Sociology as an empirical science of experience deals with the description of the social world and the verification of theoretical mechanisms with the help of statistical procedures. Anyone who wants to understand this work, but also to discuss it critically, must have a minimum understanding of the procedures of social science data analysis. The focus of this book is to attempt to provide the appropriate basic statistical knowledge for the reader's own analyses. In addition, readers should be given the tools to critically reflect on existing analyses and, if necessary, to critique them in a well-founded manner.

Dr. Florian G. Hartmann is a research associate at the Chair of Social Science Methodology at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich. 

Dr. Johannes Kopp is Professor of Sociology at the University of Trier.

Dr. Daniel Lois holds the professorship for Social Science Methodology at the University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich.