This book provides research workers with the statistical background needed in order to collect and analyze data in an intelligent and critical manner. Key examples and case studies are used to illustrate commonly encountered research problems and to explain how they may be solved or even avoided altogether. Professor Manly also presents a clear understanding of the opportunities and limitations of different research designs, as well as an introduction to some new methods of analysis that are proving increasingly popular. Topics covered include: the differences between observational and experimental studies, the design of sample surveys, multiple regression, interrupted time series, computer intensive statistics, and the ethical considerations of research. In the final chapter, there is a discussion of how the various components of a research study come together.