Operationalizing

Conceptual Definition

Consulting the scientific literature to see how the concept has been defined or measured previously and examining what theory says defines the concept are the most common ways to commence operationalizing a concept. A theory is an overarching perspective or set of principles, such as social psychology or feminist theory, used to explain observable phenomena. Theory can help define the features and nature of single concepts according to those principles. The conceptual definition sets out what it is precisely that the researcher would like to measure. Where a concept is yet to have a standard definition, or the previously deployed definitions do not capture the perspective required for the research, it would be necessary to conduct some formative research to arrive at a conceptual definition. Often this would involve qualitative research methods where perhaps people are interviewed (for example, to define “research coproduction,” those who are working in collaborative partnerships may be interviewed to define what coproduction means to them). Alternatively, it may be more appropriate to use a Delphi technique, where experts in the field are interviewed and surveyed in several rounds of consultations to define the limits and dimensions of a concept and a definition is reached by consensus. An example is consulting experts in social media analysis to define “engagement” in social media use.

Operational Definition

Once the conceptual definition has been arrived at, the dimensions are translated into observable (either [Page 1132]subjectively or objectively) and measurable indicators. In other words, the operational definition describes how to measure the concept. Using previously validated and reliable indicators of the relevant conceptual dimensions is preferable as long as they meet the research purpose they are being put to. An indicator is considered to be validated if it has been tested and found to accurately and comprehensively capture the concept, while it is considered reliable if it has been tested and found to capture the concept consistently.

Capturing a concept may result in a singular indicator. Other concepts may require a series of indicators to cover a multidimensional definition. For example, a person’s height is relatively straightforward to operationalize because it is a unidimensional, widely agreed upon phenomenon and has ready metrics (centimeters and inches) to draw on. By contrast, the conceptual definition of “stress” may identify physical, emotional, and cognitive dimensions, and therefore operationalization would require a number of indicators in order to capture all of these dimensions. Other concepts may be more complex to operationalize because there is disagreement or variation in conceptual definitions, and identifying salient aspects that require operationalization will depend on the research context and question. For example, measuring “leadership” as a component of successful community partnerships for health promotion would likely involve different indicators than “leadership” measured as a predictor of employee well-being.

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