LMSW LMSW Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which research design involves randomly assigning participants to either a treatment or control group to test an intervention's effectiveness?
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Case study
- Ethnography
- Grounded theory
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the gold standard for testing intervention effectiveness because random assignment minimizes selection bias.
Question 2: In evidence-based practice (EBP), which of the following is the FIRST step a social worker should take?
- Search the literature for evidence
- Formulate a well-built question from the client's problem (Correct answer)
- Apply findings to the client's situation
- Evaluate the outcome
Correct answer: Formulate a well-built question from the client's problem
The EBP process begins with formulating a clear, answerable question derived from the client's presenting problem before searching for evidence.
Question 3: Which level of measurement assigns numbers to categories with no implied ranking or order?
- Ordinal
- Interval
- Ratio
- Nominal (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Nominal
Nominal measurement classifies variables into mutually exclusive categories (e.g., gender, race) with no inherent order or numerical meaning.
Question 4: A social worker reviews multiple studies on a topic and combines their statistical results into one overall estimate. This is called a:
- Systematic review
- Meta-analysis (Correct answer)
- Narrative review
- Content analysis
Correct answer: Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis statistically combines results from multiple studies to produce a single, more precise estimate of an effect.
Question 5: Which qualitative research method involves a researcher living within a community to understand its culture and practices from an insider perspective?
- Phenomenology
- Grounded theory
- Ethnography (Correct answer)
- Case study
Correct answer: Ethnography
Ethnography involves immersive, long-term observation within a community to understand cultural norms, behaviors, and meanings from the participants' viewpoint.
Question 6: Internal validity in a research study is MOST threatened by which of the following?
- A small sample size
- Lack of random selection from the population
- Pre-existing differences between comparison groups (Correct answer)
- Using a self-report survey
Correct answer: Pre-existing differences between comparison groups
Pre-existing differences between groups (selection bias) threaten internal validity by making it unclear whether the intervention—not those differences—caused the outcome.
LMSW LMSW Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice 1
Which research design involves randomly assigning participants to either a treatment or control group to test an intervention's effectiveness?