The philosophy that guided the writing of this book has two branches. First, research involves a process of interconnected activities rather than the application of isolated and unrelated concepts and ideas. Educators conduct research following a general sequence of processes – from the initial identification of a research problem to writing the final research report. This means that understanding the order or sequence of activities is central to research. Thus, the book begins with specific chapters dedicated to each step of the research process and the inclusion of concepts and ideas within the framework of this process.

Second, the educational researcher today needs a significant number of approaches to study the complex educational issues in our society. As educators, we can no longer rely solely on experiments or survey samples to address our research problems. At every stage of the research process, this book will present both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Throughout all chapters of the book, the differences and similarities between qualitative and quantitative research will be highlighted.

In the final part of the book, eight distinct quantitative and qualitative research designs or processes are presented, which form the repertoire of the educational researcher in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research applications. It provides balanced coverage of both quantitative and qualitative research. It helps students learn how to begin conducting research. It helps students learn how to read and evaluate research studies.

Significant changes are included in this edition, such as coverage of the quantitative issues of single-case research as well as meta-analysis. More advanced statistical procedures examined in the literature. The bibliography has been extensively updated compared to previous editions. References to software and websites have been updated. The evaluation criteria for each type of research design have been updated to include higher and lower quality indicators for specific criteria.