Social Work Research

Paper Code: 
MSW 124
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
  • To understand the nature, importance and application of the scientific method to the study of social phenomena.
  • To develop an understanding of the foundations, nature, purpose and relevance of research in Social work.
  • To develop competence to conceptualize a problem and undertake research.
  • To equip students to use research in social work practice and in the formulation of social policy & programmes.
13.00
  • Social Work Research: Meaning, purpose(s) and process
  • Inductive and deductive reasoning; quantitative and qualitative data.
  • The Ethics and politics of social work research.
12.00
  • Theory and its components: Meaning, functions and types of theory
  • Variable and their relationships
  • Hypothesis – meaning, attributes of a sound hypothesis and types
12.00
  • Research design: Meaning, functions and characteristics of good research design
  • Research designs based on: Purpose-exploratory, descriptive, explanatory; Unit of analysis-case (individuals), group and community; Method-survey, case study, experimental, Time dimension-cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies.
  • Evaluation and action research
  • Unobtrusive research: content analysis
12.00
  • Measurement and Scales: Meaning and levels of measurement, criteria of measurement quality; types of scales.
  • Sampling procedures: Probability and non-probability types; determination of size.
12.00
  • Data collection techniques: Questionnaire, interview and observation; Participatory and rapid appraisal techniques.
  • Data Processing: Editing, classification, tabulation and coding.
  • Writing social work research: writing quantitative proposals and reports; qualitative proposals and reports.
References: 
  • Blaikie, Norman, Approaches to Social Enquiry, Cambridge, Policy Press, 1993.
  • May, Tim, Social Research: Issues, Methods and Processes. Buckingham, Open University Press, 1997.
  • Reid, William J. & Smith, Audrey D. Research in Social Work, New York, Columbia University Press, 1981.
  • Marshall, Chatherine & Rossman, Grethcer B. Designing Qualitative Research (2nd Edition), New Delhi, Sage Publications, 1995.
  • Feldman, Martha S. Strategies for Interpreting Qualitative Data, New Delhi, Sage Publications, 1995.
  • Patton, Michael Quinn, Qualitative Evaluation Methods. New Delhi, Sage Publications, 1988.
  • Reissman, Catherine K. Qualitative Studies in Social Work Research, New Delhi. Sage Publications, 1994.
  • Swartz, Omar, Conducting Socially Responsible Research, New Delhi, Sage Publications, 1997.
  • Ramachandran, P. Issues in Social Work Research in India, Bombay, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 1990.
  • Society for Participatory Research in Asia, Participatory Research: An Introduction (Participatory Research Network series No. 3), New Delhi PRIA, 1995.
  • Jayaram, N. 1989. Sociology: Methods and Theory. Madras: McMillan.
  • Kothari, C.R. 1989. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques, Bangalore, Wiley Eastern.
  • Young, P.V. 1988. Scientific Social Surveys and Research. New Delhi: Prentice Hall.
  • Ahuja. Ram. 2006, Research Methods, Rawat Publications.
  • Wilkinson and Bhandarkar, Methodology and Techniques of Social Research, New Delhi: Himalaya Publishing House.
  • Blyman, Alan. 2001, Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press
  • Babbie, E.R. 2006, the Practice of Social Research, Wadsworth Publishing Company.
  • Sarantakos, S. 2005, Social Research, Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Galtung, John. 1967, Theory and Methods of Social Research. George Allen & Unwin.
  • Jorgensen Danny L. Participant Observation: A methodology for Human Studies, New Delhi, Sage Publication, 19879.
  • Sellitz, Claire, Johoda, M.D. and others. Research Methods in Social Relations, New York, Rinehart and Winston, 1959.
  • Doby, John T. (ed.), an Introduction to Social Research (2nd ed.) New York, Appleton – Century-Croft, 1967.
  • Goode, William J. & Hatt, Paul, K., Method in Social Research, New York Mcgraw-Hill Book Company Inc. 1952.
  • Long Norman & Long Ann, ed. Battlefields of knowledge: The interlocking of theory and practice in Social Research and Development, London, Routledge, 1992.
  • Reichmann, W.J. Use and abuse of statistics, Penguin Books, 1981.
  • Sirkin, R. Mark., Statistics for the Social Sciences, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 1995.
  • Yeomans, K.A., Statistics for the Social Scientists: 2, Applied Statistics, Penguin Books, 1979.
Academic Session: 
2015-16
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