Research & Evaluation Flashcards

Which ethical principle in research requires that participation must be voluntary and informed?

Answer: Informed consent

Informed consent in research requires that participants voluntarily agree to participate after receiving full information about the study's purpose, risks, and their rights.

A 'needs assessment' in social work evaluation is primarily used to:

Answer: Identify gaps between current conditions and desired services in a community

A needs assessment systematically identifies unmet needs and service gaps within a community or population to inform program planning.

Which statistical concept indicates the probability that study results occurred by chance?

Answer: p-value

The p-value (probability value) indicates the probability that observed results occurred by chance alone; a p-value ≤ 0.05 is typically considered statistically significant.

Single-subject design (also called single-system design) is commonly used in social work to:

Answer: Monitor the progress and outcomes of individual clients over time

Single-subject design tracks an individual client's behavior or outcomes across baseline and intervention phases to assess the impact of treatment.

In evidence-based practice, a 'systematic review' is best described as:

Answer: A comprehensive synthesis of all available research on a specific question using rigorous methods

A systematic review uses explicit, replicable methods to identify, appraise, and synthesize all relevant studies on a defined research question.

Which of the following best describes 'validity' in research measurement?

Answer: The degree to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure

Validity refers to the accuracy of a measurement tool—whether it truly captures the concept it is designed to measure.