>>> Research Methods Workshops

Registration fee is $100. Register early—space is limited!

8:00 am – 12:00 pm Half-Day Workshop
Designing, Testing and Disseminating Effective Behavioral Interventions: Methodological Models to Bridge Theory, Core Components and Mechanisms of Change
Presenters: Nabila El-Bassel, Timothy Hunt, Columbia University

This workshop focuses on the science of social and behavioral intervention research and provides participants with knowledge and skills to design and evaluate such research. It provides participants with an understanding of efficacy and effectiveness clinical trials, hybrid models, sampling and recruitment, culturally and gender congruent intervention development and adaptation, and the use of process measures to examine implementation, fidelity and the maintenance of ethical standards.

8:00 am – 12:00 pm Half-Day Workshop
Public Secondary Data Analyses: NLSY
Presenter: A Rupa Datta, National Opinion Research Center

The National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY) 1979 and 1997 Cohorts are exceptional micro-data sets for understanding a range of human behavior, including employment, schooling, family formation, physical health, migration, household composition, criminal activity, substance use, income, assets and participation in government programs. The NLSY data are extraordinarily rich and there are many tools available to help researchers make sense of the data. Even so, getting to know a new data set can be a time-consuming and intimidating process. This session is intended to provide enough information about the NLSY, so that researchers can understand when the NLSY data might be useful for a particular research question and do some preliminary investigations to look for potentially useful variables. If there were interest, we could also discuss common statistical and programming issues encountered by researchers using the NLSY data. By the end of the workshop, researchers will be familiar with: 1) the design of the NLSY, 2) the overall content of the surveys of two cohorts, 3) how to use various online resources, including the NLSY Investigator variable search and extraction tool, and 4) understand the most common types of data structures in the NLSY data sets.

8:00 am – 12:00 pm Half-Day Workshop
Integrating ATLAS.ti with Data Management Software
Presenter: Jerry Floersch, Rutgers University

The aim of this workshop is to integrate qualitative research methods (e.g., thematic, grounded theory, and narrative) with data management and analytic software. The workshop will introduce participants to software that records, sorts, and analyzes large quantities of interview data, which can be used for thematic, grounded theory, or narrative analysis. The techniques demonstrated in the workshop will be useful to research and evaluation projects that collect hundreds of short-answer survey questions and longitudinal projects that collect hundreds of recorded responses over months or years. Imagine managing a five-year project studying youth attitudes and experiences of psychiatric medication; the research aim might be to compare the ADHD psychostimulant experiences among different ethnic groups of males and females. Moreover, the project: utilizes a questionnaire with twenty-five, open-ended questions; enrolls 200 youth (100 males and 100 females from four ethnic groups); and, interviews respondents four times annually for five years. In short, 100,000 responses ranging in length from fifteen seconds to five minutes is available for data management and analysis. Software technology is available to store, manage, and analyze thousands of open-ended, recorded, questionnaire responses (The workshop will not be demonstrating voice recognition software. Instead, the use of transcribed data is assumed; however, software can be used to listen and code audio or video data.). Qualitative studies no longer need to limit their research design to one interview per respondent, as they can easily concatenate multiple interviews. Indeed, digital recordings have replaced cassette tapes, which typically were stored on a shelf or in a drawer and never re-analyzed. Moreover, software makes it possible to use qualitative datasets for secondary analysis, allowing students and collaborators to easily conduct reliability and validity checks and to answer new questions. In short, qualitative researchers will enter a new era if they utilize the use of software packages, some expensive and some inexpensive.

8:00 am – 12:00 pm Half-Day Workshop
Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Studies
Presenters: Beth Angell, Lisa Townsend, Rutgers University

Many social work researchers with backgrounds in either qualitative or quantitative research methods increasingly seek opportunities for mixed designs that capitalize on the strengths of each type. The goal of this workshop is to provide knowledge and skills that will enable participants to design their own mixed
methods projects. We will overview the process of doing mixed methods from conceptualization of the project to the final stages of writing up findings, covering such issues as:

• Why select a mixed methods design?
• Which designs are appropriate for which kinds of research questions?
• How to select an appropriate publication venue for presenting your mixed methods project

We will also detail several examples from our own work that involved using different mixed methods designs. Time will be allotted to question and answer/discussion, so participants are encouraged to bring design and data analysis examples and questions from their own research.

