RESEARCH IN SOCIAL CARE: GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCHERS

3   DESIGN THE STUDY AND DEVELOP THE METHODS

Involving service users

Social care is committed to involving service users and their carers wherever possible in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of research. 

• Contact INVOLVE on ideas about how to do this
• SCIE has produced a guide to involving service users and carers in systematic reviews
• Engage with users whilst designing your study to ensure it works well in the real world. Engagement should:
  • Be as early as possible in the process
  • Could be in the form of a small focus group, users on your study design team or speaking to a relevant service user support or other group 

Choosing the methods

What are the most appropriate methods to use in your study?  The methods you choose should reflect the questions you are asking, but you will also be constrained by what is practical, given the time and resources available.  Useful books include:

Becker, S. and Bryman, A. (2004) Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice, Edward Elgar
Bryman, A. (2004) Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press.
Burton, D (2000) Research Training for Social Scientists, Sage
May, T. (1997) Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process, Open University
Ruane, J. (2005). Essentials of Research Methods. Oxford. Blackwell.

Many studies involve a mix of methods.  For example, a quantitative study can provide information about a great many people, but you may need some qualitative interviews to tell you what the information means.  Researchers should try to be objective, but spending time as a participant observer will help you to understand the experience of the subjects of your research.

There are many textbooks on social research methods and your local university will probably run a course social science methods.

• Social Research Update at the University of Surrey produces guides to research techniques
• The Social Research Association provides a comprehensive programme of training days
• Courses in Applied Social Surveys (CASS) is based at the University of Southampton
• The Research Methods Knowledge Base has some useful sections on social science methods

Qualitative and quantitative research methods

Which method is most appropriate for your research project?  The methods most commonly used in social care research include:

• Face to face interviews with a structured or semi-structured questionnaire
• Self-completion questionnaires
• Postal questionnaires
• Participant observation
• Collecting life histories
• Focus groups
• Experimental methods, such as randomised controlled trials
• Documentary research

In quantitative research the data collected takes the form of measurements or facts which can be statistically analysed.  Qualitative research generally involves fewer participants, but finds our more about each one, exploring their attitudes and experiences, as well as collecting facts about them.  Some of the most convincing studies use a mix of methods, and you can find a guide to different research methodologies at RDInfo. 

Collaboration

You may be working with other researchers, or with practitioners or service users.  Many funding bodies ask researchers to set up collaborative links with those who will use the results of the study.  Here is a guide to collaborative research.

Statistical issues

Are you familiar with the statistics you may need to use?  If not, consider enrolling on a suitable course.  You should be able to find one with the help of your local university or RDLearning.

• A statistical package will be necessary to help you analyse your data.  The most commonly used one is the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
• A guide to statistical analysis in health research is provided at St George’s Hospital

Questionnaire design

Designing a questionnaire can take some time.  As well as discussing drafts with your research adviser, you should discuss the questions with service users and with people who work in the organisation where the survey will take place.  You should also pilot the questionnaire, and revise it if necessary, before you begin to do the interviews.

• A guide to designing a questionnaire is available at the University of Leeds
• Here is an American tutorial on designing surveys and questionnaires
• Bristol On-line questionnaire design