TLS and DAT: Construct Utilization in the Behavioral Sciences

虽然研究学科分裂成更专业的领域是很自然的，但由此产生的分歧使分享相关研究成果的努力变得更加复杂。概念是许多行为和社会科学中使用的研究方法的重要基础，已经开发出几乎相同的概念来支持不同的理论，通常是以不同的名称。结果，有用的联系被遗漏了，结构和理论被重新创造，关于结构的起源和在学科之间的流动的知识很少。智力价值：这个项目通过调查以下研究问题来解决这个问题：是否有可能识别密切相关的结构，包括不同学科中的结构，并使用这些信息来衡量现有结构被有效利用的程度？这个问题是在“使用量表进行潜在结构研究”的领域进行研究的，该领域的典型研究是使用问卷量表评估潜在结构，从而跨越行为科学和社会科学的多个学科。对于这个领域，密切相关结构(CRC)的概念是使用一种集成了自动文本分析、引文分析和元分析的方法来制定和操作的。使用CRC，一个称为结构利用率的科学度量被制定出来，该指标衡量两个单元之间密切相关的结构被识别的程度，其中该单元可以在不同的集体水平上选择，例如在理论、期刊或研究领域之间。更广泛的影响：该项目审查了如何使用这一指标来定量和定性地评估在不同研究领域内和跨不同研究领域承认和利用特定结构的CRC的程度。它还可以揭示机会和裁员的去向。

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.