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Operationalization
“To study an abstract idea, researchers must decide which observation will count as its signal.”
01 / SUMMARY
In short
Operationalization turns a concept into defined measurement or manipulation procedures. That makes study possible, but also limits which version of the concept is being captured.
03 / SCENE
In the wild
A study might measure stress with cortisol, a questionnaire, or heart rate. Each operation focuses on a different facet.
04 / LIMIT
The limit
The chosen measure is not the whole concept, and two operationalizations can yield different results.
FINAL NOTE
What remains
When reading a conclusion, find out how its central concept became data.