Includes bibliographical references and index.

This work emphasizes the "process" of research, that is, what researchers actually do as they go about designing and carrying out their research activities. Rather than passively reading about research operations, it promotes content mastery by using a three-step pedagogical model.

Basic Concepts of Educational Research -- Introduction to Educational Research -- Empirical Versus Nonempirical Research -- Basic Versus Applied Research -- The Research Question -- Stating a Question -- Refining the Question -- Feasibility -- Clarity -- Significance -- Ethics and Research -- Protecting Participants From Harm -- Ensuring Confidentiality of Research Data -- Should Subjects Be Deceived? -- Variables and Hypotheses -- Relationships -- Variables -- Measured and Categorical Variables -- Independent and Dependent Variables -- Extraneous Variables and Constants -- Hypotheses -- Advantages and Disadvantages of Stating Questions as Hypotheses -- Directional Versus Nondirectional Hypotheses -- Reviewing the Literature -- Types of References -- Steps Involved in a Literature Review -- A Computer Search of the Literature -- An Example of a Computer Search -- Researching the World Wide Web -- Meta-Analysis -- Try a Literature Review of Your Own -- Instrumentation -- The Process of Instrument Development: An Example -- The Rating Scale -- Reliability and Validity -- The Observation Record -- More About Reliability and Validity -- Validity -- Reliability -- Checking Reliability and Validity -- More on Instrumentation -- The Structured Interview Schedule -- Ability Tests -- Projective Tests -- Locating a Suitable Instrument -- Developing Your Own Instrument -- Samples and Populations -- The Process of Selecting a Sample -- Samples Versus Populations -- Defining the Population -- Target Versus Accessible Populations.