1. Conceptualization and Operationalization

2. Conceptualization and Concepts
Conceptualization is a process of defining the agreed meaning of the terms used in a study.
Indicators are identified to mark the presence or absence of a concept.
Some concepts have more than one aspect or facet, called dimensions.
The interchangeability of indicators means that if several indicators represent the same concept, they should behave in the same way as the concept.

3. From Conceptualization to Operationalization
From conceptualization the researcher creates a nominal definition to identify the focus of the study.
An operational definition is created to defined the procedures or steps used in measuring a concept.
An operational definition must be specific and unambiguous.

4. Operationalization Choices
Operational decisions are made based on the purposes of the study.
What is the necessary range in variation in measuring your concept?
How fine must the measure indicate variation between the attributes of a variable?
Which dimensions are important to your study?

5. Levels of Measurement At all the levels, the attributes must be:
Exhaustive
Mutually exclusive
Levels of Measurement
Nominal Measures
Ordinal Measures
Interval Measures
Ratio Measures

6. Nominal Levels of Measurement
Variables only have attributes that are mutually exclusive and exhaustive.
Names or labels are offered for the attributes characteristics
Is measured by counting the frequencies of each attribute.
Example: What is your primary source of news?
Television Newspapers
Radio Magazines
Internet Other

7. Ordinal Levels of Measurement
Measure variables that can be logically rank-ordered.
The attributes of a variable indicate relatively more or less of that variable.
The actual distance between the attributes of a variable is imprecise.
Example: How important are newspapers as your news source?
Not Very Important
Fairly Important
Very Important
Most important source

8. Interval Level of Measurement
Measures variables in which the distance between the attributes is important.
The measure assumes the logical distance between the attributes of the variables through standard intervals.
Example:
Newspapers are an important source of news information for me.
Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
The Internet is an important source of news information for me.

9. Ratio Level of Measurement
Measures are based on a true zero point.
Example:
What is your age?

10. Measurement Reliability
125 pounds
140 pounds
An instrument consistently measures the variable of interest
In order for an instrument to be valid, it must also be reliable - A reliable instrument, however, is not necessarily valid

11. Creating Reliable Measures
Test-Retest Method
Alternative-Form Method
Internal Consistency Method
Split-half reliability
Item-total reliability
Use Established Measures
Assessing Reliability of Research Workers
Inter-observer or inter-coder agreement
Reliability coefficients should be at least equal to .70 to demonstrate a reliable measure.

12. Measurement Validity
Does the empirical measure observe what it purports to observe?
Does the measure appropriately (adequately and accurately) reflect the meaning of the concept?

13. Creating Valid Measures
Content Validity
Face Validity
Expert Panel Validity
Criterion Validity
Predictive Validity
Concurrent Validity
Construct Validity
Convergent Validity
Discriminant Validity
Representational Validity