This volume is a basic introduction to the vocabulary, concepts, and objectives of social scientific thought. It aims to orient students to the research methods course for both consumers and producers of social science research. The authors ask such questions as: "Where do concepts come from? What is a variable? Why bother with scientific thinking?";This new edition features an updating of references, examples, illustrations and statistical techniques; an expanded discussion of topics such as validity, reliability and regression; discussion questions; and two new appendices.