This book educates students to become intelligent consumers of educational research and introduces basic research principles to those who may eventually use research in their work. Principles for conducting research and criteria for evaluating its overall credibility are presented in a concise manner, with numerous excerpts from published studies, to enable students to learn to read, understand, and evaluate research, and judge the usefulness of the findings for educational practice. There is extensive use of aids to facilitate student learning, including chapter roadmaps and concept maps, study questions, a book website, consumer tips, over 90 examples from published articles (including eight full length articles), and author reflections. The Fifth Edition includes a more extensive presentation of experimental and quasi-experimental design, consistent with the current emphasis on conducting "scientific research," qualitative data analysis, effect size, and a new chapter devoted to mixed-method studies and action research.