Social Work Research
Problem Formulation
Fall 2024
LEE Juyeon
Different categorization of research
• Based on purposes
• Exploration and Description
• about less-researched phenomena
• Explanation
• about relationships among variables (implicitly or explicitly causal)
• Evaluation
+ Measurement development and validation
+ Review of the existing literature
Different categorization of research
• Based on study designs
• Experimental or quasi-experimental
• Researchers can control IV (e.g., intervention condition) and observe DV
• Non-experimental or observational
• Researchers have no control on any variables, but just observe their
relationships (e.g., through surveys)
Different categorization of research
• Based on time dimension
• Cross-sectional
• Snapshot at a particular time point
• Can ask about past experiences retrospectively
• Longitudinal (or prospective)
How to keep
• Cohort studies (following the same cohort over time) consistency
over time?
• Panel studies (following the same participants over time)
Different categorization of research
• Based on the nature of data How to
distinguish
• Quantitative quant vs. qual?
• Qualitative
• Mixed-methods Want more
examples
Research questions and hypothesis
• Main variables
• Independent variables (or predictors, X)
• Dependent variables (or outcomes, Y)
• Relationships between variables
• Positive
• Negative
• Curvilinear
Research questions and hypothesis
How to identify
• Other roles of variables extraneous
variables?
• Extraneous variables (or confounders)
• Variables that explain the spurious relationship between IV and DV
• Mediating variables
• Variables that explain the effects of IV on DV
• Moderating variables
• Variables that change the effects of IV on DV
Research questions and hypothesis
• Other roles of variables
IV DV IV DV IV DV
? ? ?
Something to Why and For whom and
be controlled How? under what
condition?
Research questions and hypothesis
• Example
Choi, C., Lee, J., Yoo, M. S., & Ko, E. (2019). South Korean children’s academic achievement and subjective well-being:
The mediation of academic stress and the moderation of perceived fairness of parents and teachers. Children and
Youth Services Review, 100, 22-30. [Link]
Measurement
• Directly observables Difference between
indirectly observables
• Indirectly observables and constructs?
• Constructs
• If we want to quantitatively study about “constructs”,
operationalization is required with some observable indicators
Measurement
What’s the
difference between
operationalization
and data collection
processes?
Adcock & Collier (2001)
Measurement Should we mention
the level of
measurement in
• Nominal: qualitatively different categories our research
(e.g., group membership) proposal?
• Ordinal: categories that could be ranked
(e.g., Likert scales)
• Interval: numbers with equal intervals
(e.g., standardized test scores)
• Ratio: numbers with a true zero point
(e.g., time, count, size, money)
Measurement
• Many good questions about measurement, like
• Is it better to use multiple measurement methods?
• How to choose suitable measurement tools?
• To be continued in the next session
Literature review
• How to start a good research project?
• How to narrow down a big topic to a specific research
question?
• How to come up with good research questions?
“If I have seen further,
it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”
Isaac Newton (1675)
Literature review
• Use Google Scholar for general search (using Advanced search
function) and get access to full-text through HKU Library
• Look for some review papers (e.g., systematic reviews and/or
meta-analysis)
• Look for highly cited foundational studies
• Look for ”recent” studies (e.g., within 3-5 years)
• Prioritize publications from ”good-quality” journals
• For journal metrics: you can refer to [Link]
[Link]/jcr/home
Quiz review
Quiz review
• Q1 (84%) Why would a researcher do exploratory research?
• A. to double check previous research about the phenomenon
• B. to gain new insight about the phenomenon
• C. to research a phenomenon that occurred in the past
• D. to test a research hypothesis about the new phenomenon
Quiz review
• Q6 (89%) What is the process of defining the exact way you
plan to measure the concept?
• A. conceptualization
• B. instrument
• C. definition
• D. operationalization
Quiz review
• Q8 (89%) A Likert-type scale (e.g., asking if someone is not
satisfied, a little satisfied, satisfied, or very satisfied with
their cable service) is an example of which measurement
level?
• A. nominal
• B. ordinal
• C. ratio
• D. interval
Quiz review
• Q6 (92%) ______ variables have an effect on the dependent
and independent variables but are not included in a main
research question.
• A. Extraneous
• B. Extemporaneous
• C. Effect
• D. Experimental
Q&A
Learning by doing
together
Proposed research questions
• How sustainable and effective is the intervention on children
with ADHD after 4 weeks of workshops based on coping
strategies? (SENsational)
• Is IFS more effective than CBT in enhancing parent-child
bondings among single-parent family? (Inner circle)
• Is cognitive-behavioral therapy conducted by school social
workers an effective intervention for secondary school
students at risk of suicide? (Anti-suicide squad)
Proposed research questions
• To what extent does suicide prevention hotline services
effective in reducing suicidal behaviours among adolescents
in Hong Kong? (Chat gpt)
• Effectiveness of “School-based After School Care Service
Scheme" to alleviate family caregivers’ level of burnout. /
The impact of “School-based After School Care Service
Scheme" on caregiving strain and perceived social support
among caregivers of schoolchildren of lower SES background.
(Who cares?)
Proposed research questions
• Does “Aging in Place” (vs. residential care) enhances the
wellbeing of elderly of health care needs in Hong Kong? (R.I.P.)
• The Transitional Housing’s Effectiveness on Improving Low SES
Families' Living Quality (75 [Link])
• The effectiveness of current public dental service policy in
addressing the needs of disadvantaged elderlies in Hong Kong?
(Dental elf)
• To what extent does HKSAR Government’s "Racial Diversity
Employment Programme " enhance employment status and
stability of Ethnic Minority in Hong Kong? (M&M)
Proposed research questions
• Will the quality of interpersonal relationship affect depressive
symptoms in young adults? (MSW8.6)
• To what extent is mental health literacy correlated with youth
mental health in Hong Kong? Or What is the relationship
between mental health literacy and mental health outcomes
among youth in Hong Kong? (Shall we talk?)
• What are the key barriers to implementing effective "aging in
place" programs for the elderly in Hong Kong? / How can existing
community care services be redesigned or optimized to better
support these programs? (H.O.M.E.)
Some notes for group project
• The final deliverable is a research proposal (no data will be
collected in reality)
• How important is it to propose a feasible study? What if it
turns out to be not feasible?
• How to better prepare the research proposal?
Group discussion
• What is the status of existing literature regarding your research
problem?
• What is the purpose of your proposed research?
• Refine your research question, considering the following:
• What are the main variables of interest? And their relationships?
• What are some potential extraneous variables or confounders?
• Are you interested in any moderator or mediator?
• Can/will you control your IV? Will you need cross-sectional or
longitudinal data? Quantitative or qualitative data or both?
Thank you!