Reading, Understanding and Applying Research module (SW30010)

The social sciences are fundamental to the practice of social work. It draws heavily on politics, psychology, sociology, social policy and other disciplines.

In this module you will learn how to read, understand and apply social science research to your practice.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• understand the main approaches to social science research
• understand the benefits of social science research
• learn how to conduct effective and rigorous searches for literature
• learn how to compare and contrast different approaches to the study of our social world and human behaviour
• learn how to appraise research in a critical manner
• apply your knowledge with confidence to social work practice

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

• read research papers with a critical understanding of:
  • the assumptions they make about the social world
  • their strengths and limitations
• apply research to social work policy and practice
• use research to reflect on and develop your practice

Assignments / assessment

• groupwork task on the development of search strategies (formative)
• 3,000-word essay (100%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

Teaching is conducted via:

• lectures
  • centred on research methods
• groupwork
  • read and discuss research articles