Contents
Introduction
1 Measurement
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Nature of measurement
1.3 Variables
Definitions
1.4 Levels of measurement
Nominal-level
measurement
Ordinal-level
measurement
Interval-level
measurement
Ratio-level
measurement
Measuring
variables
Putting it
together
2 Replication
3 Scales and indexes
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Examples of scales
3.3 Indexes
4 Validity
4.1 Validity in quantitative research
4.2 Testing validity
Empirical validation
Theoretical validation
Face validity
Content validity
Construct validity
Internal validity
External validity
4.3 Validity in qualitative research
Other 'tactics'
5 Reliability
5.1 Reliability in quantitative
research
5.2 Reliability in qualitative
research
5.3 Validity and reliability
6 Objectivity in social
research
6.1 The debate
Value neutrality
Normativism
6.2 Objectivity in quantitative
research
6.3 Objectivity in qualitative
research
7 Representativeness
Quantitative research
Qualitative research
8 Generalisability
Main points
Where to from here?
Further reading