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  2. Social Work Research: Honours [SWK4123]

Faculty of Regional Professional Studies (Bunbury)

School: Regional Professional Studies

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Social Work Research: Honours

  • Unit Code

    SWK4123

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to social research methodologies for social work research. The students will learn how to carry out their own research, as well as how to assess research done by others. Students will examine key research issues (e.g. the uses of research, research and social power, participatory research).

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SWK3106

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Create an outline design for a research project to examine a practice situation or issue.
  2. Critically analyse research methodologies and their contribution social work practice and social welfare policy.
  3. Define a research problem or topic.
  4. Evaluate the contribution of qualitative and quantitative research approaches and the types of questions each can be used to answer.
  5. Judge the ethical issues around practitioner research, and how to encourage participation and power-sharing in the research process (themes of inter-subjectivity, accountability and participation).
  6. Understand some of the various methods practitioner researchers can use to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and the advantages and disadvantages of these.

Unit Content

  1. Accessing literature and writing a literature review.
  2. Advantages and disadvantages of various research methodologies and methods.
  3. Choosing a research question or topic.
  4. Power and ethics in research.
  5. Proposal writing.
  6. Reading research critically.
  7. Research methods.
  8. Research paradigms.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The unit is taught online via Blackboard.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Research PaperMethodology Paper50%
Research PaperTheoretical Paper50%

Text References

  • Walker, R. (Ed.), (1985). Applied qualitative research. Aldershot, UK: Gower.
  • Sherman, E., & Reid, W. (Eds.), (1994). Qualitiative research in social work. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
  • Atkinson, P. (1990). The ethnographic imagination. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Barnes, J. (1979). Who should know what? Social science, privacy and ethics. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.
  • Bell, J. (1993). Doing your research project. (2nd ed.). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Bryman, A. (1988). Quantity and quality in social research. London, UK: Allen & Unwin.
  • Bryman, A. (1988). Doing research in organizations. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Cheetham, J., Fuller, R., McIvor, G., & Petch, A. (1992). Evaluating social work effectiveness. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Sapsford, R., & Abbott, P. (1992). Research methods for nurses and the caring professions. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Preece, R. (1994). Starting Research. London, UK: Pinter Publishers.
  • Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
  • Kidder, L.H. & Judd, C.M. (1986). Research methods in social relations. (5th ed.). New York, NY: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, Inc.
  • Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (1983). Ethnography: Principles in practice. London, UK: Tavistock.
  • Hakim, K. (1987). Research design. London, UK: Allen & Unwin.
  • Finch, J. (1986). Research and policy. London, UK: The Falmer Press.
  • Everitt, A., Hardiker, P., Littlewood, J., & Mullender, A. (1993). Applied research for better practice. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
  • Edwards, A., &Talbot, R. (1994). The hard-pressed researcher. London, UK: Longman.
  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Website References

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SWK4123|1|1

Faculty of Regional Professional Studies (Bunbury)

School: Regional Professional Studies

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Social Work Research: Honours

  • Unit Code

    SWK4123

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to social research methodologies for social work research. The students will learn how to carry out their own research, as well as how to assess research done by others. Students will examine key research issues (e.g. the uses of research, research and social power, participatory research).

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SWK3106

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Create an outline design for a research project to examine a practice situation or issue.
  2. Critically analyse research methodologies and their contribution social work practice and social welfare policy.
  3. Define a research problem or topic.
  4. Evaluate the contribution of qualitative and quantitative research approaches and the types of questions each can be used to answer.
  5. Judge the ethical issues around practitioner research, and how to encourage participation and power-sharing in the research process (themes of inter-subjectivity, accountability and participation).
  6. Understand some of the various methods practitioner researchers can use to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and the advantages and disadvantages of these.

Unit Content

  1. Accessing literature and writing a literature review.
  2. Advantages and disadvantages of various research methodologies and methods.
  3. Choosing a research question or topic.
  4. Power and ethics in research.
  5. Proposal writing.
  6. Reading research critically.
  7. Research methods.
  8. Research paradigms.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The unit is taught online via Blackboard.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Research PaperMethodology Paper50%
Research PaperTheoretical Paper50%

Text References

  • Walker, R. (Ed.), (1985). Applied qualitative research. Aldershot, UK: Gower.
  • Sherman, E., & Reid, W. (Eds.), (1994). Qualitiative research in social work. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
  • Atkinson, P. (1990). The ethnographic imagination. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Barnes, J. (1979). Who should know what? Social science, privacy and ethics. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.
  • Bell, J. (1993). Doing your research project. (2nd ed.). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Bryman, A. (1988). Quantity and quality in social research. London, UK: Allen & Unwin.
  • Bryman, A. (1988). Doing research in organizations. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Cheetham, J., Fuller, R., McIvor, G., & Petch, A. (1992). Evaluating social work effectiveness. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Sapsford, R., & Abbott, P. (1992). Research methods for nurses and the caring professions. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  • Preece, R. (1994). Starting Research. London, UK: Pinter Publishers.
  • Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
  • Kidder, L.H. & Judd, C.M. (1986). Research methods in social relations. (5th ed.). New York, NY: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, Inc.
  • Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (1983). Ethnography: Principles in practice. London, UK: Tavistock.
  • Hakim, K. (1987). Research design. London, UK: Allen & Unwin.
  • Finch, J. (1986). Research and policy. London, UK: The Falmer Press.
  • Everitt, A., Hardiker, P., Littlewood, J., & Mullender, A. (1993). Applied research for better practice. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
  • Edwards, A., &Talbot, R. (1994). The hard-pressed researcher. London, UK: Longman.
  • Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Website References

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SWK4123|1|2