Using substantive research stories to illustrate the presentation of research methods in each chapter, this textbook presents systematically the entire research process and its major variants within a unifying conceptual framework. It is written in a style that is clear and appealing to students while also maintaining the highest expectations about what they should learn.

Key features:

- with the scientific method at its core, students learn how to both design and critique research

- includes a full chapter on ethics alongside end-of-chapter 'Ethics in Action' exercises throughout the book

- each chapter has an interesting overarching thematic issue or topic, illustrated by real data, which teaches students the concepts and methods in an applied fashion

- 'Research in the News'. Each section summarizes a science story that attests to the relevance of research methods

- an extensive ancillary package with interactive exercises tied to research articles, video clips, and learning activities is included on the companion study site

- experiential, hands-on, roll-up-the-sleeves approach to learning: Elegant but simple experiments are presented that can be customised for both in-class exercises and research projects

- helps students learn the difference between peer-reviewed scientific articles and journalistic pieces

- cultural and developmental perspectives, illuminating how culture shapes our thinking and our thinking shapes culture, are included throughout

- statistical reasoning elements introduced in each chapter, culminating in Chapter 10, which is exclusively devoted to data analyses.