This text provides balanced coverage of quantitative and qualitative methods of social research with a unique "behind the scenes" approach: chapters are built upon focal research pieces and excerpts from real research projects, and present the insights and perspectives of workers conducting real-world research. The text guides students through the many stages of social research--from selecting a researchable question and designing a study to selecting the best method of data analysis for a particular study--and prepares them for the ethical issues and problems that they may face along the way.