"A great, action-oriented book for novice data analysts. If you have no background in quantitative social science, Fogarty's book gives you a toolbox for starting statistical analysis and developing your skills" - Jamie Monogan, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Georgia Relevant, engaging, and packed with student-focused learning features, this book provides the basic step-by-step introduction to quantitative research and data every student needs. Gradually introducing applied statistics and the language and functionality of R and R Studio software, it uses examples from across the social sciences to show students how to apply abstract statistical and methodological principles to their own work. Maintaining a student-friendly pace, it goes beyond a normal introductory statistics book and shows students where data originates and how to: - Understand and use quantitative data to answer questions - Approach surrounding ethical issues - Collect quantitative data - Manage, write about, and share the data effectively Supported by incredible digital resources with online tutorials, videos, datasets, and multiple choice questions, this book gives students not only the tools they need to understand statistics, quantitative data, and R software, but also the chance to practice and apply what they have learned.