Michael Corbett received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He was professor of Political Science at Ball State University, where he taught courses covering an introduction to Political Science, research methods in Political Science, and public opinion. He was the author of numerous scholarly articles and of several books: POLITICAL TOLERANCE IN AMERICA: FREEDOM AND EQUALITY IN PUBLIC ATTITUDES (New York: Longman, 1982); AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION: TRENDS, PROCESS, AND PATTERNS (New York: Longman, 1991); SOCIAL RESEARCH USING MICROCASE (co-authored with Lynne Roberts ) (Bellevue, WA: MicroCase Corporation, 1998); and POLITICS AND RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES (co-authored with Julia M. Corbett) (New York: Garland Publishing, 1999). Professor Corbett passed away in November of 2001 after battling cancer. His many years of service to the Research Methods book remain evident on every page and will continue for many editions to come.