SW2S034 - Research Skills in Social Work 01 Sep 2020 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: SW2S034
Module Title: Research Skills in Social Work
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Integrated Health, Social Care and Post Registration Nursing
Faculty Sub Group: Youth and Community
Module Leader: Michelle Culwick
Module Team: Bernard Dacey, Katie Neil-Taylor, Owain Jones, Carrie Needs
First Intended Intake: SEP 2020 Final Year of Intake: 2025
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100503 - social work
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2020
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

• Inform the students’ progress along the learning curve related to the integration of research with practice.
• Develop the opportunity for in-depth study of the process and skills required to competently interpret, apply and support research in practice.

Content Summary

• How to read and interpret research methods and techniques.
• Research Design
• Critiquing Frameworks
• Generating research questions and hypotheses
• Reviewing the literature,
• Planning and designing research,
• Data collection, and data analysis a
• Presentation and interpretation of the results of research.
• Research approaches and methods including survey, case study, experimental methods, controlled trials and comparisons.
• Ethical issues in research.
In terms of the application of skills to practice, students will look at information gathering, sources of information; assessment, interpretation and the analysis of information as a basis for decision-making and development of skills in thinking logically and systematically.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 14
Seminar 6
Independent Study 60
Placement 90
Directed Study 20
Formative Assessment - Independent 10
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Critique the research process as documented in published social work research papers.
LO2 Analyse the implications of relevant research findings to social work and make recommendations through which research can be translated into practice.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Critique 1 Research critique of a piece of empirical social work research and analyse the implications for practice. 0 2500 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Critique 1

Reading List

Bryman, A. (2012) Social Research Methods (4th Ed). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press

Moule, P. (2011) Making Sense of Research: An Introduction for Social Work. Los Angeles: Sage

Neale J. (2009) Research Methods for Social Work. Palgrave Macmillan. Basingstoke.

Neuman, WL Kreuger, L (2003) Social work research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Orme, J. (2010) Developing Research Based Social Work Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Padgett, D. (2008) Qualitative methods in social work research. Los Angeles: Sage

Shaw I (2014) Doing Qualitative Research in Social Work. Los Angeles: Sage

Smith, R. (2009) Doing Social Work Research. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Open University Press

Walliman Nicholas S. R. (2006) Social Research Methods. London: Sage

Webber, M. (2014) Applying Research Evidence in Social Work Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan

Whittaker, A. (2012) Research Skills for Social Work . 2nd ed. Exeter : Learning Matters