Providing practical training supported by a sound theoretical basis, this textbook introduces students to the principles of investigation by experiment and the role of statistics in analysis. It draws on the author’s extensive teaching experience and is illustrated with fully worked contextualized examples throughout, helping the reader to correctly design their own experiments and identify the most appropriate technique for analysis. Subjects covered include sampling and determining sample reliability, hypothesis testing, relationships between variables, the role and use of computer packages such as Genstat, and more complex experimental designs such as randomized blocks and split plots.