Developing the Research Approach and Design

The State of Ohio is facing an unprecedented opioid epidemic which has far reaching effects. Policies and programs are urgently needed to effectively address this crisis. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is hosting a statewide meeting on February 14, 2017 called, “Ideas in Motion – Fighting Ohio’s Drug Epidemic” (Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General, 2017).  He is bringing a variety of service providers, public safety officials, community leaders, the medical community and other citizens interested in collaborating strategies to respond to the current crisis.

Utilizing a qualitative design and ethnographic approach, this study aims to explore the lived experiences of foster families who are caring for children who were neglected, abused or abandoned by parents or primary caregivers addicted to opioids in an effort to develop policies and programs needed to support these children as they heal and move forward.

This research project will be carried out by collaboration with a foster care agency. The agency will locate ten foster families who are interested in being interviewed for this purpose. Upon consent of the IRB and all necessary parties, this researcher will interview each family in depth about their lived experiences with these children. This researcher will also observe these children in their natural environments, and if permitted, interview their teachers to learn about how their academics and education are being impacted by their experiences. Finally, this researcher proposes to interview the children directly to ask them what they think they need to feel supported on their healing journey.

When developing policies and procedures, it is crucial to seek input from the people who are directly impacted. By interviewing these families and children directly, valuable information will be gained to contribute to the ongoing dialogue in the State of Ohio concerning the necessary strategies to address the opioid epidemic. We are in unchartered territory, and novel ideas are needed to respond in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Upon compilation of this information, it is this researcher’s goal to share the data with policymakers in the State of Ohio for valuable input as new policies and programs are created to most effectively benefit these children and families.

Source:

Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General. (2017). Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to host statewide meeting on heroin epidemic. Retrieved from: http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/February-2017/Ohio-Attorney-General-Mike-DeWine-to-Host-Statewid

How I plan to organize my honors research thesis!

I have never undertaken a project nearly as large as this upcoming honors thesis! It feels quite intimidating and I am currently filled with anxiety about managing it. However, I am grateful that Dr. Audrey Begun recently shared her method for organizing a major research paper, and I intend to adopt her method.

This method involves drafting an outline of the research paper using the APA style. The introduction section will include the significance of the problem I intend to address, a review of the literature and theory, and my hypotheses and/or research question.

The next section will be a discussion of the methods used for the research. This will include the IRB statement and description of the subjects of the research, the measures and procedures utilized.

Next I will review the results of the study, detailing how I arrived at the results and analysis of my hypotheses.

Finally, there will be a Discussion section to recap my major findings, relate my findings to the literature review as outlined in the Introduction, acknowledge any limitations or potential errors in my findings, and provide implications of my findings for practice settings, future research, etc.

There will of course be a Bibliography for all references, as well as any Tables and miscellenous topics.

What I like about Dr. Begun’s method of organizing this massive project is that she uses envelopes for each part of the outline. When I find information from the literature to incorporate into my reserach paper, I rewrite the information into my own words (or use direct quotes when necessary), then print, and using scissors, cut out each of the paragraphs to put in the corresponding envelopes.

As I search the literature, I will create an Excel file and draft a Reference list with all articles I intend to use. This list will be numbered and will correspond with the paragraphs that I cut out (so I know where the information came from).

When I write each section of my paper, I will go to the specific envelope for that section, and assemble the various paragrahs in order of how I want the paper to flow. Subheadings will be created to help me organize the sections in a way that makes the paper easy to read and understand. When I find gaps of missing information, I go back to the literature and repeat the earlier steps.

This all sounds a bit confusing, and I will likely need further clarification from Dr. Begun. Ultimately, this process helps break down an overwhelming project into small, manageable steps. This reduces my stress and gives me more confidence as I embark on this adventure. Thank you Dr. Begun!

The 2016 Fall Honors Research Semester in Review

As this Fall semester winds down, I am grateful for all I learned and experienced in the Honors Research class this semester. My professor, Arati Maleku, MSW, Ph.D., shared her amazing depth of wisdom and experience to bring this class to life. She transmitted her respect and appreciation for the importance of critical thinking, credible, valid research, and an evidence-based Social Work practice. She used real world examples to help us see the application beyond the classroom.

