Book excerpt: The Practice of Market and Social Research is a comprehensive account of the techniques and the day-to-day tasks of the researcher. Easy to read and understand, this book covers not only research methods and techniques, such as sampling and questionnaire design, but also the practical tasks involved in running a research project. It guides the user through the preparation of the brief, writing of the proposal, managing of the research project, preparation of the report and finally the presentation and the evaluation of the findings. The Practice of Market and Social Research has been written especially for the MRS Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice. It covers the course syllabus in full and provides examples of both market and social research.