Introduction following EBP steps for a real-life social work problem/issue with a chosen specific population (e.g. depression in older adults, Iraqi war veterans with PTSD, violence among homeless youth).
Students are expected to:
1) Formulate an answerable EBP question;
2) Search for the best research evidence to answer that question in peer-reviewed journals; 3) Critically appraise that evidence for its validity, impact and applicability; and
4) Integrate the critical appraisal with your clinical thinking and your population’s unique
circumstances.
The EBP paper should be 5-7 pages in length (not including tile and references pages) and must follow the APA (6th ed.) writing format guidelines. The paper must be written in an academic tone in accordance with APA guidelines.
Background (1 page)
1) Define your practice problem/issue and your population of interest.
*Use reliable sources to provide standardized definitions of the problem chosen.
2) Describe the prevalence of the problem in the general population and the population that you chose.
3) Present your EBP question in a clear and concise manner.
*The purpose of this section is to educate your reader on your problem and population, and make sure of your readers why your practice problem needs to be addressed.
Methods (1 page)
1)
2) 3)
Describe how you went about searching for the evidence you present in the paper (include your search terms; what search engines/databases you used; about how many studies or articles were available for the problem you identified; and how you decided on the research articles you selected).
Identify Two (2) Evaluation studies (quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods) of social
work interventions for your issue, and when possible, your population. Then,
Summarize each article with a brief 3-4 sentences and submit the three (or more) articles with final EBP paper.
For example: "The Smith, et al. (2007) article is a quasi-experimental study that valuates the ABC intervention for women with depression. I chose it because the sample closely aligns with my population of interest and it is one of very few studies on the topic that uses an experimental design."
Results (2-3 pages)
Briefly describe the two intervention evaluation studies you identified.
1) Include a brief (1-2 paragraphs) description of the intervention.
2) Identify the study methodology;
3) Identify the studies’ strengths and weaknesses and discuss how they are important for interpreting the
results; and
4) Discuss issues of internal and external validity and why they are important, etc.
*Use the knowledge and skills you have learned in class to provide thoughtful critiques of the evaluation research that has been conducted on these interventions
Discussion (1-2 pages)
1) Make an argument for one intervention approach (from those you presented in Part II) that, you
believe, presents a viable solution to your practice problem.
*This intervention should be both relevant to your target population, and rigorous enough to
be implemented with your population of interest.
2) Describe how and why this intervention is the most appropriate for your problem and population.
• What aspects of the supporting research have led you to believe this intervention will be successful in practice?
• Assess and describe the fit of this practice solution/intervention for your client. Does it seem applicable to your client’s preferences, culture and values? Does it seem realistic (time needed or cost of intervention)? Why or why not?
• What considerations will be necessary for successful implementation of this intervention in practice?
Conclusions (1 page)
1) Conclude your paper by briefly restating your EBP question and your primary findings.
2) Identify gaps in the literature and suggest areas for additional research.
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