This book focuses on the underlying logic of social research and encourages students to understand research methods as a way of thinking. In this book,the author provides an overview of the basic principles of social research, including the foundations of research (data, concepts, theory), the characteristics of research questions, the importance of literature reviews, measurement (conceptualization and operationalization), data generation techniques (experiments, surveys, interviews, observation, document analysis) and sampling. Relationships among these components of research are stressed, and the repeated, explicit lesson throughout these pages is that it is not possible to argue that one or another form of research is “better” than any other and those good researchers understand the differences among and appreciate the capabilities of different tools. The text is organized to help students become good consumers and producers of research by developing skills to design small-scale research projects and evaluate research done by others. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, with examples on criminology/criminal justice, sociology, political science/international relations and social work; offers a balanced account of theoretical perspectives, providing students with an unbiased presentation; andminimizes technical details of social research design to emphasize logic and general principles.