A research methods text with a unique focus on evidence-based practice with couples and families, this book bridges the divide between research and clinical work. The text offers comprehensive, user-friendly coverage of measurement and design issues and basic qualitative and quantitative methods. Illustrating research concepts with clinically relevant examples and sample studies, it teaches clear steps for evaluating different types of studies and identifying common threats to validity. Of special value to therapists, it provides a systematic framework for using research to guide the selection and evaluation of interventions that meet the needs of particular clients.
Pedagogical features:
*End-of-chapter "Applications" sections showing how to evaluate specific methods.
*Appendices with quick-reference guides and recommended resources.
*Instructive glossary.
See also the authors' Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Third Edition: From the First Interview to Termination, which addresses all aspects of real-world clinical practice, and Essential Assessment Skills for Couple and Family Therapists, which shows how to weave assessment into all phases of therapy.
Lee Williams, PhD, LMFT, is Professor in the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego. His research interests include family therapy training, marriage preparation, and couples with religious differences. Dr. Williams is coauthor (with JoEllen Patterson, Todd M. Edwards, et al.) of Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Second Edition, and Essential Assessment Skills for Couple and Family Therapists.
JoEllen Patterson, PhD, is Professor in the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego. She is also a voluntary Clinical Associate Professor in the Divisions of Family Medicine and Global Health as well as the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. She serves on the editorial boards of Families, Systems, and Health and the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. Dr. Patterson is coauthor (with Todd M. Edwards et al.) of The Therapist's Guide to Psychopharmacology, Revised Edition. Her Fulbright Scholarships have allowed her to work in other countries, including Norway, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.
Todd M. Edwards, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego, and provides individual and family therapy in the Division of Family Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. His research and teaching interests focus on the integration of family-oriented mental health services into primary care settings; family therapy training; and male friendship in adulthood. He is Associate Editor of Families, Systems, and Health.
1. Learning to Apply Research: Why Bother?
I. Research Foundations
2. Measurement
3. Internal Validity and Experiments
4. External Validity and Sampling
5. Survey Research
6. Qualitative Research
7. Miscellaneous Research Designs
8. Ethics and Values in Research
9. Descriptive Statistics
10. Inferential Bivariate Statistics
11. A Beginner's Guide to Multivariate Statistics
II. Evidence-Based Practice
12. What is an Evidence-Based Approach?
13. Ask and Acquire: Creating Questions and Conducting a Search
14. Appraise: Reading and Evaluating Research Articles and Systematic Reviews
15. Apply I: Translating Research Findings into Clinical Practice
16. Apply II: Utilizing Couple and Family Therapy Research in Clinical Practice
17. Apply III: How to Talk to Clients about an Evidence-Based Approach
18. Analyze and Adjust: Evaluating Your Clinical Work
19. The Future of Evidence-Based Practice: Looking into the Crystal Ball
Appendix I. Evidence-Based Practice Pocket Guide (the Five A's)
Appendix II. Guide to Evaluating Research Studies
Appendix III. Evidence-Based Practice Resources
Glossary
Other versions by this Author