SWN019 Research for Social Change

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

All qualified social workers need to appreciate the relevance of research for practice, including meaningful and broadly understood evidence-based practice. Research informs practice decision-making about reach, efficacy and the wellbeing of the organisations in which this takes place. Critical research is also foundational for advocacy and social change. In this unit you will design a research project, focussing on the research proposal. In the subsequent research unit, SWN020, you will build on this learning and carry out a research project using one of three methodologies: systematic literature review; critical reflection; or critical discourse analysis. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Locate, access, critique and communicate appropriate academic literature related to your field of interest, while developing your online research skills
2. Apply ethical standards for the conduct of human research in the design of a research project
3. Design a research project that is logical and coherent and has clear links between the research problem, the question, and the methods of data analysis
4. Critically apply knowledge of social research principles and methods and other forms of inquiry, including participatory approaches, that align with social work values and ethics to a research problem relevant to social work

Content

Learning Approaches

A teaching and learning approach will offer a mix of face-to-face and online workshops, and self-directed activities in between workshops. In the workshops, small group exercises and discussions will be used, requiring the application of relevant theory and methods. Peer review will be emphasised as a critical part of iteratively developing research proposals. A tutorial program will provide additional support throughout the semester.

Career development and employability: 

There is an emphasis on you developing 'real world' research skills including but not limited to:

- Selecting a topic area that focuses on real-world, significant social issue or practice concern. 

- Critical thinking and analysis,

- Design of a viable and theoretically coherent research proposal

- Showing how you might use such a proposal in your future practice post graduation. 

- Peer networking made available through the on-campus, in-person workshops, and various social media groupings. 

- In class group discussions offer opportunities to share you work in progress to give and get peer feedback. 

All these activities are part of wider discussions of social work research careers and your future practitioner roles, which also incorporate these research skills. 

Embedded support for learning: Student Success and Library staff assist the delivery of this unit to offer support to both individuals and groups. Weekly postings of the Student Success offerings are made through the unit's online learning platform and the Library Liaison person is on hand to assist with the sourcing of learning materials and show you how to use various data bases after this session. Roundtable discussions in tutorials are run by academics to assist students to develop their research ideas and methodologies.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be given formative feedback on your research ideas and initial design, and written feedback on your written piece of assessment: the research design. Peer review will be an important part of the feedback cycle, with opportunity for students to share their ideas and receive constructive feedback from each other in class.

Assessment

Overview

Research is one of the six modes of social work practice.There are two related items of assessment for this unit. The presentation will assist you in developing your ideas and methods for the completion of the research proposal.

Authentic assessment:

Both assessment items in this unit are authentic. 

1. Presentation of research plan: The authentic role you will be occupying is a social work researcher. You will present your ideas of a critical research question on a real-world social issue or practice concern, along with a plan of investigation. Your presentation plan will include relevant literature located via appropriate research databases and outline the purpose and method of investigation. Your plan will be delivered to your group in a roundtable format where you will receive formative feedback from academics and peers and will prepare you for developing your research proposal. There will be discussions on the use of artificial intelligence and how that may assist in your developing design and the limitations of the use of that technology for the writing of your proposal.

2. Research Proposal: The authentic role you will be occupying is a social work researcher. Based on the identified need you discover from your literature review, you will write a research proposal on a real-world social issue or practice concern. The ability to write a literature review as part of the proposal develops your ability to identify relevant literature, assess its quality, and synthesise key ideas, arguments, findings in a clear and convincing manner. Similar writing skills are necessary for future employment, such as funding submissions, evaluation reports, and research projects. These skills will assist you to perform as a social worker, even when you are working on the frontline because this is where you can identify the gaps and you need research to assist with the changes that need to be made in line with social justice principles. Using relevant design and research methods you will explain your rationale for your study and how you will conduct your study in the sister unit, SWN020 Practice Research Project. This is authentic because social work graduates must meet AQF9, which means you are able to develop a theoretically coherent and viable study to address an important social issue. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Presentation of research plan

As a social work researcher, you will present a research plan on a real-world social issue or practice concern of your choice. Using relevant literature located via appropriate research databases and accessing relevant AI technologies your plan will provide a synthesis of relevant research in terms of their scope, methods and findings, and will identify a research problem or issue that would benefit from further investigation.

Assessment: Research Proposal

As a social work researcher, you will develop a detailed research proposal that will investigate your identified research problem. You will provide a rationale for the research project and will choose from one of three methods, critical systematic literature review, critical reflection, critical discourse analysis, to investigate your topic. Your 3,500 word proposal will provide a template for conducting your chosen project in SWN020, and will include your identified research questions and aims, description and justification of an appropriate methodology, data analysis, timeframe and ethical considerations relevant to the conduct of the proposed research.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Alston, M., & Bowles, W. (2018). Research for Social Workers 4th ed. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Risk Assessment Statement

No out of the ordinary risks are associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

SW81 Master of Social Work - Qualifying

1. Critically evaluate and apply critical social work theories, knowledge and skills that reflect the professional standards of the discipline and identify with the values and ethics that guide professional practice, including the recognition of diversity, human rights and promotion of social equality and justice.
   Relates to: Presentation of research plan, Research Proposal
2. Formulate strategies for engaging in critical thinking, decision making, critically reflective and culturally safe practice to create innovative and contextually responsive interventions that work towards emancipatory change.
   Relates to: Research Proposal
3. Apply digital capabilities while accessing and evaluating relevant bodies of knowledge that guide collaborative, intra- and inter-professional practice with diverse populations (individual, groups, communities) to promote and advancing socially just outcomes.
   Relates to: Presentation of research plan, Research Proposal
4. Practise professional integrity, and effective written, oral and digital communication to analyse and convey complex information and build productive relationships across diverse stakeholders to promote ethical social work practice.
   Relates to: Research Proposal