Documenting Measurement Instruments for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Version 1.0)

Abstract: Measurement is the key to any quantitative science. Both the validity and the replicability of research findings hinge on the quality of the measurement instruments used. This is especially true for the social and behavioral sciences. Here, researchers o en investigate constructs such as personality, attitudes, values, intentions or behavior. Such 'latent' constructs cannot be directly observed but can only be inferred indirectly from the respondents' responses to a survey (i.e., items, scales, questionnaires or tests), which lends even greater importance to the quality of the measurement instruments used. For this reason, a thorough documentation of measurement instruments is an integral part of a transparent research practices. In this guideline, we list information that is crucial for the documentation of measurement instruments in surveys. The guideline is aligned with the quality standards for the documentation of measurement instruments in the social sciences (RatSWD, 2014) a

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 8 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie, Anthropologie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Mannheim
• (who): SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
• (when): 2020
• Creator: Schmidt, Isabelle ; Lechner, Clemens
• Contributor: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften

Further information

• DOI: 10.15465/gesis-sg_en_033
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-68106-7
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:42 PM CET