Homework 6

Instructions:

In the first section of your proposal, you will need to create an introduction.  In the introduction, describe the scope/magnitude of the social problem first:

Create 2-3 paragraphs to outline the social work problem. Describe:

· What is the social problem?

· How many people are impacted by the problem or issue? Use statistics (obtained by credible resources -state/government websites, peer-reviewed articles) to describe the problem, include a breakdown of how the problem impacts certain age groups, genders, sexual orientations, SES groups, races/ethnicities, etc.; describe the problem in details by describing characteristics/severity of symptoms, etc.

· Is this a new problem or existing problem?

In the next paragraphs, describe:

· What has been done to address the problem? In general, what types of programs/services/ interventions have been used to address the problem (look for and include other programs/services that are similar to your chosen program)? Highlight some of the main findings (benefits) from these studies (review the literature to find peer-reviewed articles)

· Then, include your specific program identified in your logic model, include more details about the program and how your program/service/intervention has helped to also address the problem. Review the literature to find peer-reviewed articles to support the utility/effectiveness of your specific program. For example, if you selected to focus on ‘HIV prevention’ (this is the program/intervention) to address HIV (the social program) then find studies that have examined the effectiveness of different types of HIV prevention programs. Describe the outcomes of these studies.

· Then, identify limitations/gaps in the literature. You want to begin to build the case as to why you are proposing your program evaluation; what outcomes are missing from other research (has certain mental health/social outcomes been omitted in prior research?), has other research excluded certain racial/ethnic groups, age groups, etc.?,  have studies been limited to certain research designs? Find the gaps in the literature (look at the research articles you find to pinpoint some limitations in the research), this will lead to your research question and/or hypothesis. The point of this assignment is to propose a research question that builds upon existing research. Keep in mind that this is a “hypothetical research proposal” for how you would design an evaluation of a specific program (your identified intervention) with a specific population/target group.

· At the end of the last paragraph in this section (final paragraph), include the PICO research question (see example/description from the Power Point slides from SOW 5404). You can include a research hypothesis, if applicable.

 Other tips

· In-text citations are needed in these paragraphs; include a reference page when submitting this section of the proposal (you will build on this reference page for the remaining sections)

· Follow APA guidelines, font size, margins, headers, etc. See the syllabus

· This section should be approximately 4-5 pages in length (section is worth 15 points)

· Look at model articles to see how authors draft up an introduction and review pages 381-385 in your textbook

 

 

SOW 6433 Grading Rubric: Literature Review w/Research Question(s) & Hypothesis (15 points)

Required Element	Low Quality	Medium Quality	High Quality
Content (see below)   / 10 points	Limited scope of the research problem (vague lit search); research question & hypothesis is confusing/not clear (0 -5)	Research problem adequately covered (good lit review); research question & hypothesis is adequately described (6-9)	Research problem is articulated in a comprehensive manner (excellent lit review); research question/hypothesis is comprehensively described; appropriate depth (10)
Ideas, Support, and Development (Evidence)   / 3 points	Lack of support for research problem (no/limited literature); no/limited references (0-1)	Research problem is only indirectly supported (good use of literature, but some limitations/ not detailed or specific; few references/citations (2)	Research problem is supported and is sound and valid (provided good amount evidence/literature); excellent use of references/citations (3)
Structure, Presentation, Grammar/Sentence Flow, and References   / 2 points	Sentences show major errors of punctuation, spelling, and/or capitalization; major errors with structure/sentence flow. APA formatting incorrect in most places (0)	Sentences show minor errors of punctuation, spelling, and/or capitalization; minor errors with structure/sentence flow. Few APA formatting errors (1)	Virtually free of punctuation, spelling, and/or capitalization errors; well-chosen variety of sentence styles and length; appropriate APA format and presentation for assignment (2)