>>> Special Sessions on Research Priorities & Capacity Building

These training-oriented sessions target cutting-edge topics vital to contemporary social work research. Registration fee is $15. Enroll early for these important opportunities to engage with national experts, funding institutions, and research colleagues.

8:00 am – 10:00 am
Early Career Development with K01 Mechanism (Research &Career Development Series Part I)
Presenters: Susannah Allison, NIMH; Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Boston University

As Part I of the Research & Career Development Series, this session aims to address the developmental needs of social work researchers in their early career stage and demonstrate how to best support one’s research agenda with federal grants such as K01 mechanism. This session will provide nuts and bolts of how to be a “disciplined yet balanced” young scholar and illustrate a process of preparing successful K01 applications including how to strengthen a record of publications, how to secure mentors and how to navigate the NIH system as a potential K awardee or early stage researcher.

8:00 am – 10:00 am
Research Opportunities at NIH and CDC
Presenters: G. Stephane Philogene, OBSSR; JoAnn Thierry, CDC; Margaret Murray, NIAAA; Denise Pintello, NIDA; and more

Representatives from major federal funding sources will provide updates on research funding opportunities, addressing those particularly attuned to social work research priorities and any notable change in funding priorities. An overview of the funding mechanisms will be provided to help researchers identify appropriate programs and utilize information and resources at NIH and CDC.

10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Mid Career Development with R01 Mechanism (Research & Career Development Series Part II)
Presenters: Denise Pintello, NIDA; Seana Golder, University of Louisville, Kentucky

Part II of the Research & Career Development Series, similar to the Part I session, aims to address the developmental needs of social work researchers focusing on mid career. Using a recently funded R01 as an example, this session will specifically discuss competing and complimentary priorities of a mid career academic researcher, securing mentoring and supportive collaborations, and how to navigate research infrastructure of one’s institution and maximize available resources.

10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Understanding and Responding to the NIH Review Process
Presenter: Ron Thompson, Columbia University

To successfully obtain federal funds, it is vital to understand the review process and appropriately respond to reviewer suggestions. This session will identify strategies for responding to reviewer critiques and address recent changes in the NIH submission and review process. This session goes beyond description of the changes to provide targeted consultation in understanding and strategically responding to the new criteria, rating system and summary statement format.

11:45 am – 12:30 pm
Social Work NIH Grant Directory: A Tool to Increase Federal Research Funding
Presenters: Alberto Godenzi, Boston College; Scune Carrington,Boston College

This session introduces the recently updated Social Work NIH Grant Directory, launched in 2004 by IASWR. This web-based tool lists NIH grants awarded to social work researchers between 1993 and the present time. A range of search criteria assists users in locating information to enhance research initiatives. The Directory facilitates networking and mentorship among researchers across programs and along specific subject areas. It highlights NIH agencies with the largest funding potential and aims at increasing SW funding from NIH.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm (NO COST TO ATTEND THIS SESSION)
Publishing Empirical Studies in Social Work
Speakers: Mark Fraser, Editor, Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, Rebecca Hegar, Associate U.S. Editor, British Journal of Social Work, Matthew Howard, Editor, Social Work Research, Michael Sosin, Editor, Social Service Review, Bruce Thyer, Editor, Research on Social Work Practice

In this roundtable session, a panel of five editors of research journals in social work will describe submission guidelines, explain editorial decision-making processes, and provide advice on the article creation process. The panel will focus on writing publishable work that is rigorous, theoretically informed, and policy or practice relevant.

	Online Job Registry and Employer Job Posting Available Online
	Access SSWR 2010 Annual Conference Abstracts Online

Any questions? Please contact:

DeeJay Garringo
Program Director
SSWR National Office
11240 Waples Mill Road, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-352-7797
703-359-7562 fax
info@sswr.org