SWM5112 Research for social work practice
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
SWM5112 Research for social work practice is a level 5, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2023 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit.
- Credit points
- 12
- Offered in 2023
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
This is the 2023 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before SWM5112
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
- SWM5105Social work practice and research
After SWM5112
1 unit list SWM5112 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Must be enrolled in postgraduate course.
Overview
In all fields of contemporary social work, practitioners need the skills to effectively understand, generate and integrate research knowledge, including valuing knowledge from other sources. In this unit you will develop your knowledge and understanding of research and the role it plays in the delivery of evidence-informed practice (EIP).
You will learn to be a consumer: to critique and integrate best practice evidence with client culture, preferences, needs and circumstances, to inform responses. You will also learn how to be a critically minded producer of research, with an emphasis on research in practice: understanding and analysing needs, and evaluating and developing programs. The unit will explore ethical and practice-oriented research methods, presenting a structured approach to the implementation of a research proposal. Students will learn the language and terminology of research, within a critical thinking framework.
Offerings in 2023
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| First semester | Caulfield | Block off |
Assessment
- 1. Skills exercises: developing answerable questions (1,500 words)20%
- Quality appraisal of research (2,000 words)20%
- Literature review (2,500 words)30%
- Research proposal (3,000 words)30%
- Mandatory attendanceCompetency hurdle-
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Create practical and applied research questions related to social work, using a range of sources of knowledge.
- 2
Prepare and implement appropriate search strategies to locate relevant evidence.
- 3
Appraise the quality and applicability of evidence to guide social work interventions or assessment, and research.
- 4
Interpret and synthesise evidence to provide guidance for effective decision making.
- 5
Distinguish between a range of data collection and analytic methods, so as to be able to select approaches relevant to the practice issue and culturally relevant for the research area.
- 6
Design a social work practice research project that is methodologically rigorous, feasible and ethical.
- 7
Identify the ethical issues (including cultural ethical issues) relevant to the conduct of research for social work practice, and devise appropriate strategies to manage these concerns, balancing promoting rights and protections
- 8
Effectively communicate findings to peers and relevant professionals
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Workshops7 hours
12 hours of teacher directed study per week, including a 1 hour seminar and 2 hour tutorial; remaining hours involve directed readings and class preparation, along with guided reflection and consolidation activities. 12 hours per week of self-directed study.
Learning resources
Required resources
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Rebecca Featherston
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Catherine Flynn
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for SWM5112?
SWM5112 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after SWM5112?
SWM5112 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including SWM5170.
When is SWM5112 offered?
In 2023, SWM5112 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
Does SWM5112 have an exam?
No. SWM5112 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.