Book excerpt: By using computer simulations in research and development, computational science and engineering (CSE) allows empirical inquiry where traditional experimentation and methods of inquiry are difficult, inefficient, or prohibitively expensive. The Handbook of Research on Computational Science and Engineering: Theory and Practice is a reference for interested researchers and decision-makers who want a timely introduction to the possibilities in CSE to advance their ongoing research and applications or to discover new resources and cutting edge developments. Rather than reporting results obtained using CSE models, this comprehensive survey captures the architecture of the cross-disciplinary field, explores the long term implications of technology choices, alerts readers to the hurdles facing CSE, and identifies trends in future development.