When starting your research study, conceptualization and operalization are two important concepts.
Conceptualization
What is Conceptualization?
Conceptualization in research refers to the process in which the research concepts are defined and specified. Conceptualization is an integral part of a research process since it establishes the ground for the measurement process in the given study. (Study.com, 2023).
For example, refining a construct like “student engagement” by providing it with a theoretical definition. This definition is abstract and relates to other ideas or constructs.
In qualitative research, instead of refining abstract ideas into theoretical definitions early in the research process, qualitative researchers refine basic or undeveloped “working ideas” during the data collection, and analysis process. Conceptualization is a process of forming coherent theoretical definitions as the researcher attempts to make sense of or organize the data and one’s preliminary ideas (Neuman & Robson, 2012).
Approach:
- Gather various definitions from: your own knowledge, input from others, and scholarly literature. You may also encounter multiple dimensions of a construct such as online vs. face-to-face student engagement.
- Consider the units of analysis that align with your definition. For student engagement, examples could be: individual engagement with course materials or engagement among students as they interact with course content.
It’s crucial to differentiate your construct from closely related ones, such as student participation and student motivation, even if they share similarities (Neuman & Robson, 2012).
Reflect
Academic Engagement
To familiarize yourself with the idea of conceptualization using the academic literature, skim the following article.
Document: Academic Engagement – An Overview of Its Definitions, Dimensions (PDF)
Then, address the two questions below.
Operationalization
What is Operalization?
Operationalization is the process of moving from the conceptual definition of a construct to a set of specific activities or measures that allow a researcher to observe it empirically.
This process translates the theoretical, conceptual variable of interest into a set of specific operations or procedures that define the variable’s meaning in a specific study (Neuman & Robson, 2012).
Interactive Book
Operationalization | Quantitative methods | Measurement | UvA
Click on the previous/next buttons to move between pages.
Additional Resources
- Operationalization | A Guide with Examples, Pros & Cons
- 4.1 Operationalization | Quantitative methods | Measurement | UvA Run Time: 03:32 min
- Research Methods – Chapter 03 – Operational Definitions Run Time: 08:44 min
- operational definition Run Time: 02:17 min
- Variables – Conceptual and Operational Definitions Run Time: 02:16 min
Operationalization is the process of moving from the conceptual definition of a construct to a set of specific activities or measures that allow a researcher to observe it empirically. This process translates the theoretical, conceptual variable of interest into a set of specific operations or procedures that define the variable’s meaning in a specific study.
