Sociolinguistics: Method and Interpretation presents a thorough and practical description of current sociolinguistic methodology while recognizing that methodological decisions can never be separated from questions of theory.

* Presents a thorough and practical description of current sociolinguistic methodology.

* Considers a range of issues including speaker selection, data collection, social considerations, phonological and syntactical variation, style-shifting and code-switching.

* Recognizes that methodological decisions can never be separated from questions of theory.

* Stresses the need for the entire research process from the initial design of the project to the interpretation of results to be grounded in theoretically defensible positions.

* Shows how the research paradigm established by a few influential pioneers has been fruitfully expanded by exciting new trends.