5 credits

To be effective professional helpers, practitioners need to have a working knowledge of how research informs practice. This is becoming even more important as the emphasis on evidenced-based practice increases across all fields that provide human and social services. Students will explore different approaches to research and evaluation and will demonstrate the ability to find, critically read, and integrate relevant research articles from trustworthy sources. In addition, they will use case studies, discussions, and readings to help see the connections between theory, research, and practice and how applications might differ in different cultures and across different professions. They will also identify important ethical considerations related to conducting and reporting research results, especially in the context of program evaluations.