This volume begins with the intricacies involved in the designing of a research project. Ruth A. Wienclaw explains what constitutes “good” research design and how to limit extraneous variables. An important stage in this process is hypothesis construction, which is the first step in testing the validity of a theory. The reference guide then details the various methods sociologists employ in their gathering of data. Collecting field data, surveying individuals, sampling populations, and conducting experiments are just a few examples of popular collection techniques. However, for data to be useable, all collection instruments and measures must be reliable and valid. An analysis of choosing proper means for data collection is examined in the volume’s essay on reliability. Alexandra Howson then expounds upon the use of quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methods, which provide important paradigms in the research of social and behavioral science.