Problem Formulation

1
Problem Formulation

• Selecting Topics and Research Questions

2
This Lecture

• Overview of the research process
• Narrowing topics to questions
• Time
• Units of analysis

3
Research and Practice

• Practice Strategy
• Engagement
• Problem prioritization
• Intervention
• Evaluation
• Termination

• Research Strategy
• Problem formulation
• Literature review
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Reporting

4
What is Social Work Research?

• Applied, Practical, Real World
• Guide social work practice
• Evaluate social programs
• Assess needs

5
The Research Process

• Must consider many things at once (p. 112)
• Interlocking system for decisionmaking

Research Technique
Operationalization of Concepts
Method of Analysis
Population and Sampling
6
The Research Question

• Social Work oriented
• Can be operationalized
• Narrow, specific
• Feasible
• Money and time
• Access to data
• Energy

7
A Matter of Time

• Point in Time Research
• Snapshot
• Longitudinal Research
• Two points in time can determine a trend
• Sample a group cohort over time
• Follow a panel of the same people over time

8
Units of Analysis

• Individuals
• Groups
• Communities
• Things artifacts

9
Units of Analysis, cont.

• Mixing Units of analysis
• Ecological Fallacy
• Drawing conclusions about individuals from group
  analysis
• Individualistic Fallacy
• Drawing conclusions about groups from individual
  analysis
• Reductionism
• Limiting the options to answering a question
• Feminist analysis is the only means of
  understanding violence against women.

10
Next Week

• More on Operationalization
• Constructing and using scales and other
  instruments to operationalize variables
• Homework Complete lit review for research
  prospectus
• Start adding meat (theory, hypothesis, concepts)
  to research ideas