Critically Thinking about Research (Core Competencies 1.1, 4.2)
From a mainstream (legit) news organization (a TV news website, newspaper, magazine, etc. but NOT a blog),
locate a recent (within the last calendar year) article that discusses an empirical study (i.e., research) relevant to social work and conducted in the United States. The article MUST report and discuss research findings/data.
In 3-4 double spaced pages (no less than 3, no more than 4) answer the following:
1. What is the main purpose of the article? (i.e., what is the study asking about or seeking to learn about human behavior?)
2. What is the main question being addressed (i.e., does the article contain the research question or hypothesis examined by the study?)
3. What type of research methods were used (survey, interviews, observation)?
4. What are the main inferences or conclusions of the study reported in the article (i.e., what do the findings say or imply about human behavior and the impact of social environment?)
5. How might the study findings impact social work practice (i.e., how might the findings inform how social workers should interact with clients from a particular social group or population?)
6. Review the NASW Code of Ethics https://www.socialworkers.org
and answer the following:
a. Identify which “Ethical Principal” you believe is most relevant to the study in your article and describe why?
i. Be sure to cite verbatim (i.e. word for word) the ethical principle you have chosen
Include the news story (not just the link to it) with your submission..!!
The paper must be in a narrative format not bullet points.
