Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction to research methods -- Research ethics: Doing the right thing -- Public administration research: Theory and practice -- Research in nonprofit organization management -- The eight-step research process -- Selecting a research topic -- Choosing a research design -- How to write a research proposal -- Fundamentals of quantitative research -- Hypothesis testing concepts -- Hypothesis testing tools -- Introduction to sampling -- Survey research: Questions and questionnaires -- Controlling error in survey research -- Summarizing data with descriptive statistics -- Measuring relationships with correlation and regression -- Introduction to experimental design -- Introduction to nonparametric statistics -- Exploring multivariate statistics -- Researching with very large data sets -- Introduction to qualitative research -- Research using case study designs -- Research using grounded theory designs -- Research using ethnographic designs -- Critical research: Empowerment and emancipatory designs -- Critical research: Action research designs -- Research using feminist research designs -- Hermeneutic research designs -- Research using library and archival resources -- Content, narrative, meta-analysis, and semiotic research designs -- Analyzing qualitative data -- Introduction to mixed-methods research -- Research with mixed-methods designs -- Developing tables, charts, and graphs -- Introduction to statistical software -- Writing the research report.

"Now in a thoroughly revised and refreshed fourth edition, Research Methods in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management is beloved by students and professors alike for its exceptional clarity and accessibility and plentiful illustrations. This new edition integrates quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, as well as specific up-to-date instruction in the use of statistical software programs such as Excel and SPSS."--Publisher's description.