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Designing and Doing Research
Research and Synthesis Tables
Research Tables and Synthesis Tables are useful tools for organizing and analyzing your research as you assemble your literature review
Credited to Laura Bernhardt University of Southern Indiana
If you are learning how to do a research project in Social Work, you will find detailed descriptions of a variety of research methods using these books and links.
Look below for examples of empirical research.
- Evidence-Based Practice – National Association of Social Workers"Evidence-based practice" describes the application of research and proven, successful results to the practice in the field. Here you can find a fuller definition, discussion, and resources for further reading on this important concept.
- COPES Questions – Evidence-Based Practice for the Helping ProfessionsLearn how to create research questions based on COPES (Client Oriented Practical Evidence Search), an approach that helps you research practical and focused topics effectively.
- Encyclopedia of Social Work This link opens in a new windowHundreds of overview articles on social work topics ranging from international issues to ethical standards. Published by the National Association of Social Workers.
Applying a Human Rights Approach to Social Work Research and Evaluation by Call Number: e-bookISBN: 9783319260365Publication Date: 2015-11-05
Behavioral intervention research : designing, evaluating, and implementing by Call Number: e-bookISBN: 9780826126597Publication Date: 2016
Data Analysis with Small Samples and Non-Normal Data by Call Number: QA278.8 .S52 2018ISBN: 9780199391493Publication Date: 2017-09-19- Doing research in social work and social care : the journey from student to practitioner researcher byCall Number: e-bookISBN: 9781473987838Publication Date: 2016
- Graduate Research Methods in Social Work byCall Number: e-bookISBN: 9781949373219Publication Date: 2020-07-10
Research Methods with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations by Call Number: View EbookISBN: 9781136570124Publication Date: 2012-12-06
The Social Work Dissertation: Using Small-Scale Qualitative Methodology by Call Number: e-bookISBN: 9780335247608Publication Date: 2013-02-01
Social Work Research with Minority and Oppressed Populations by Call Number: e-bookISBN: 9781317948698Publication Date: 2014-02-04
Writing up Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences by Call Number: View EbookISBN: 9789463006095Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Examples of Research
The place to find actual pieces of original research (empirical studies) is in journal articles. They will include examples of different research methodologies. Find journal articles by searching the databases listed here.
Can't find full text?
Click the 
button by the article to get it elsewhere, or to order it.
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
A multi-disciplinary database containing full-text for thousands of journals in nearly every subject area, including: computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more.
- APA PsycArticles This link opens in a new windowExplore social work topics that overlap with psychology and mental health. You can find specific kinds of research by limiting your results by methodology on the bottom right side of the Advanced search page.
- PsychiatryOnline This link opens in a new windowA collection of psychiatric resources such as the DSM-5 titles, journals, textbooks, practice guidelines, self-assessment tools, clinical and research news, and medication information handouts from American Psychiatric Publishing.
- PTSDpubs This link opens in a new window
This database is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It provides citations and abstracts to the international literature on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health sequelae of traumatic events.
- Public Health & Social Care Collection This link opens in a new windowFull text access to a collection of more than 70 social work and public health journals.
- Sage Journals This link opens in a new window More than 1,100 journals with full-text access that cover a wide variety of topics, including education, sociology, health sciences, and more.
- Social Services Abstracts This link opens in a new window Provides abstracts and bibliographic citations for current research in social work, human services, and related areas such as social welfare, social policy, and community development. Does not contain full-text.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window Provides abstracts and citations for international research in sociology, social work, and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Covers current research on sociology, social work, urban studies, social welfare, social policy, community development, and more. Indexes articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, conference papers, and working papers. Does not contain full-text.
- Springer Ebooks This link opens in a new window Contains thousands of books in a broad range of academic disciplines such as medicine and public health, psychology, social sciences, business and management, and education.