Demography can be defined by its field of study and its analytical methods.
Accordingly, it can be regarded as the scientific study of human populations
primarily with respect to their size, their structure, and their development. For
reasons which are related to the history of the discipline, and demographic method
is essentially inductive: progress in knowledge results from the improvement of
observation, the sophistication of measurement methods, and the search for
regularities and stable factors leading to the formulation of explanatory models.
In conclusion, the three objectives of demographic analysis are to describe, meas-
ure, and analyse.

International Studies in Demography is the outcome of an agreement concluded
by the IUSSP and the Oxford University Press. The joint series is expected to
reflect the broad range of the Union's activities and, in the first instance, will be
based on the seminars organized by the Union. The Editorial Board of the series
is comprised of:

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