Qualitative Research in Social Work

Assembles papers from leading academics and professionals on the subject of the recent trend toward qualitative study, which relies on small sample groups and interview data to best capture the context and complexity of social work practice.

Within the last several years, the issue of quantitative vs. qualitative research methods has become an important and controversial subject of debate within the field of social work. While traditional quantitative studies have predominated in social work research, many scholars and practitioners in the field believe that qualitative studies better capture the context, complexity and change processes inherent in social work practice. In this, the first book of its kind, Sherman and Reid assemble papers from leading scholars of the social work profession, academic, and professional, presenting the debate in all its fascinating complexity. The book is organized into five parts: Qualitative Methods in Contemporary Social Work, Qualitative Approaches to Evaluation, Issues and Exemplars of Qualitative Research, Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods, and the final part dealing with epistemological issues concerning the nature, scope, and reliability of claims to knowledge building and testing in social work.