Research article Comprehensive appraisal AND Application

 

 

Aims of Assignment

The overarching aim of Assignment 3 is to prepare you for professional social work practice by enhancing your ability to use research knowledge and existing empirical evidence to inform practice decisions. Specifically, the assignment aims to achieve the following:

• To strengthen your ability to use evidence-based practice approaches to:
  1. critically appraise relevant empirical research, and
  2. interpret and apply the best available evidence to address specified practice problems and questions.

By the end of Assignment 3, you will have formulated and answered an effectiveness practice question of interest to you. In doing so, you will have enhanced your competencies as a social worker by increasing your professional knowledge and skills. You also will have developed a portfolio that you can share with prospective employers.

Format & Approach

As with the previous assignments, Assignment 3 uses a worksheet format to provide you with structured guidance and opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills. The assignment consists of two components related to: (1) critically appraising the best available evidence and (2) interpreting and applying the best available evidence. You will notice that these components correspond with two of the major phases of the evidence-based practice process and approach.

Grading & Submission

Assignment 3 comprises 35% of your final grade. Grading for the assignment will be based on a 100-point scale.  Points for each item are identified within the assignment.  The total number of points earned will then be converted into a 35-percentage point scale.  Points will be based on (a) the presence or absence of a response to each assignment question or item; (b) the completeness of your response; (c) the thoughtfulness of your response; (d) the clarity of your response; and especially (e) the degree to which you appropriately AND correctly apply key concepts and terminology.

 

Please note that your grade for Assignment 3 is independent of your grades for other assignments in the course.

 

Ground students should submit assignments via email or as otherwise instructed. VAC students should submit assignments via the VAC platform.  Use the following convention for naming your assignments.

 

SOWK 546 – Assignment 3 – [insert First Name] [insert Last Name]

 

Learning Outcomes Addressed by Assignment 3

This assignment addresses the following student learning outcomes: 2 – 5.

 

PART 1. BACKGROUND

(NO POINTS)

 

Instructions

This assignment builds on the previous one. Whereas Assignment 2 focused on locating empirical evidence and appraising LEVELS of evidence, Assignment 3 focuses on appraising QUALITY and APPLICABILITY of evidence, and on using empirical evidence to inform and improve professional social work practice.

For the sake of continuity and manageability, Assignment 3 asks you to address the effectiveness practice question that you addressed at the end of the previous assignment. Based on feedback from your instructor on Assignment 2, feel free to refine your effectiveness practice question as needed.

 

1. To begin, please specify the social work EFFECTIVENESS PRACTICE QUESTION you are seeking to answer. Your practice question should be formatted using the PICO framework and include each of the PICO components.

Among foster youth, what is the effect of substance abuse intervention programs on transitioning youth compared with younger individuals?

 

For this assignment, you also are asked to use the research article you began appraising at the end of Assignment 2 unless otherwise directed by you instructor. Recall that you were asked to select an article that provides the highest level of evidence for addressing your specified effectiveness practice question. Please note the requirements for the article you selected:[1]

1. The article should have been published in a peer-reviewed journal that has an Impact Factor for the year the article was published.
2. The article should describe primary (i.e., original) research and data. In other words, the article MAY NOT BE a meta-analysis, systematic review, summary review, or secondary data analysis.
3. The article should be no more than five (5) years old.
4. The article should offer the strongest level of evidence available for answering your practice question.

2. Next, provide the reference for the article you selected and a link to the article:

Full Citation of Article: Barker, B., Shoveller, J., Grant, C., Kerr, T., & DeBeck, K. (2020). Long-term benefits of providing transitional services to youth aging-out of the child welfare system: Evidence from a cohort of young people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada. International Journal of Drug Policy, 85, 102912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102912   Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395920302516?via%3Dihub

The article you selected will be the basis for all remaining questions in this assignment. When responding, it is essential to provide enough detail so that your instructor can assess your understanding of key concepts, as well as your ability to appropriately and correctly apply both key concepts and terminology.

 

Part 2. CRITICALLY APPRAISING QUALITY OF EVIDENCE

(70 Points Total)

 

In this part of the assignment, you are asked to critically appraise the QUALITY of evidence offered in the article that you selected.

