This book accompanies a one-semester undergraduate introduction to scientific research. The course was first developed at The University of Texas at Austin for students preparing to become science and mathematics teachers, and has since grown to include a broad range of undergraduates who want an introduction to research. The heart of the course is a set of scientific inquiries that each student develops independently. In years of teaching the course, the instructors have heard many questions that students naturally ask as they gather data, develop models, and interpret them. This book contains answers to those most common questions.

Because the focus is on supporting student inquiries, the text is relatively brief, and focuses on concepts such as the meaning of standard error, p-values, and deterministic modeling. If a single statistical test, such as χ2, is adequate to deal with most student experiments, the text does not introduce alternatives, such as ANOVA, even if they are standard for professional researchers to know.

The mathematical level of the book is intermediate, and in some places presumes knowledge of calculus. It could probably be used with students who don't know calculus, skipping these sections without great loss.

There is an instructor's manual that describes daily activities for a 14-week class that meets two hours per week in a classroom and two hours per week in a lab. It is available at www.cambridge.org/Marder.