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See Most Recent Edition

Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work, 9th Edition

Allen Rubin, Earl R. Babbie

  • Copyright 2017
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2016-01-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $77.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work 9th Edition by Allen Rubin/Earl R. Babbie
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Overview

Widely considered the best text for the course, RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK strikes an optimal balance of quantitative and qualitative research techniques -- illustrating how the two methods complement one another and how they can be integrated in mixed-methods studies. Rubin and Babbie's classic bestseller is acclaimed for its depth and breadth of coverage as well as for the authors' clear and often humorous writing style. A rigorous and comprehensive presentation, combined with a reader-friendly approach, helps students overcome the fear factor often associated with this course. Examples from real-world settings help students see the connections between research and social work practice. The Ninth Edition continues to incorporate coverage of evidence-based practice, and aligns with other accreditation requirements based on the EPAS guidelines. It can be used across undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels of study.

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Meet the Authors

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Allen Rubin

Allen Rubin has been doing and teaching research since 1976, when he received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He taught social work research at the University of Texas at Austin from 1979 through 2013 and at the University of Houston from 2013 through 2024. Renowned in social work, Dr. Rubin has written several research texts, published numerous research studies on social work practice and is a past president of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Earl R. Babbie

Dr. Earl Babbie is the Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University in Southern California. He taught sociology at the University of Hawaii from 1968 through 1979 and took time off from teaching and research to write full time for eight years. He then joined the Chapman University faculty in 1987. Credited with defining research methods for the social sciences, Dr. Babbie has written several texts, including THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, as well as numerous research articles and monographs. For 25 years he has been active in the American Sociological Association, where he served on the executive committee. He is also a past president of the Pacific Sociological Association and the California Sociological Association. Dr. Babbie received his A.B. from Harvard and his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.

What's New

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  • More reader friendly than ever, the Ninth Edition of this bestseller includes new graphics, photos, figures, illustrative boxes, and tables -- creating a lively presentation for visual learners. The more streamlined narrative also includes new transitional headings, which break longer sections of text into more digestible segments.
  • Thoroughly revised and completely up to date, the Ninth Edition delivers expanded coverage of mixed-methods designs, scale development, LGBTQ populations, meta-analysis, inferring causality in epidemiological research, how to conduct focus group interviewing and successful program evaluations, and how advances in technology are affecting surveys and qualitative research.
  • A new appendix helps students critically appraise meta-analyses as part of the evidence-based practice process. Also, the appendices on using the library and on random numbers have been updated to make them more consistent with today's online world.
  • The chapter on program evaluation has been revised significantly to put more emphasis on helping students learn how to conduct successful evaluations.
  • Coverage of inferential data analysis has been streamlined and improved, in part by removing the content that is much more likely to be covered in statistics courses. As a result, the Ninth Edition has one chapter on this topic instead of two, retaining and combining the content most relevant to research methods courses.

Features

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  • RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK offers a balance of quantitative and qualitative research methods that equips students with insight into both methodological approaches. Rather than presenting a divisive or unbalanced picture, the authors demonstrate how quantitative and qualitative methods can complement one another and can be integrated in mixed-methods studies.
  • To ensure student comprehension, the text uses multiple examples that illustrate the material and its relevance for practice. The authors focus on applications to social work practice, including material on gender- and minority-related research and coverage of cross-cultural research.
  • Helping students optimize their study efforts, each chapter provides helpful learning aids, including chapter outlines and overviews, "Main Points," review questions and exercises, and clarifying charts, graphs, and screened examples. In addition, boxed features bring research content to life, illustrating its relevance to social work and its utility in informing social work practice.
  • The text incorporates the most current Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), as recommended by the Council on Social Work Education.
  • The authors are highly regarded in their respective fields. A widely respected leader in social work, Allen Rubin is a past president of the Society for Social Work and Research. Earl Babbie is well respected in sociology and is the author of the best-selling research methods text in sociology.

Table of Contents

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Part I: AN INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY IN SOCIAL WORK.
1. Why Study Research?
2. Evidence-Based Practice.
3. Factors Influencing the Research Process.
4. Comparing Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods of Inquiry.
Part II: THE ETHICAL, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH.
5. The Ethics and Politics of Social Work Research.
6. Culturally Competent Research.
Part III: PROBLEM FORMULATION AND MEASUREMENT.
7. Problem Formulation.
8. Conceptualization in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry.
9. Measurement.
10. Constructing Measurement Instruments.
Part IV: DESIGNS FOR EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND PRACTICE.
11. Causal Inference and Experimental Designs.
12. Quasi-Experimental Designs.
13. Single-Case Evaluation Designs.
14. Program Evaluation.
Part V: DATA-COLLECTION METHODS WITH LARGE SOURCES OF DATA.
15. Sampling.
16. Survey Research.
17. Analyzing Existing Data: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods.
Part VI: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS.
18. Qualitative Research: General Principles.
19. Qualitative Research: Specific Methods.
20. Qualitative Data Analysis.
Part VII: ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE DATA.
21. Descriptive Data Analysis.
22. Inferential Data Analysis.
Part VIII: WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS AND REPORTS.
23. Writing Research Proposals and Reports.
Appendix A: Using the Library.
Appendix B: Statistics for Estimating Sampling Error.
Appendix C: Critically Appraising Meta-Analyses.

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MindTap
Each MindTap product offers the full, mobile-ready textbook combined with superior and proven learning tools at one affordable price. Students who purchase digital access can add a print option at any time when a print option is available for their course.

This Cengage solution can be seamlessly integrated into most Learning Management Systems (Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and more) but does require a different ISBN for access codes. Please work with your Cengage Learning Consultant to ensure the proper course set up and ordering information. For additional information, please visit the LMS Integration site.

Standalone Digital Access — Ultimate Value

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  • ISBN-10: 1305870263
  • ISBN-13: 9781305870260
  • RETAIL $99.95
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Textbook Only Options

Traditional eBook and Print Options

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  • ISBN-10: 0357692179
  • ISBN-13: 9780357692172
  • RETAIL $77.95

  • ISBN-10: 1305633822
  • ISBN-13: 9781305633827
  • RETAIL $250.95
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Supplements

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Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

FOR INSTRUCTORS

MindTap Social Work, 1 term (6 months) Instant Access for Rubin/Babbie's Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work

ISBN: 9781305870260
MindTap Social Work for Rubin/Babbie's Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work, 9th Edition is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course—to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual, and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. MindTap gives you complete ownership of your content and learning experience. MindTap provides the eBook and corresponding assignments, including video examples, case studies and practice exercises, that help your students understand and master the core content. Customize the interactive syllabi, emphasize the most important topics, and add your own material or notes in the eBook.

FOR STUDENTS

MindTap Social Work, 1 term (6 months) Instant Access for Rubin/Babbie's Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work

ISBN: 9781305870260
MindTap Social Work for Rubin/Babbie's Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work, 9th Edition is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course—to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual, and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. MindTap gives you complete ownership of your content and learning experience. MindTap provides the eBook and corresponding assignments, including video examples, case studies and practice exercises, that help your students understand and master the core content. Customize the interactive syllabi, emphasize the most important topics, and add your own material or notes in the eBook.