Table of Contents
Supplements

The test of a singularly versatile textbook comes with time, years of use and years of thorough, reliable coverage of the field. In 1976, when Business Research Methods was first published, it was a pioneer methodology text in business. Technology continues to transform information processing and managerial problem solving. Our book keeps pace with industry changes, while staying on the leading edge of teaching pedagogy. And as before, our responsiveness to adopter and reviewer suggestions distinguishes the leaders of a textbook tradition from the imitators.

As we enter the fourth decade of writing Business Research Methods , this sixth edition is designed to offer greater relevancy for practicing managers, improved coverage of the research process in business and administrative management settings, and span the disciplines of business, providing breadth and depth while serving as a valuable reference for post-course use.

Maintained 5th Edition Features

Adopters and reviews wanted Business Research Methods to maintain many aspects that made the 5th edition the leader in the market. You'll still find in this 6th edition:

• Finding Your Way begins of each chapter, outlining the scope and organization of topics.
  A balanced presentation of practical application and fundamental concepts, with an in-depth treatment of concepts, not cursory reviews.
• Timely coverage of news-making issues and concepts.
• Bringing Research to Life chapter vignettes, create a sense of continuity and replace standard chapter introductions. These highlight the human side of research. True to life, they show conflict, reveal wit and humor, and deal with practical issues for managers.
• Close-Ups illustrate critical learning points, and transport the reader through the research process.
  
• Enhanced features for student subject mastery:
  • A crisp style with a readability level that does not talk down - equivalent to a Business Week editorial. Practical examples and skill-building techniques for a solid grounding in how to do research.
    
  • Visual icons to identify key features of each chapter for student's ease of use.
  • An expanded summary, key terms, discussion questions, reference notes, and suggestions for additional reading and reference.
  • Appendices that offer extensive reference materials and specialized information for advanced students.
  • Compatibility with the Irwin/McGraw-Hill software series.

As you've come to expect with our revisions, you'll find numerous enrichments that enhance the learning experience for the student and the teaching experience for the classroom focused teacher.

A strong decision making emphasis

• Case discussions integrate into the body of the chapter and cement key concepts early. Nineteen optional cases can be packaged with the text to assist with quantitative concepts.
• Bringing Research to Life (BRL) vignettes appear with every chapter, and are fully integrated into the body of each chapter and end-of-chapter discussion questions.
• Ethical issues receive chapter level emphasis (Chapter 5) with additional integration throughout the text.
• The revised Instructor's Manual offers enriched course design ideas, student projects, in-depth discussion of end-of-chapter exercises, new review questions and companion PowerPoint slides for the whole text.

Graphically enhanced and fully integrated Research Process Model

• The Research Process Model as the integrating concept that cements the chapters together, provides the practical guide to course and post-course use. Students will find it easily on the cover jacket for easy reference throughout the course. New model-related figures appear throughout the text.
• The Management-Research Question Hierarchy is fully integrated into the Research Process Model making the transition from theory to research instrument more understandable.

Enhanced topical coverage

• Exploratory study applications are expanded.
• Graphical examples appear in measurement and scaling chapters
• Sampling examples and notations are updated.
• Secondary Data Sources receives its own chapter enhanced by an electronic search orientation. Appendix A offers alternative search strategies and our text WWW site offers links tied to secondary sources.
• The Survey Methods chapter is reorganized and keyed to a graphical model, clarifying the researcher's choices. The new graphic is tied directly to the Research Process Model.
• Instrument design is streamlined in the reorganization of Chapter 12, Instrument for Respondent Communication.
• Data mining and data warehousing update the chapter of Data Preparation and Preliminary Analysis (Chapter 15), with tables and figures of exploratory data analysis receive new graphics.

We hope you'll agree this is the best edition of Business Research Methods ever. Send us your comments at (URL).

I. Introduction to Business Research
1. Research in Business
2. Scientific Thinking
3. The Research Process
4. The Research Proposal
5. Ethics in Business Research

II. The Design of Research
6. Design Strategies
7. Measurement
8. Scaling Design
9. Sampling Design

III. The Sources and Collection of Data
10. Secondary Data Sources
11. Survey Methods: Communicating with Respondents
12. Instruments for Respondent Communication
13. Observational Studies
14. Experimentation

IV Analysis and Presentation of Data
15. Data Preparation and Preliminary Analysis
16. Hypothesis Testing
17. Measures of Association
18. Multivariate Analysis: An Overview
19. Presenting Results: Written and Oral Reports

1. Bryant & Smith cases (available shrink wrapped with the text - ISBN 0-256-15829-0) plus an available data diskette for adopters.
2. McGraw-Hill/Irwin Statistical Software Guides by Shin
3. Instructors Manual
4. PowerPoint slides