FREE MSW Master of Social Work Social Work Research and Policy Questions and Answers

Question 1

A social worker at a community agency wants to determine if a new 10-week job skills training program is effective.
Due to logistical and ethical constraints, the social worker cannot randomly assign participants to the program or a control group.
Which research design is MOST appropriate for evaluating the program's effectiveness under these circumstances?

Accepted Answer

Quasi-experimental design

Answer

True experimental design

Answer

Qualitative case study

Answer

Single-subject design

Question 2

An agency has received a grant to develop a new program aimed at reducing social isolation among older adults in a specific community. What is the essential FIRST step the agency should take in the program development and evaluation process?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a community needs assessment

Answer

Develop an outcome evaluation plan

Answer

Secure long-term operational funding

Answer

Recruit and hire program staff

Question 3

A school social worker observes that a disproportionate number of students from a low-income neighborhood are facing disciplinary action due to tardiness, which is often caused by unreliable public transportation. Beyond providing direct services, which of the following actions represents a macro-level policy advocacy effort?

Accepted Answer

Presenting data to the city transit authority to advocate for revised bus routes and schedules.

Answer

Running a support group for students struggling with disciplinary action.

Answer

Teaching students self-advocacy skills to discuss issues with teachers.

Answer

Creating a resource list of alternative transportation for families.

Question 4

A social worker is committed to using an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) model to inform their clinical decisions. According to the widely accepted definition, EBP involves the careful integration of which three core components?

Accepted Answer

Best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and client values and preferences

Answer

Agency policies, therapist's intuition, and client's financial resources

Answer

Supervisor's recommendations, peer-reviewed articles, and community standards

Answer

The DSM-5-TR, state licensing laws, and social work ethical codes

Question 5

A researcher wants to study the service needs of individuals who are engaged in sex work, a population that can be difficult to access through public listings. The researcher starts by interviewing a few individuals from a local outreach center and then asks them to refer others they know who might participate. This sampling method is known as:

Accepted Answer

Snowball sampling

Answer

Simple random sampling

Answer

Stratified sampling

Answer

Convenience sampling

Question 6

A clinical social worker wants to track a single client's progress in reducing the frequency of panic attacks after introducing a new cognitive-behavioral intervention. The social worker collects baseline data for three weeks (Phase A), introduces the intervention (Phase B), and continues to track the frequency of panic attacks. This research approach is best described as a:

Accepted Answer

Single-subject research design

Answer

Longitudinal study

Answer

Randomized controlled trial

Answer

Cross-sectional study