MSW MSW Master of Social Work Research and Program Evaluation Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social work researcher wants to determine whether a new group therapy intervention reduces anxiety symptoms more effectively than individual therapy. Which research design is most appropriate?
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Case study design
- Ethnographic research
- Historical analysis
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
A randomized controlled trial allows the researcher to compare outcomes between two intervention groups while controlling for confounding variables.
Question 2: In program evaluation, what does the term 'logic model' primarily describe?
- A visual representation of how program resources lead to intended outcomes (Correct answer)
- A statistical method for analyzing program costs
- A tool for recruiting research participants
- A framework for writing grant proposals
Correct answer: A visual representation of how program resources lead to intended outcomes
A logic model maps the theoretical pathway from program inputs and activities through outputs to short-term and long-term outcomes.
Question 3: Which of the following best represents a threat to external validity in social work research?
- Using a sample from only one urban homeless shelter to generalize findings to all homeless populations (Correct answer)
- Failing to use a control group
- Having inconsistent measurement tools across data collectors
- Participants dropping out of the study midway
Correct answer: Using a sample from only one urban homeless shelter to generalize findings to all homeless populations
Generalizing results from a single, specific setting to a broader population is a classic threat to external validity.
Question 4: A program evaluator is conducting a formative evaluation of a new child welfare training curriculum. What is the primary purpose of this type of evaluation?
- To improve the program while it is still being developed or implemented (Correct answer)
- To determine whether the program should receive continued funding
- To measure long-term client outcomes after program completion
- To compare the program's effectiveness against a competing model
Correct answer: To improve the program while it is still being developed or implemented
Formative evaluation focuses on gathering feedback during program development or early implementation to make improvements.
Question 5: Which sampling method would introduce the most bias in a study examining social work burnout across a state's child protective services agencies?
- Convenience sampling of workers who volunteer to participate (Correct answer)
- Stratified random sampling by agency size
- Simple random sampling from the full employee roster
- Systematic sampling using alphabetical employee lists
Correct answer: Convenience sampling of workers who volunteer to participate
Convenience sampling of volunteers introduces self-selection bias because workers who volunteer may differ systematically from those who do not.
Question 6: When analyzing qualitative interview data from a study on refugee resettlement experiences, which approach involves identifying recurring patterns and themes across transcripts?
- Thematic analysis (Correct answer)
- Logistic regression
- Analysis of variance
- Cost-benefit analysis
Correct answer: Thematic analysis
Thematic analysis is a qualitative method that systematically identifies, organizes, and reports patterns and themes within interview data.
MSW MSW Master of Social Work Research and Program Evaluation Questions and Answers 2
A social work researcher wants to determine whether a new group therapy intervention reduces anxiety symptoms more effectively than individual therapy.
Which research design is most appropriate?