Unit Outline

Social workers are required to regularly engage with research by conducting evaluations and using research findings to inform their practice, policy, and advocacy. In this unit, you will be introduced to the role of research and evaluation as a foundational part of social work practice. You will develop the skills to critically engage with research across a range of diverse practice settings and understand its significance in shaping and improving social work approaches and interventions. Throughout the unit, you will explore social work research designs and methodologies, develop practical research skills that can be applied in real-world practice contexts, and learn how to integrate research into your future practice and professional development. This unit emphasises key social work approaches, including reflexive practice, ethical and critical engagement with the production and use of knowledge, and decolonising and Indigenising ways of knowing and conducting research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Critically analyse the role of research as a core component of social work practice, policy, and advocacy
2	Evaluate and synthesise appropriate and feasible research evidence to inform complex social work issues
3	Identify, justify, and apply appropriate research approaches and methods to address practice challenges
4	Critically reflect on issues of power, privilege, positionality, and bias in relation the research process and their impact on social work knowledge and practice
5	Demonstrate advanced engagement with decolonising and Indigenising research approaches, recognising the ethical responsibility of social workers in knowledge production

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	HGW503, HGW512, HGW513, HGW516, and HGW527

Alterations as a result of student feedback

As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2026, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s Unit Survey following your completion of the unit. Several changes have been made based on tutor and student feedback. This includes revised assessment tasks, updates to the reading list, and additional activities for students to engage with on MyLO throughout the semester.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Journal Club – Critical Engagement with Research Literature	Week 5	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Data Interpretation and Reflexive Analysis	Week 9	35 %	LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Research proposal	Week 12	45 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Journal Club – Critical Engagement with Research Literature

Task Description:

The assessment task requires you to critically engage with social work research literature through participation in a structured journal club as part of your weekly tutorials. You will be asked to read, analyse, and discuss three peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to social work practice and research. You will also be asked to submit a written analysis of one of the three selected journal articles by summarising its key features (research question, methodology, and findings), analysing its strengths and limitations, and reflecting on how it contributes to social work knowledge and practice.

Task Length:

1000 words

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates advanced critical engagement with research literature by clearly summarising the key features of the selected journal article	LO2
2	Articulates the contribution of the research presented in the selected journal article to social work knowledge and practice, considering implications for policy, advocacy, and professional application	LO1
3	Evaluates the strengths and limitations of the selected journal article, considering the coherence, appropriateness, and feasibility of the research approach and methods	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Data Interpretation and Reflexive Analysis

Task Description:

This assessment task requires you to engage with the process of data analysis by working with a small qualitative dataset. Following a walk-through demonstration, you will apply a qualitative data analytic approach to the dataset to identify patterns and themes. You will provide a brief summary of the findings of your data analysis. You will also be asked to write a reflection on the process, taking into consideration personal biases, assumptions, and positioning in relation to the data. You will consider how different research paradigms might influence interpretation of the data, as well as ethical dilemmas and the role of the researcher in the analytic process.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates advanced engagement and application of data analysis methods to identify patterns and themes across the dataset	LO3
2	Evaluates and reflects on the impact of your own personal biases, assumptions, and social position in relation to the process of data interpretation	LO4
3	Critically analyses the ethical dimensions of social work research by reflecting on issues of power, representation, and the role of the research in shaping and producing knowledge	LO4, LO5

Assessment Task 3: Research proposal

Task Description:

For Professional Pathway Students: This assessment task requires you to develop a research grant proposal that addresses a practice-based issue in social work. Your proposal will be structured as if it were being submitted to the AASW Practitioner Research Grant Scheme, which aims to widen the expertise of social work practitioners in conceptualising, developing, and implementing practice research. You will apply your knowledge of research design, methodology, and ethical considerations to propose a feasible and impactful research project.

For Research Pathway Students: This assessment task will be adapted to support the development of your thesis. Instead of proposing an empirical study, you will individually develop a research proposal aligned with your thesis topic area that justifies and outlines your scoping review, including its significance, methodology, and potential impact on social work.

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Clearly articulates the significance and contribution of the proposed research and relevance to social work practice	LO1
2	Demonstrates advanced engagement with relevant social work research literature to support and justify proposal	LO2
3	Designs an appropriate, feasible, and methodologically sound research proposal, demonstrating a deep understanding of research approaches used in social work to address practice-based issues	LO3, LO5
4	Critically evaluates issues of power and privilege by ensuring proposed research is ethically sound	LO4, LO5
5	Effectively communicates proposed research in a clear, compelling, and professional manner, demonstrating an ability to translate research concepts to a social work audience	LO1, LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need the following text:

Alston, M., & Bowles, W. (2018). Research for Social Works: An Introduction to Methods (4th ed.). Taylor & Francis Group.

You can purchase a physical copy of the book from online booksellers such as Booktopia. The UTAS library will also have physical copies (access may be limited in times of high demand) as well as access to the eBook version.

All other required readings will be available via the Reading List link in MyLO or the unit Reading List on the University Library website.