Finding and Evaluating Evidence: Systematic Reviews and Evidence-Based Practice

110 Pages·2011·0.35 MB·English

by  Denise E. Bronson, Tamara S. Davis

Finding and Evaluating Evidence
POCKET GUIDES TO
SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH METHODS
Series Editor
Tony Tripodi, DSW
Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University
Determining Sample Size Developing and Validating Rapid
Balancing Power, Precision, and Assessment Instruments
Practicality Neil Abell, David W. Springer, and
Patrick Dattalo Akihito Kamata
Preparing Research Articles Clinical Data-Mining
Bruce A. Thyer Integrating Practice and Research
Irwin Epstein
Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analysis Strategies to Approximate Random
Julia H. Littell, Jacqueline Corcoran, Sampling and Assignment
and Vijayan Pillai Patrick Dattalo
Historical Research Analyzing Single System Design Data
Elizabeth Ann Danto William R. Nugent
Confi rmatory Factor Analysis Survival Analysis
Donna Harrington Shenyang Guo
Randomized Controlled Trials The Dissertation
Design and Implementation for From Beginning to End
Community-Based Psychosocial Peter Lyons and Howard J. Doueck
Interventions Cross-Cultural Research
Phyllis Solomon, Mary M. Jorge Delva, Paula Allen-Meares, and
Cavanaugh, and Jeffrey Draine Sandra L. Momper
Needs Assessment S econdary Data Analysis
David Royse, Michele Staton-Tindall, T homas P. Vartanian
Karen Badger, and
Narrative Inquiry
J. Matthew Webster
Kathleen Wells
Multiple Regression with Discrete
Structural Equation Modeling
Dependent Variables
Natasha K. Bowen and Shenyang Guo
John G. Orme and Terri
Combs-Orme Policy Creation and Evaluation
Understanding Welfare Reform
Developing Cross-Cultural
in the United States
Measurement
Richard Hoefer
Thanh V. Tran
Finding and Evaluating Evidence
Intervention Research
Systematic Reviews and
Developing Social Programs
Evidence-Based Practice
Mark W. Fraser, Jack M. Richman,
Denise E. Bronson and
Maeda J. Galinsky, and Steven H. Day
Tamara S. Davis
DENISE E. BRONSON
TAMARA S. DAVIS
Finding and Evaluating
Evidence
Systematic Reviews and
Evidence-Based Practice
1
1
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____________________________________________
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bronson, Denise E.
Finding and evaluating evidence : systematic reviews and evidence-based
practice / Denise E. Bronson, Tamara S. Davis.
p. cm. — (Pocket guides to social work research methods)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-533736-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Social work—Research.
2. Evidence-based social work. I. Davis, Tamara S. II. Title.
HV11.B834 2011
363.25—dc23
2011022120
____________________________________________
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
Contents
1 Systematic Reviews, Evidence-Based Practice,
and Social Work 3
2 Asking the Right Questions, Preparing a Protocol,
and Finding the Relevant Research 14
3 Critically Appraising the Quality and Credibility of Quantitative
Research for Systematic Reviews 38
4 The Art and Science of Managing and Summarizing
the Available Research 50
5 Systematic Reviews of Qualitative Research 57
6 Assessing the Quality of Systematic Reviews 76
Glossary 87
References 91
Index 101
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Finding and Evaluating Evidence
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1
Systematic Reviews, Evidence-
Based Practice, and Social Work
USING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Efforts to employ best practices in social work require a working knowl-
edge of what works, with whom, and in which settings. Practitioners
need access to information on the most effective interventions for the
settings in which they work and some indication of whether they can
expect the same results if they implement the intervention with their
clients. But fi nding relevant research and obtaining access to unbiased
summaries of the research literature have not been easy.
Proctor and her colleagues (Proctor, 1998 ; Rosen, Proctor, & Staudt,
1 999) examined the contents of 13 social work journals from 1993 to
1997 to determine if the empirical research reported in the articles was
relevant to practice and whether the empirical articles that were found
provided enough detail to actually guide the practitioners’ behavior in
selecting and implementing an intervention. They concluded that a prac-
titioner would have to read 14 research articles before fi nding one that
offered fi ndings on intervention outcomes, and of those that did provide
outcome information, even fewer provided enough information to guide
3