Operational definition

• State the variable/construct related to your study

• State the theory/theories related to the variable/construct of your study

• Define the variable/construct of your study

  • Theoretical definition

  • Conceptual definition

Operational Definition

• It is a concise detailed explanation about a variable or a measure or an issue that a researcher wants to study.

• Ask yourself this question

  • “What does it mean when it is used in a research?”

• It contains explanation of theoretical and conceptual definition of a variable / issue

Constructing operational definition requires ....

Operational Definition

• Explain about the terms used in a study:

  • theoretical definition

    • It is a definition based on a theory/model or it is definition defined by a well-known author (a researcher) in that particular field of study

    • One term might be defined differently by different researchers or authors and based on different theory/model etc. 

  • contextual definition

    • It is a definition which you will use in your study.  It might be similar with theoretical definition but in this case, you highlight the issue that you want to study

Example of operational definition: Informal involvement

Informal involvement refers to involvement by who with whom on what basis or in what context ….. (author, year).  Informal involvement occurs when …. (who interact with whom for what reason in what situation/ environment/ context?)

In this study, informal involvement refers to …… in which who interact with whom in what context etc.

Example of operational definition: Informal involvement

Informal involvement refers to involvement by who with whom on what basis or in what context ….. (author, year).  Informal involvement occurs when …. (who interact with whom for what reason in what situation/ environment/ context?)

In this study, informal involvement refers to …… in which who interact with whom in what context etc.