Dr. Maleku taught us the necessity of grounding our research in theory so we can orient goal setting and anticipate outcomes within our practice. We learned how asking the right question is the beginning of the research journey, and the various landscapes that will arise as the answers become more apparent.  Both PICO and COPES create a solid framework for our questions, and help guide us on our journey. We learned about the different types of research, and when and why they are utilized. I learned about Literature and Systemic reviews, and how they open up new worlds of information. Finally, we ventured a bit into the challenging world of statistics and how instrumental it is for making sense of the data.

I was very impresed with our Social Work librarian, Cynthia Preston, who paid us a visit to help illuminate the incredible, vast OSU library. Cynthia’s depth of knowledge and humor was perfect for helping us relax and trust that we will find our way. The amount of support available is a huge relief, and my feelings of overwhelment and anxiety were relieved by Cynthia’s presentation.

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Dr. Maleku’s assignments were very challenging, especially the research papers we wrote. She held us to a very high standard as honor students, which resulted in stretching myself, learning and growing more than I thought possible in these few short months. While I still have a long way to go to improve my research and writing skills, I am confident that I have the ability to succeed (which is already a major accomplishment for me!)

Finally, I was deeply honored and humbled to share this semester with a group of incredibly bright and gifted classmates! Each of these women have incredible potential to make a significant impact in the field of Social Work. I am so grateful to walk with them over the next 18 months, and to grow and shine with them. In spite of being an older, nontraditional student, they have each treated me with kindness and respect. I often sit in awe of their intelligence and wisdom in such young minds and bodies! In spite of the trepidation about what is to come, I look forward to watching our shared research thesis adventure unfold. In a very short time, we will all have grown in ways we cannot yet imagine, and I would bet we will be bonded for life by the time it is over.

Thank you Dr. Maleku for an amazing semester and start to my research project.

The strange new world of Statistics!

When I look back to the beginning of this semester, just starting the Discovering Evidence class, I had no idea what to expect, or where it would lead. However, now that I am diving deeper into the world of statistics, a very intimidating world of left-brain analysis, I am beginning to understand the power of numbers.

During the previous two semesters as I was learning Algebra, I repeatedly asked my professor, “What is all this for?” I could not make sense of it or imagine how it would be useful as a Social Worker. He took my questions seriously and explained that it was helping me slow down, become very detail oriented, analytical and thoughtful. I could see he was right, although I imagined other less stressful ways to gain those lessons.

Now I see that Algebra prepared me for understanding statistics. First, I know I have the capacity to learn a new mathematical language. Second, the critical thinking skills I learned in Algebra can be applied to statistics. Most importantly, I am relieved to know that statistics is a very useful and powerful tool that will be extremely applicable to being an effective therapist.

Statistics … the most important science in the whole world: for upon it depends the practical application of every other science and of every art; the one science essential to all political and social administration, all education, all organisation based upon experience, for it only gives the results of our experience.– Florence Nightingale

While I am still an infant in the world of statistics, it is slowly beginning to make sense as I build the foundation for my upcoming research project. As I consider the quantitative and qualitative research methods, I often wonder which one my project will fall under. I appreciate the qualitative method because it is creative, expressive and connected to the feelings and lived experiences of people. This is aligned with my right-brain style. However, I appreciate the nature of qualitative data and how useful it is for showing a cause and effect, correlative relationship between variables. I see that both are extremely important and useful based on the nature of the research.

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It has also been significant to begin to learn how to critically evaluate research studies. Assessing internal and external validity, the rigor and credibility of researchers, design studies, and reported outcomes are all imperative for making sound and ethical decisions about interventions. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are amazing sources of evidence based research and expanding one’s knowledge about a specific area of interest.

As I wind down the last two modules of my CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) web-based human research course, I am in awe of the thought and care that has gone into creating ethical guidelines for research on humans.  (I also long for the same thought and care in how we treat animals in research.) The Institutional Review Board (IRB), which ensures that research on humans is undertaken ethically and with integrity, is a symbol of our evolution as a species. It is chilling to consider the harm we have caused humans and animals in the name of science. It is also mind blowing to consider how far we’ve come, and the knowledge we’ve amassed just within the last 50 years. I’m grateful to know that our research is now grounded in ethics and care for protecting humans as we seek ever more answers to life’s perpetual mysteries.

