Social Work Research & Evaluation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which research design is considered the gold standard for determining cause-and-effect relationships?
- Case study
- Cross-sectional survey
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) (Correct answer)
- Qualitative interview study
Correct answer: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Randomized controlled trials use random assignment to experimental and control groups, allowing researchers to establish causal relationships with the greatest confidence.
Question 2: In research, 'reliability' refers to:
- Whether a study measures what it intends to measure
- The consistency of a measurement instrument across repeated uses (Correct answer)
- The ability to generalize findings to other populations
- The ethical soundness of the research design
Correct answer: The consistency of a measurement instrument across repeated uses
Reliability is the degree to which a measure produces consistent results when used repeatedly under the same conditions.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of qualitative research in social work?
- A survey measuring depression scores in 500 clients
- In-depth interviews exploring the experiences of homeless veterans (Correct answer)
- A randomized trial of a new therapy program
- A statistical analysis of child welfare caseload data
Correct answer: In-depth interviews exploring the experiences of homeless veterans
Qualitative research, such as in-depth interviews, seeks to understand experiences, meanings, and perspectives through non-numerical data.
Question 4: In a research study, the group that does NOT receive the treatment or intervention is called the:
- Experimental group
- Control group (Correct answer)
- Cohort group
- Placebo group
Correct answer: Control group
The control group serves as the comparison baseline, receiving no treatment or the standard treatment, allowing researchers to isolate the effect of the intervention.
Question 5: Which type of sampling method involves selecting every nth person from a list?
- Simple random sampling
- Stratified sampling
- Systematic sampling (Correct answer)
- Convenience sampling
Correct answer: Systematic sampling
Systematic sampling selects participants at regular intervals (every nth case) from a list or population, providing a structured form of random-like sampling.
Question 6: In program evaluation, 'fidelity' refers to:
- Client satisfaction with services
- The degree to which a program is implemented as originally designed (Correct answer)
- The cost-effectiveness of the program
- The number of clients served
Correct answer: The degree to which a program is implemented as originally designed
Implementation fidelity measures how closely a program follows its intended model, which is critical for accurately evaluating program effectiveness.
Social Work Research & Evaluation 1
Which research design is considered the gold standard for determining cause-and-effect relationships?