Purpose

Experimental designs are the gold standard of research because they help eliminate any other explanation for why an intervention does or does not work. However, experimental designs are difficult in social service settings for many reasons.

For purposes of practicality, we often opt for quasi-experimental designs that introduce limitations to our research (threats to validity). While it is nearly impossible to eliminate every threat to validity, there are ways to mitigate those threats.

Instructions

Create an original discussion post where you identify two potential threats to validity and craft ways to mitigate those threats.

SOWK 6341 Social Work Research I

Discussion: Identifying Threats ¬ Substance Use Treatment

A county has implemented a drug court where non¬violent offenders who have substance use related charges are seen. The court's purpose is to help individuals get treatment rather than serving jail sentences.

The county believes that the court is a model that should be used in other areas and it would like data to show that it is working. Researchers design a study to compare their county to another county that has agreed to participate.

Over a three month period all those with substance related charges will be asked to participate in the study.

Those in the drug court county will receive specialized legal services and referrals to treatment while the other county's offenders will be sentenced as normal. The researchers will then check with all the participants in a year to see how many have not been in jail and are sober.

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