SW 3120: Data Analysis for Social Work Practice
Lucie Nickells, Fall 2003
This course in Data Analysis has broadened my perspective of social work. Many professors encourage students to read professional journals, and I now feel more knowledgeable and better equipped to read research in those journals. Prior to this course, I skipped over the tables and numbers in research articles. Now I may not understand everything in a report, but I understand more than I did before. I feel I am now a more informed social worker. I am informed about how to read and interpret data. I am more aware of things to look for including terms like mean, median, and mode. I understand the importance of quality sampling and sample size. My perspective of social work has changed primarily because it has expanded. It is as if I was taking pictures from a regular camera before, but I now have a wide-angle lens on my camera.
Jessica Browning, Spring 2005
This course informed me of the importance of surveys and the knowledge of reading the findings of the surveys. I felt like I had grown from taking this class. I was also participating in my internship this semester. During my internship I gained an appreciation for data analysis and the fact that this is what determines how much or if an agency is able to receive funding to carry out projects to help others. It also determines whether or not an organization would continue to receive funds. It allows an opportunity to view growth in a project and if it is being helpful or if it is not making any progress.
Patricia Owairu, Fall 2006
Data Analysis, as a course, has helped me to reframe my perception of social work. Social work is more than just helping people. It is about making changes in large and small systems, from the community to the individual. Doing research and interpreting the results allow social workers to see what needs are not being met, how people view their world, and how social workers can make changes to improve lives, families, and communities. Without the left brain, analytical side, there would be no direction for the right brain, creative side. Together, however, they can create a more balanced view of the world and find our place within it.
Jeffrey Howell, Fall 2003
Through this course I learned that all social workers should be able to conduct a research study correctly in order to help the clients, advocate for social change, and understand social processes. Simply consuming the data another individual produced through their own research is not enough. As social workers we should be aware of things which occur in the agency as well as in the community that we are serving. The best and most effective way to do this is through research. By conducting research we can evaluate the needs of our clients and determine what measures we need to take in order to promote social change. Data analysis research needs to be continued throughout our careers. We should not accept data that was collected ten years ago because society is rapidly changing. Therefore, social workers should strive to maintain the most up to date information in order to better serve the rapidly changing community. Before this course, I viewed social work in a very different perspective. I saw social workers helping their clients; however, I did not see the importance of knowledge of the research process. Now I feel as though research is one of the key assets all social workers should have and maintain throughout their careers.
Mandy Alford, Spring 2004
Before I took this course, I looked at social work more in the role of working directly with clients. This course showed me that there are other ways and opportunities for working to help and provide services to people in need. It is through the data gained from the tools of doing research. This course gave me a new outlook on how I want to pursue my career as a social worker in the future. I have decided I want conducting research to be a big part of it. I feel that the data gained from research is the key to getting the funding for social programs. My desire to help people can now be backed up by ways that i can show the need to people who otherwise could not see it.
Tony Ford, Fall 2004
This course completely changed my view of the field of social work. After having Research Methods, I knew that it was possible for social workers to develop research, but I had no idea that it could be actually enjoyable. Personally, I have a natural liking for numbers; however, I have never been very interested in mathematics. Collecting, entering, and interpreting data is something that I find very fascinating. When i decided on social work as my major I did not even know there was an area of social work devoted to researching an analysis data. It is very important for social workers to be able to understand research because it teaches us what has and has not worked for others; it also helps us understand our clients as well as society. It is also important to produce relevant research for many reasons. We, as social workers, need to complete needs assessments that help us to learn what services our clients and future clients need. Evaluation research is also done on group and individual levels to evaluate the effectives of agencies. Also, case management requires data entry, analysis, and interpretation of information. To be an effective social worker you must keep records. This class has opened my eyes to a new area of social work that i would like to continue learning about.
Raquel Sosa, Fall 2006