ABSTRACT
The term operationalization has to do with going from a concept (say, distrust of a certain group, how one voted, etc.) to a measurement. The first stage in operationalizing a concept is to choose the variable or variables that one might use. Sometimes that is sufficient. Often, however, we either need to manipulate categories (to make certain types of analyses easier and to increase categorical sample sizes), or combine variables to match our idea of our original concept. If we are using variables as single operationalizations, then a RECODE procedure is the most useful.
