This book presents in easily-accessible form some of the insights which Professor Postlethwaite has gained during the course of his career. It introduces some of the problems faced by researchers who conduct comparative studies, and suggests ways in which those problems may be dealt with. The topics addressed in the book include large-scale survey design, item construction and analysis, response attrition, and missing data. Professor Postlethwaite does readers a great service by coaxing issues out of the shadows and forcing them onto the centre-stages so that they can be scrutinsed more fully.