Now in its second edition, this is an invaluable manual for teaching and learning variation analysis, the quantitative study of linguistic variation and change. Written by a leading scholar in the field with over thirty years of experience, it provides an insider's view of the methodology through practical, 'hands-on' advice, including straightforward instructions for conducting analyses using the R programming language, the new gold standard for analysis. It leads readers through each phase of a research study based on data gathered in sociocultural contexts, beginning with the selection and sampling of a data source, to hints on successful project design, interview techniques, data management, analysis and interpretation, with systematic procedures provided at each step of the process. This edition has been fully updated, with new insights and explanations in line with recent discoveries in the field, making it essential reading for anyone embarking on their own sociolinguistic research project.