This thought provoking book builds on existing research traditions that make small business, entrepreneurship and family business a resource rich arena for study. It steps back to ask fundamental questions that every researcher should consider prior to engaging in data collection. It focuses on topics that have traditionally frustrated researchers including experimental methods in small business research, scale development, control variables and language issues in cross cultural research.The distinguished authors also address subjects such as theory development and testing in entrepreneurship, as well as determining if progress in research has been made and how that can be measured. Critically, many of the chapters highlight ways in which research can be both practical yet theoretically important.

Bringing together quantitative and qualitative techniques and taking an investigative approach almost totally ignored in entrepreneurship research, this unique volume will be of special interest to anyone studying small and family businesses or entrepreneurship and business.

Contributors: K. Berglund, B. Bird, M. Brannback, C.G. Brush, A. Carsrud, D. Deeds, L.F. Edelman, R.T. Harrison, B. Johannisson, T. Kenworthy, S. Lang, S. Latham, C.M. Leitch, T.S. Manolova, E. McMullen, M. Renko, L. Schjoedt, K.G. Shaver, S. Terjesen, C. Wigren