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Research Variable Clarification Guide

This document discusses the importance of operationalizing variables in a research proposal. It states that the operationalization section must clearly define any variables being studied and how they will be measured. It provides guidelines for operationalizing variables, including defining each variable based on how others in the field have defined it rather than a dictionary definition. It also stresses the need to indicate how each variable will be quantified and measured, whether through direct measurement, a single survey question, or a scored combination of several questions. The overall summary is that the operationalization section must unambiguously define the meaning and planned measurement of all variables to be studied.

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Atoni Ainda
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112 views2 pages

Research Variable Clarification Guide

This document discusses the importance of operationalizing variables in a research proposal. It states that the operationalization section must clearly define any variables being studied and how they will be measured. It provides guidelines for operationalizing variables, including defining each variable based on how others in the field have defined it rather than a dictionary definition. It also stresses the need to indicate how each variable will be quantified and measured, whether through direct measurement, a single survey question, or a scored combination of several questions. The overall summary is that the operationalization section must unambiguously define the meaning and planned measurement of all variables to be studied.

Uploaded by

Atoni Ainda
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VARIABLE OPERATIONALIZATION

The OPERATIONALIZATION section of a proposal tells the reviewer of the proposal precisely what you mean when you refer to the varia les in your pro!ect" This section must clear up any confusion others #or you$ may have a out the meanin% an& measurement of the varia les in your stu&y"
Operationalization: When you have chosen the variables for your research questions, you must also operationalize those variables. Operationalization answers two key questions: 1) How is each variable efine ! ") How is each variable measure ! #efinition: #efinin$ each variable is often a technical e%ercise base on specific &ar$on an uses of wor s that are characteristic to your area of research. One place to be$in is to consi er how other researchers efine your variables in their research. 'ou may a &ust or a apt other efinitions to meet your own nee s, or you may borrow the efinitions that other researchers have use (if you use others) efinitions, or if your a apte efinition is inspire by other researchers, then you must reference that efinition the same way you i in your literature review). Never rely on a dictionary (or Wikipedia) definition for your operationalization. #ictionaries may $ive you some inspiration, but they are not a equate for efinin$ variables in the specific way it is use in a research pro&ect. *easurement: 'ou must also in icate how the variable is to be measure in your research. +ome variables, like age or height, are pretty strai$htforwar , but you must still state the metho of measurement: ,a$e will be measure in years,- or ,hei$ht will be measure in inches.- .or more comple% variables, like political persuasion or racism, you must in icate how you will 'uantify these concepts so they can be use as numbers for statistical analysis. /olitical persuasion mi$ht be a nominal variable etermine by somethin$ as simple as a sin$le question on a survey that asks: How woul you escribe yourself (check one): 00000 1iberal 00000 2onservative

or, you may use a metho which pro uces a ratio variable by askin$ several questions that woul be combine into a score so that you, the researcher, coul etermine quantitatively how much of a characteristic (such as liberalism) that each sub&ect possesses. However it is one, you must escribe your metho for oin$ so in the operationalization section ( escribe it in a way that other researchers woul make the same ecisions about each sub&ect if they followe your metho ).

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