4.2 Discussion:  Writing Exercise – Measurement

Getting Started

The chapter reading explores the role and importance of measurement in research. Although your ADP may not require a specific statistical methodology, it is necessary to understand how researchers use measurement to explore a problem or issue and support their findings. There are many statistical measurements. You may have studied statistics previously and will encounter this information in your doctoral program. Either way, the aim of this assignment is simply to help you understand the purpose without having to deal with the numbers or calculations. Think of it conceptually and you will have more than an adequate understanding of the role measurement plays in research.  

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• Evaluate the measurement strategy used by article authors.
• Find additional articles that measure a similar phenomenon.

Background Information

Research often involves hundreds or thousands of pieces of data. Information can be compiled for many different variables, and computer programs can be used to model the relationships between them. From their reading of prior studies, social scientists bring a deeper theoretical understanding of the many constraints that shape human behavior, which informs their sampling, measurements, and analyses. Then, as they compose their final reports, researchers describe their findings with precision and caution rather than speaking in hyperbole. All of this is, arguably, far superior to ordinary human inquiry (Harris, 2014).

References

Harris, S. R. (2014). How to critique journal articles in the social sciences. SAGE.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade. 
2. Read Chapter 5 of How to Critique Journal Articles in the Social Sciences.
3. Follow the instructions for Exercise 5.2 and write response (300-400 words) answering the questions posed in the text.
4. Because this is a writing exercise, focus on generating clear ideas rather than a formal, structured response. 
5. Use APA format for all in-text citations and references and Grammarly to ensure your submission is free of writing errors.  In addition to your APA-formatted reference, please provide the OCLS permalink to any article you include in your post.
6. Post your initial response by the end of day 4 of the workshop. 
7. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as any follow-up instructor questions directed at you, by the end of the workshop. 
8. Your postings are interactions with your classmates and instructor that should facilitate engaging dialogue and provide evidence of critical thinking. For this discussion, focus on the following:
   1. Extension: Expand the discussion.
   2. Challenge: Interrogate assumptions, conclusions or interpretations.
   3. Relational: Make comparisons or contrasts of themes, ideas, or issues.
   4. Clarification: Provide clarification to classmates' questions and provide insight into the discussion.

Review the associated rubric

APA 7th Edition, 300-400 words