Doing research is exciting, and the field of communication offers you a wide array of methods for doing it. Whatever the method, though, all good research adheres to the same set of practices. Any research worthy of the name is rigorous and systematic, and the best researchers are creative. They understand how to use methods properly - and, from the information they gather, they are able to offer insight into important situations that we humans face and to advance our understanding of the world about us. Anyone can do research. How well you do it is up to you. The chapters in this book will help you start thinking like a researcher. To make certain that they provide you the best instruction, each one is written by a different author, and every author is an expert on the chapter topic. So you can be confident that, as you begin to study methods, you have the very best guides. They will acquaint you with the basic knowledge you need as you begin that exciting, immensely satisfying endeavor called research.