to research and analytical methods for postgraduate students. The coverage of the methods and concepts of contemporary research allow researchers and non-researchers alike to truly grasp the logic, and limits, of modern research as it appears in academic journals, government reports, and in the daily news. The textbook emphasizes the critical interpretation and practical application of research findings, and covers many cutting-edge issues and methods not found in other books, including:

" a more in-depth, contemporary focus on causation

" the logic and use of control variables with non-experimental data

" the use of visual path diagrams to better understand both causation and the use of control variables

" a fuller, more innovative treatment of quasi and natural experiments

" a focus on data collection for performance measurement

" a discussion of cutting-edge issues in sampling and survey research (such as the response rate problem in telephone surveys and the emergence of new methods for online surveys)

" an integrated treatment of qualitative methods that appears throughout the book and emphasizes the integration of qualitative with quantitative methods.