3. how important is it for the researcher to identify the type of variables used in the study?

The process of examining a research problem in the social and behavioral sciences is often framed around methods of analysis that compare, contrast, correlate, average, or integrate relationships between or among variables. Techniques include associations, sampling, random selection, and blind selection. Designation of the dependent and independent variable involves unpacking the research problem in a way that identifies a general cause and effect and classifying these variables as either independent or dependent.

The variables should be outlined in the introduction of your paper and explained in more detail in the methods section. There are no rules about the structure and style for writing about independent or dependent variables but, as with any academic writing, clarity and being succinct is most important.

After you have described the research problem and its significance in relation to prior research, explain why you have chosen to examine the problem using a method of analysis that investigates the relationships between or among independent and dependent variables. State what it is about the research problem that lends itself to this type of analysis. For example, if you are investigating the relationship between corporate environmental sustainability efforts [the independent variable] and dependent variables associated with measuring employee satisfaction at work using a survey instrument, you would first identify each variable and then provide background information about the variables. What is meant by "environmental sustainability"? Are you looking at a particular company [e.g., General Motors] or are you investigating an industry [e.g., the meat packing industry]? Why is employee satisfaction in the workplace important? How does a company make their employees aware of sustainability efforts and why would a company even care that its employees know about these efforts?

Identify each variable for the reader and define each. In the introduction, this information can be presented in a paragraph or two when you describe how you are going to study the research problem. In the methods section, you build on the literature review of prior studies about the research problem to describe in detail background about each variable, breaking each down for measurement and analysis. For example, what activities do you examine that reflect a company's commitment to environmental sustainability? Levels of employee satisfaction can be measured by a survey that asks about things like volunteerism or a desire to stay at the company for a long time.

The structure and writing style of describing the variables and their application to analyzing the research problem should be stated and unpacked in such a way that the reader obtains a clear understanding of the relationships between the variables and why they are important. This is also important so that the study can be replicated in the future using the same variables but applied in a different way.


Fan, Shihe. "Independent Variable." In Encyclopedia of Research Design. Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2010), pp. 592-594; "What are Dependent and Independent Variables?" Graphic Tutorial; “Case Example for Independent and Dependent Variables.” ORI Curriculum Examples. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Research Integrity; Salkind, Neil J. "Dependent Variable." In Encyclopedia of Research Design, Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2010), pp. 348-349; “Independent Variables and Dependent Variables.” Karl L. Wuensch, Department of Psychology, East Carolina University [posted email exchange]; “Variables.” Elements of Research. Dr. Camille Nebeker, San Diego State University.

The research intends to achieve goals. To pursue the goals, you need variables that make the process of goal setting possible to identify which results in the achievement of the goals.

3. how important is it for the researcher to identify the type of variables used in the study?
Group of people reading and borrowing books

Therefore, research means the measurement of the variables and the importance of the variable is hidden in this concept. Basically, the variables should be determined in accordance with their purpose and components. In other words, the variables should be selected through operational words and research literature.

Consider the following criteria in variable selection:

  • Being consistent with the goal
  • Being measurable
  • Being replicable
  • Being used widely in recent years. (Sometimes there may be important diagnostic methods to check a disease or to measure a certain amount of ways. Therefore, obsolete and non-valid methods should be avoided and instead of them using the common methods and consider them as variables.
  • Being affordable and can be fitted with the study design
  • Being prevalent and common in the community
  • Being reliable (i.e., produces stable and consistent results over a period of time)
  • Being valid (e.g., kg scale is not a suitable scale to measure the height of the people)
  • Can be measured using available tools
  • Can be mentioned in the review of literature which indicates the importance of the variable and its relevance to the study.
  • Not being so rare that it cannot be measured
  • Not being time-consuming
  • Not being out of research scope

Types of variables

There are different types of variables, two of them are explained as follows:

According to research objectives and variable roles in the study, they are classified into four types:

1. Independent variable: A variable you can manipulate, but it’s not dependent on the changes in other variables buying Levitra online http://www.wolfesimonmedicalassociates.com/levitra

2. Dependent variable: A factor or phenomenon that is changed by the effect of an associated factor.  The dependent variable is the variable being tested and measured in a scientific experiment.

3. Demographic variable: A variable that is neither independent nor dependent, but sometimes can be used by researchers to describe the nature and distribution of the sample.

4. Confounding or intervening variable: This variable affects the causal relationship of the two variables and makes the relationship weaker or stronger. Generic Cialis http://www.healthfirstpharmacy.net/cialis.html

Sometimes the variables are classified according to their own nature, such as:

1. Quantitative variables

2. Qualitative variables

A quantitative variable is represented by a number and has a measuring instrument and is divided into two types, continuous and discontinuous.

A discontinuous variable is a value that can have two or more possible values but has a limited number of values.

A continuous variable is a variable that can take infinitely many values between any two observed values.

A qualitative variable (e.g. Race and Sex) is a variable that shows the quality of the attributes and cannot be measured by measuring instruments.  

3. how important is it for the researcher to identify the type of variables used in the study?

3. how important is it for the researcher to identify the type of variables used in the study?

How important for the researcher to identify the type of variables used in the study?

Variables are important to understand because they are the basic units of the information studied and interpreted in research studies. Researchers carefully analyze and interpret the value(s) of each variable to make sense of how things relate to each other in a descriptive study or what has happened in an experiment.

How important is it for the researcher to identify the type of variables in the study Brainly?

The importance of dependent and independent variables is that they guide the researchers to per sue their studies with maximum curiosity. Dependent and independent variables are important because they drive the research process.