TLS and DAT: Construct Utilization in the Behavioral Sciences

虽然研究学科分成更专业的领域是很自然的，但由此产生的鸿沟使分享相关研究成果的努力变得复杂。建构是许多行为科学和社会科学中使用的研究方法的重要基础，并且已经开发出几乎相同的建构来支持不同的理论，通常使用不同的名称。因此，有用的联系被遗漏，结构和理论被重新发明，关于学科之间的结构起源和流动的知识很少。智力优势：该项目通过调查以下研究问题来解决这个问题：是否有可能确定密切相关的结构，包括不同学科的结构，并使用这些信息来衡量现有结构的有效利用程度？ 这个问题在“使用量表的潜在结构研究”领域进行了研究，这是典型的使用问卷量表评估潜在结构的研究，因此跨越了行为和社会科学的多个学科。对于这个领域，一个密切相关的结构（CRC）的概念，制定和操作使用的方法，集成了自动文本分析，引文分析和荟萃分析。使用CRC，一个科学指标，称为结构利用率，制定措施的程度，密切相关的结构之间的两个单元，其中该单元可以选择在不同的集体水平，如理论，期刊，或研究领域之间的认可。更广泛的影响：该项目研究如何使用该指标来定量和定性评估给定结构的CRC在不同研究领域内和跨不同研究领域被识别和利用的程度。它还可以揭示机会和冗余所在。

While it is natural for research disciplines to split into more specialized areas, the resulting divide complicates efforts to share the benefits of related research. Constructs are important underpinnings of a research method used in many behavioral and social sciences, and virtually identical constructs have been developed to support different theories, frequently under different names. As a result, useful connections are missed, constructs and theories are reinvented, and little knowledge exists about the construct origins and flow among disciplines. Intellectual Merit: This project addresses the problem by investigating the following research question: is it possible to identify closely related constructs, including those in different disciplines and use this information to measure the extent to which existing constructs are utilized effectively? The question is examined in the domain of 'latent construct research using scales,' which is typified by the studies using questionnaire scales to assess latent constructs, thus spanning multiple disciplines in the behavioral and social sciences. For this domain, the notion of a Closely Related Construct (CRC), is formulated and operationalized using a method that integrates automated text analysis, citation analysis, and meta-analysis. Using CRC, a science metric termed Construct Utilization Ratio, is formulated that measures the extent to which closely related constructs are recognized between two units, where the unit may be chosen at different collective levels, such as between theories, journals, or research areas. Broader Impact: The project examines how this metric can be used to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the extent to which CRCs for a given construct are recognized and utilized within and across different research areas. It can also reveal where opportunities and redundancies reside.