This text is designed to give students the skills they need to design and implement a research investigation as well as critically evaluate published research reports. It has been revised and updated to reflect the latest trends in quantitative and qualitative research. This edition contains three new chapters that cover practical guidelines on research design, data collection and data analysis. It also contains expanded coverage of qualitative research with examples provided of qualitative studies. Other new topics include computer analysis of qualitative data; expanded coverage of multivariate statistics, including assistance in reading results from multiple regression; and current information on grant applications to the new National Institute of Nursing Research. New pedagogical material includes two complete actual research studies in the study guide and an expanded instructor's manual that includes critical comments on the examples used in the textbook to facilitate classroom discussion.