Data Analysis in Social Work...WHY? Here at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) we are often asked the following: Why are statistics important for social workers?, How do we even begin to understand data analysis?. Hopefully by the end of this post those seeking more knowledge about statistics and data analysis will have a better understanding of its role in the Science of Social Work. Role of Statistics in Social Work Research Statistics have an important role in social work research. Statistical findings help the field of social work determine what interventions are the most effective, which areas need more to be addressed with more interventions, and to help test assumptions. “Researchers should not be discouraged from publishing rigorous descriptive studies. In fact, they are not as uncommon in the social sciences as one would believe” (Dunleavy & Lacasse, 2021, p. 446). The use of statistics allows us to test the relationships between independent and dependent v