Research is freedom and fun. It is the freedom to challenge authority with carefully selected evidence and well-crafted arguments. It is the fun of looking things up for yourself and playing around with data to disclose the truth behind. Unfortunately, for many students (and some professionals) of political science, research is anything but freedom and fun. It is mostly anxiety and boredom.

This new edition illuminates this sometimes daunting aspect of political science, giving you the confidence to use - and enjoy using - a range of research tools and methods by providing a pluralistic guide to designing and evaluating scientific research in the field of political science. Political science deals with some of the most pressing questions related to our shared human experience:
- How can we devise just and effective political institutions?
- How can we avoid war between states and among communities within states?
- What are the intended and unintended effects of public and social policies?

Research design is about providing answers to such questions, and ensuring that the answers we provide are as valid as possible and are discovered as efficiently as possible. By studying this text you will learn to devise effective and efficient research plans that can deliver valid inferences and new insight. Moreover, you will become proficient in assessing the research plans and results of others. This new edition offers:
- A dedicated chapter on the ethical dimensions of political science research
- An extended chapter on writing, presenting, and disseminating research
- More current and practice-oriented examples throughout
- Improved accessibility in areas traditionally challenging for undergraduate learners
- Greater attention to the methodological opportunities and challenges posed by AI and other technological innovations.