With only a few short weeks left of this semester, I am amazed by how much I have already learned as a budding researcher. As my upcoming research project begins to come into focus, I know that the wisdom I am gaining from this Evidence class is the necessary foundation for what lies ahead over the next year. My understanding and appreciation of research and statistics are the crucial tools I need to develop and grow for a successful and rewarding outcome.

Progress in the classroom

It has been a fascinating semester so far, learning all about the science and research which drives an evidence-based Social Work practice. I greatly appreciate the profession of Social Work and how it has evolved over time to combine the wisdom and experience of practitioners with the growing science and research, to offer the highest level of service to clients.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning what constitutes an evidence-based practice and how to engage in the process of researching a question on behalf of a specific case or to expand general knowledge in the field. I’ve learned about the COPES and PICO methods, which are very potent for developing the research question. I see the immense value of developing Social Workers who are critical thinkers and empowered to contribute to their clients and the world through their unique lens.

I’ve learned about the various theories that are the foundation of guiding the Social Worker’s approach for treatment and service delivery. Each of the theories we’ve explored are fascinating perspectives for viewing and understanding the world through that particular lens. I can see that they each contribute a slightly different angle to explain human behavior and guide the Social Worker’s practice model.

Finally, our class has explored the various research methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative approaches. I’ve learned about the rigors of true experimental studies as well as the range of less rigorous studies, including quasi-experimental and non-experimental. I find it fascinating that research is a circular approach since causation can’t ever truly be concluded. It is a cycle of having a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, analyzing the data, which may lead to a new hypothesis, and the cycle starts again. The conclusions must be verified for reliability, due to the countless opportunities for error.

We are currently learning the language of statistics, which is like Greek to me at the moment. I’m reading the words, but it’s not making much sense. I understand how important it is for the Social Worker to be able to understand and properly interpret the statistical analysis of the research data, rather than blindly rely on the accuracy and validity of the reported results (which can be manipulated when it serves the researcher). Critical thinking is imperative if one is to offer the best approach to helping clients resolve their issues in a way that is tested and verified to be most helpful for their problems.

This is a summary of what I have learned thus far in the semester. It is a brand new world to me, and I am anxious about the challenges ahead. I am also grateful for the opportunity to expand my horizons, improve my critical thinking skills, and begin to prepare for my research project starting next semester.

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About Me!

I am a non-traditional student, in my Junior year at OSU, majoring in Social Work. It took me a long time, but I finally found the career of my heart and soul. Once I complete my Bachelor’s degree, I intend to pursue the one-year accelerated Master’s in SW if I am accepted into the program. I am still undecided on how I will use my degree, but I am hoping to work with children and families as well as offer conflict resolution services. I am also hoping to minor in Substance Misuse due to the widespread crisis of addiction.

I graduated in 1993 from Columbus State Community College with an Associates Degree from the paralegal program. I spent over 20 years working as a paralegal in a variety of areas of the law. My most recent paralegal job was working as an Advocate for people with disabilities, which I loved. However, when the managing attorney yelled at me that, “WE ARE NOT SOCIAL WORKERS!” I realized that I am- it is in my DNA. Shortly thereafter, I quit my job, left paradise, moved back to Ohio and started classes at OSU!

In my personal life, I’ve experienced a great amount of emotional suffering due to family related issues. My suffering catapulted me on a spiritual journey that resulted in healing on many levels. I was led to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where I spent nine amazing years. I became an Ordained Ministerial Counselor (spiritual, not religious), a yoga teacher and a Mediator. I discovered the life-changing work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication, and have spent several years integrating it into my life and sharing it with others. I have learned a great deal about healing my mind, body and soul, and am inspired to share this wisdom with others. Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional when we learn to recognize the source of our suffering.

I long to live in a world of Peace, where we recognize that we are One Human Family, and when we hurt others, we hurt ourselves; when we care for others, we care for ourselves. I want to be an agent of change, to work on the micro level, but also the macro level that affects policy changes. I see a broken, upside down world that does not work for the 99%. I know we can do better and I am here to help.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]