Open Educational Resources (OERs): Social Work

Scientific Inquiry in Social Work is an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the design, interpret quantitative or qualitative results, and disseminate their findings to a variety of audiences.

Graduate Research Methods in Social Work textbook guides students, step-by-step through the process of conducting a student research project--conducting a literature review, conceptualizing a research question, designing a research project, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, as well as disseminating results to academic and lay audiences. The textbook emphasizes ethics, cultural humility, social justice, information literacy, and feasibility as core components of the research process.

This course will explore theoretical perspectives in Social Work to help provide a foundation for organizing thoughts about client needs and issues they are seeking supports for. Theories will then be connected to important developmental, social, and cultural issues that present throughout each stage of life to create an overall picture of a client’s experience and how we can use this information to have a better understanding of how people we work with are influenced and why. Knowledge of typical development in each stage of life will also inform the Social Worker if any other supports, resources, or services may be needed.

This textbook will help students and instructors alike explore human behavior and how it is shaped and impacted by both traditional and non-traditional paradigms. This text will also support the reader in having a deeper understanding of how the environment, in all of its complexity, can affect individuals, families, groups, and communities.

This 468 page book covers all of the major stages and domains of development. The book begins with a detailed overview of the field of lifespan development and then goes into great depth on the common issues and areas of interest for each major stage.

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book's subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.

A selection of lectures, modules, and other course materials for social work and related disciplines.

Learning materials, exercises, and case studies contributed by the Merlot community.