Includes bibliographical references (p. 347-352) and index.

Introduction to scientific inquiry in social work -- Why study research? -- Evidence-based practice -- Factors influencing the research process -- Problem formulation and measurement -- Reviewing literature and developing research questions -- Conceptualization in quantitative and qualitative inquiry -- Measurement in quantitative and qualitative inquiry -- Quantitative and qualitative measurement instruments -- Sampling and surveys -- Surveys -- Sampling: quantitative and qualitative approaches -- Designs for evaluating programs and practice -- Experiments and quasi-experiments -- Single-case evaluation designs -- Program evaluation -- Additional qualitative and quantitative research methods -- Additional methods in qualitative inquiry -- Analyzing availarble records: quantitative and qualitative methods -- Ethical and cultural issues in social work research -- Ethical issues in social work research -- Culturally competent research -- Data analysis -- Quantitative data analysis -- Qualitative data analysis - Writing research proposals -- Writing social work research reports.