Research methods is my favorite course to teach. It is somewhat less popular with students, but I’m working on that issue. Part of the excitement of teaching this class comes from the uniquely open framework—students get to design a research study about a topic that interests them. By reading my students’ papers every semester, I learn about a wide range of topics relevant to social work that I otherwise would not have known about. But what topic should you choose?

Chapter outline

• 2.1 Getting started
• 2.2 Sources of information
• 2.3 Finding literature

Content advisory

This chapter discusses or mentions the following topics: racism and hate groups, police violence, substance abuse, and mental health.