"Reissued 2004"--T.p. verso. Originally published: New York : Longman, c1998.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 695-720) and indexes.

An introduction to two contrasting research styles -- The variety of research methods -- From findings to knowledge -- The research chain of reasoning -- Finding research problem -- Finding links to past research: the literature review -- Causal inference and internal validity -- Sampling, representation, and external validity -- Research criteria to optimize and constraints to observe -- Ethical standards and legal constraints -- Qualitative research methods -- Fieldwork and observation -- Interviewing -- Qualitative data analysis -- Conclusions, reporting, and quality considerations in qualitative research -- Survey research and questionnaires -- The numeric description of data: descriptive statistics -- Measurement, testing, and observation -- The nature and logic of inferential statistics -- Experimental mehtods and experimental design -- Meta-analysis: synthesis of findings -- Historical research -- Evaluation studies and action research -- Optimizing research effectiveness through multiple methods -- The macrosystem of educational and social science research -- Appendix: Writing a research proposal.