Problem
The steps at the heart of single-system (subject) research are part of the everyday practice of social work. Each day social workers implement interventions to meet clients' needs and monitor results. However, conducting proper single-system (subject) research entails far more than these simple day-to-day practices. Proper single-system research requires a high degree of knowledge and commitment. Social workers must fully understand the purpose of single-system (subject) research and the variations of single-system (subject) design. They must develop a hypothesis based upon research and select the right design for testing it. They must ensure the reliability and validity of the data to be collected and know how to properly analyze and evaluate that data. This assignment asks you to rise to the challenge of creating a proposal for a single-subject research study.
Single-case designs are not reserved only for single-person evaluations but have utility with groups of individuals and large-scale systems projects. Identify the problems that you will target (i.e., time management, feeling overwhelmed, job responsibilities, etc.) and the outcomes you will measure, select an appropriate intervention or interventions (including length of time), and identify an appropriate evaluation plan.
The paper must include the following:
A. Introduction: Students will need to explain the events or needs driving the evaluation. This will usually be the client's situation and major presenting issues, along with a brief mention of the intervention being used.
B. Literature Review: Provide a summary of the literature that you reviewed that led you to select this intervention approach. Students should use the literature review to establish what interventions have been used to address similar client goals, and that are established best practice. The literature review should be organized by the issues, rather than going study by study.
C. Methods: Identify the problem(s) that are the focus of treatment. Clearly indicate what interventions you would use and how success can be measured. Identify the measures for evaluating the outcomes and observing changes including evidence from your literature search about the nature of the measures; the validity and reliability of the measures; how baseline measures will be obtained, how often follow-up measures will be administered and what results you anticipate finding.
D. Results: Discuss the criteria that you would use to determine whether the intervention is effective. Explain the results that you would expect with the intervention that you planned to use.
E. Conclusion: This section sums up the efficacy of the intervention. Students should offer recommendations for how other social workers should (or should not) use the intervention.