Week 3: Defining the Research Problem; Justifying the Study; Reviewing Existing Literature Successfully conducted research studies often provide the answers to challenges of social work practice, of obstacles in social work research, and of gaps of knowledge within the field. In order to conduct a successful research study, the research question must be clearly defined, well justified, and offer something new to the field's knowledge base. Whether using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method applications to data, the research study can only be as good as the research question that guides it. This week, you focus on defining research questions, justifying studies, and reviewing existing literature. Learning Objectives Analyze research questionsCreate research questions Discussion: Formulating Research Questions Research problems can come from a variety of places. A topic can come up during a discussion with a colleague that motivates you to want to learn more about it. You may have a question for which you cannot find an answer, so you decide to conduct a research study in hopes of finding an answer. You may identify a particular gap in knowledge and be inclined to investigate that gap and close it with the results of a research study. For this Discussion, consider how crafting a good research question is the cornerstone for designing robust studies that yield useable data. Review the Sessions episode on the Talia Johnson case. Locate two peer reviewed articles authored by the researcher David Lisak on the topics of the undetected rapist and predatory nature. Post two potential research questions related to the Sessions episode. Consider potential ethical or political issues related to the feasibility of investigating the questions. Evaluate each question in terms of how it might: Contribute to development of new knowledge for social workLead to more effective practice interventionsLead to social changeBe useful to other researchers Finally, explain the criteria you used to decide which sources of information should be included. Please use the resources to support your answer.ReferencePlummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].The Johnson Family

The Twentieth Century & BeyondInstructionsConsidering the premise that “the twentieth century was a time of great upheaval in general, including in music,” how did this upheaval affect developments in musical styles and genres? Discuss two main ‘isms” (styles) that developed as composers rebelled against the emotionalism of the late Romantic period. Briefly define each style. List the major composer(s) of each style, and at least one of their representative compositions.Your initial post for this discussion should be 150-250 words in length and completely answer the question.

DirectionsPart 1 - Your EssayPlease find the due date for this part in the Course Calendar. As we saw during the Revolutionary War, war often changes the gender roles of women in American Society. During the Civil War, American women expanded their roles of “Angels of the Battlefield” to establish the American nursing. Other women participated in the war as spies or disguised themselves as soldiers. This week as you read your textbook and examine the images provided, think about how the war impacted societies image of “true womanhood” and gender roles. Look for similarities and differences between gender roles and gender images in between the North and the South. How did the war impact those attitudes?Steps to complete the Assignment:Read “Visual Sources: Women on the Civil War Battlefields” in your textbook (pages 265-278).View a video segment from the PBS documentary: Rebel: Loreta Velazquez, Secret Soldier of the American Civil War.Watch Video Women Civil War Soldiers -Educational short Duration: (6:37) User: n/a - Added: 11/6/13 YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xSYh8xXJPMWrite a 400-600 word essay that responds to the following questions - be sure to use examples to support your answers and demonstrate your understanding of the readings. What are the similarities in the images of women who served as Civil War nurses? What attitudes toward women help explain these similarities?Male soldiers are issued official uniforms to designate their rank and military affiliation. What similarities do you notice in Divers’s and Tubman’s outfits? How might this clothing have constituted a kind of informal uniform for women on the battlefield?The Civil War was fought between two cultures as much as between two economic and political systems. Do you detect patterns in the images and from the video of northern versus southern women? What do these differences tell you about the gender dimensions of the North-South divide?Taken as a group, do the images from the textbook and video indicate that the women who participated directly in the war did more to maintain or to undermine standard gender roles?Submission: Post your essay to the discussion forum titled "Activity 5.4 - Women on the Civil War Battlefields."