The book takes students from selecting a research genre through building a conceptual framework, data collection and interpretation, and arguing the merits of the proposal. Now featuring a new co-author, Gerardo L. Blanco, this edition includes more on the history and new emerging genres of qualitative inquiry, as well as a more sustained and deeper focus on social media and other digital applications in conducting qualitative research. New application activities provide opportunities for students to try out ideas, while timely vignettes illustrate the methodological challenges posed by the intellectual, ethical, political, and technological advances affecting society.