Political Research: An Introduction has been designed to provide an excellent starting point for those new to the area of Research Methods. It assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and sets out the key issues involved in doing research in Politics. This second edition continues to guide students through a complex and often daunting subject by exploring the many concepts associated with the field, as well as offering practical advice on research practices and information resources.

Lisa Harrison is Associate Dean: International, Partnerships and External Relations in the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education, University of the West of England.

Nick Startin is Deputy Director of Studies for Modern Languages and European Studies (MLES) at the University of Bath.

1 Becoming a researcher - developing a framework for analysis 2 Becoming a 'good' researcher - some principles for recognising and addressing ethical challenges 3 Key issues for quantitative research 5 Surveys as a source of quantitative data 6 Large data sets - using existing data and the questions you must ask 7 Key issues for qualitative research 8 Interviews as a source of qualitative data 9 Documents and the mass media - using existing data and the questions you must ask 10 Accessing the past - the opportunities and limitations of archived materials 11 Being a researcher - some principles for addressing your own research question