Week 5 Once you have a fairly narrow research question and have conducted a thorough literature review, the next step is to turn your attention to the research design. The research design is simply a plan for how you will conduct your research, as it informs each step of the research process. In addition to research design, you are introduced to the concepts of internal and external validity and generalizability. During the latter half of the week, you focus on a particular instrument of measurement: the pretest and posttest. Capturing information from research study participants both before and after a particular event can yield priceless data. Learning Objectives Students will: Classify types of group research designs Analyze possible study limitations Analyze relative internal and external validity Analyze generalizability Analyze a pretest–posttest in a case study Evaluate research designs to assess program effectiveness Analyze potential lessons learned from attrition Group Research Designs for Social Work Knowledge Development and Practice Evaluation o Leung,P.,Erich,S.,&Kanenberg,H.(2005).A comparison of family functioning in gay/lesbian, heterosexual and special needs adoptions, Children and Youth Services Review, 27 (9), 1031–1044. o Moran, J., & Bussey, M. (2007). Results of an alcohol prevention program with urban American Indian youth. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal , 24 (1), 1–21. o Pinderhughes,E.E.,Dodge,K.A.,Bates,J.E.,Pettit, G. S., & Zelli, A. (2000). Discipline responses: Influences of parents' socioeconomic status, ethnicity, beliefs about parenting, stress, and cognitive-emotional processes. Journal of Family Psychology, 14 (3), 380– 400. o Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e- reader]. ▪ The Hernandez Family Choose One of the Following Articles: Bauman, S. (2006). Using comparison groups in school counseling research: A primer. Professional School Counseling , 9 (5), 357–366. Retrieved from Walden Library databases. Kohl, P. L., Kagotho, J., & Dixon, D. (2011). Parenting practices among depressed mothers in the child welfare system. Social Work Research , 35 (4), 215–225. Retrieved from Walden Library databases. Leung, P., Erich, S., & Kanenberg, H. (2005). A comparison of family functioning in gay/lesbian, heterosexual and special needs adoptions. Children and Youth Services Review , 27 (9), 1031–1044. Retrieved from Walden Library databases. Moran, J., & Bussey, M. (2007). Results of an alcohol prevention program with urban American Indian youth. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal , 24 (1), 1–21. Retrieved from Walden Library databases. Pinderhughes, E. E., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., Pettit, G. S., & Zelli, A. (2000). Discipline responses: Influences of parents' socioeconomic status, ethnicity, beliefs about parenting, stress, a ...