethnographic approaches, Michael Sheppard discusses the strengths and limitations of each and shows the reader how to identify the assumptions underlying them. Sheppard uses case examples from practice to demonstrate how research messages can be applied in a range of situations, from developing social services for ethnic minority groups to working with an individual suffering from mental illness. Each chapter includes exercises and questions to test the reader's understanding of key concepts in each chapter, as well as examples of research articles for guided discussion. Appraising and Using Social Research in the Human Services is both a core textbook for social work undergraduates and a useful resource for all trainers, practitioners, service managers and postqualifying students in health and social care.
E-Book Content
Appraising and Using Social Research in the Human Services
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Appraising and Using Social Research in the Human Services An Introduction for Social Work and Health Professionals Michael Sheppard
Jessica Kingsley Publishers London and Philadelphia
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. The right of Michael Sheppard to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in 2004 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.jkp.com © Michael Sheppard 2004 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Sheppard, Mich