 

1. Indicate the type of research goal addressed in the study you appraised (exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory) and briefly state the goal. (10 POINTS)

Type of Research Goal: r  Exploratory r  Descriptive r  Explanatory   Goal:

 

2. Using appropriate terminology, state and briefly describe the design and design methods used in the study described in the article you selected. Also describe the extent to which the design of the study corresponds with the “intervention” and “comparison” components of your PICO-formulated practice question. (10 POINTS)

Design and Design Methods:       Alignment with Practice Question:

 

3. Using appropriate terminology state and briefly describe the sample and sampling methods used in the study described in the article you selected. Also describe the extent to which the sample corresponds with the “population” component of your PICO-formulated practice question. (10 POINTS)

Sample and Sampling Methods:       Alignment with Practice Question:

 

4. Using appropriate terminology, state and briefly describe the measures and measurement methods used in the study described in the article you selected. Also describe the extent to which the measurement methods of the study correspond with the “outcome” component of your PICO-formulated practice question. (10 POINTS)

Measurement Methods:       Alignment with Practice Question:

 

5. What is your overall appraisal of the INTERNAL VALIDITY of the study based on the appropriateness and rigor of the design, sampling, and measurement methods that the researchers used? As part of your response, consider the strengths and weaknesses of the study that stem from the study’s methods. (10 POINTS)

6. What is your overall appraisal of the EXTERNAL VALIDITY of the study based on the appropriateness and rigor of just the sampling methods that the researchers used? As part of your response, consider the strengths and weaknesses of the study that stem from the study’s sampling. (10 POINTS)

 

7. In relation to your practice question, how strong is the quality OF EVIDENCE offered in the article that you selected, based on BOTH the internal and external validity of the study, as discussed in your responses to the previous questions? Critically discuss your answer. (10 POINTS)

Strength: r  High r  Moderate r  Low   Critical Discussion:

 

 

Part 3. interpreting and applying the best available eVIDENCE TO iMPROVE pRACTICE, policy and services

(30 Points Total)

The final part of the assignment focuses on summarizing the results of the study you appraised and applying evidence offered in the article.

1. Briefly summarize the results of the study described in the article you appraised (include ONLY the results relevant to your practice question). (5 POINTS)

2. Based on the results of the article, what is the answer to the effectiveness practice question you sought to answer? (5 POINTS)

3. In relation to your practice question, HOW STRONG IS THE APPLICABILITY OF EVIDENCE offered in the article you selected? As part of your discussion, consider how the goal addressed in the study aligns with your effectiveness practice question and the extent to which each component of your practice question (i.e., PICO) is reflected in the study. Also consider the external validity of the study. Critically discuss your response. (10 POINTS)

Strength: r  High r  Moderate r  Low   Critical Discussion:

4. Finally, briefly discuss the extent to which you would use the evidence offered in the article to guide your professional practice based on your appraisal of the strength of the QUALITY, and APPLICABILITY of the evidence. (10 POINTS)

 

 

References

 

Finally, provide a list of references for all materials referenced above using correct APA 7^th edition formatting. 

 

 

Grading Rubric & Self-Assessment

PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT WITH THE ASSIGNMENT

 

Instructions

Please complete and submit this self-assessment. Use the rubric below to assess the completeness and quality of your work. Out of the points possible for each item (Column A), determine the number of points you believed you earned based on a careful and objective review of your work. Include your point assignment in Column B. Your instructor will provide an assessment of your work in Column C. Your self-assessment should assist you in ensuring that you have met the objectives of the assignment. It will also provide a starting point for discussion if your assessment differs from your instructor’s assessment of your work.

 

	COLUMN A	COLUMN B	COLUMN C
Item	Possible Points	Self-Assessment	Instructor Completes
PART 1. BACKGROUND	0
Item 1.	0
Item 2.	0
Part 2. APPRAISING QUALITY OF EVIDENCE	70 TOTAL
Item 1.	10	10
Item 2.	10	10
Item 3.	10	10
Item 4.	10	10
Item 5.	10	10
Item 6.	10	10
Item 7.	10	10
PART 3. INTERPRETING AND APPLYING THE BEST AVAILABLE EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE PRACTICE, POLICY AND SERVICES	30 TOTAL
Item 1.	5	5
Item 2.	5	5
Item 3.	10	5
Item 4.	10	5
TOTAL POINTS	100	90

 

 

[1] Your instructor may specify additional requirements.