Clear, intuitive and written with the social science student in mind, this book represents the ideal combination of statistical theory and practice. It focuses on questions that can be answered using statistics and addresses common themes and problems in a straightforward, easy-to-follow manner. The book carefully combines the conceptual aspects of statistics with detailed technical advice providing both the ‘why’ of statistics and the ‘how’. Built upon a variety of engaging examples from across the social sciences it provides a rich collection of statistical methods and models. Students are encouraged to see the impact of theory whilst simultaneously learning how to manipulate software to meet their needs. The book also provides: Original case studies and data sets Practical guidance on how to run and test models in Stata Downloadable Stata programmes created to work alongside chapters A wide range of detailed applications using Stata Step-by-step notes on writing the relevant code. This excellent text will give anyone doing statistical research in the social sciences the theoretical, technical and applied knowledge needed to succeed.