Suitable for students and those who want to take their technical skills for instructors who want a text for second methods course, this title teaches social scientists how to get out of their technical skills and tools, providing a resource that describes strategies and concepts no researcher or student of human behavior can do without.

"Anyone who wants to learn how to do social research better read this book. Written for the new student and the seasoned researcher alike (one is never too old, after all), Seven Rules for Social Research hits that sweet but till-now-neglected spot between overly simplified methods texts and advanced statistical manuals. Stick with Firebaugh's seven rules and you won't go wrong."--Dalton Conley, New York University

"A valuable contribution. Firebaugh masterfully surveys a wide variety of key issues at the intersection of statistical theory, research design, and empirical analysis. His book can help improve the quality of social scientific research."--David Strang, Cornell University

"The audience for this book is great. Most graduate programs require second- or third-year students to write some type of research paper. This book is perfect for the task."--Christopher Winship, Harvard University

"Seven Rules for Social Research, teaches social scientists how to get the most out of their technical skills and tools, providing a resource that fully describes the strategies and concepts no researcher or student of human behavior can do without. . . . Seven Rules for Social Research is ideal for students and researchers who want to take their technical skills to new levels of precision and insight, and for instructors who want a textbook for a second methods course."