Research & Evaluation Flashcards

Which research design is considered the gold standard for determining cause-and-effect relationships?

Answer: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Randomized controlled trials use random assignment to experimental and control groups, allowing researchers to establish causal relationships with the greatest confidence.

In research, 'reliability' refers to:

Answer: The consistency of a measurement instrument across repeated uses

Reliability is the degree to which a measure produces consistent results when used repeatedly under the same conditions.

Which of the following is an example of qualitative research in social work?

Answer: In-depth interviews exploring the experiences of homeless veterans

Qualitative research, such as in-depth interviews, seeks to understand experiences, meanings, and perspectives through non-numerical data.

In a research study, the group that does NOT receive the treatment or intervention is called the:

Answer: Control group

The control group serves as the comparison baseline, receiving no treatment or the standard treatment, allowing researchers to isolate the effect of the intervention.

Which type of sampling method involves selecting every nth person from a list?

Answer: Systematic sampling

Systematic sampling selects participants at regular intervals (every nth case) from a list or population, providing a structured form of random-like sampling.

In program evaluation, 'fidelity' refers to:

Answer: The degree to which a program is implemented as originally designed

Implementation fidelity measures how closely a program follows its intended model, which is critical for accurately evaluating program effectiveness.