Measurement – Turning Concepts into Data

Scientists and social science researchers are tasked with measuring concepts of all types. Some are quantitative, like blood pressure, while others are qualitative, like support for a policy proposal. Moreover, some measures are at the individual level while others are aggregated. This module will focus on distinguishing between different types of measures, different types of units and the advantages and disadvantages of these differences. By the end of this module, I think you'll better appreciate the amount of judgment and decision making that is required to perform a statistical analysis, an in particular, to create and select measure of the concepts you care about studying.

Researchers are often tasked with analyzing concepts that are difficult to measure. As an example, think about the issue of immigration. A full consideration of policies related to immigration requires analysts to measure concepts such as border security, competition for jobs and employer needs. While there is broad agreement in most governments about the need for border security, there is disagreement about the extent to which their borders are currently secure. How could you measure border security? You could collect data on the amount of money spent on border security, the number of border patrol agents, the amount of physical barriers in place, the apprehension rate of undocumented immigrants and the deportation rate of undocumented immigrants. Some of these measures are inputs while others are outputs. All of these measures capture some aspect of border security. Which measure would you use? Why is this the most appropriate measure? Could you use a combination of measures? This module will explore these questions by examining the measurement process. We'll discuss conceptualization, operationalization and how to create full measurement models based on operationalized concepts.

V. O. Key, a renowned public opinion scholar, wrote that “to speak with precision of public opinion is not unlike coming to grips with the Holy Ghost.” But although survey research is challenging, it is an essential tool in both government and business. Survey research allows researchers to measure opinion and behavior in a wide range of areas, build an understanding of how abstract concepts are perceived, develop and test theories of opinion formation and formulate policy recommendations. In the public sphere, surveys give public officials insight into the views of their constituents and allow citizens to hold their governing officials accountable. In the private sphere, companies use surveys to measure their customers' experiences and levels of satisfaction with goods and services. This module will cover the three fundamental pillars of survey research: sampling, design and evaluation.