Talk:Unit of analysis

Proposed merge
It is proposed that the article Social unit be merged to this article as it is the same topic. Meclee (talk) 18:29, 4 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Oppose – I can see some overlap, in that these social units may be the units of analysis in some social research. But are the topics really the same?  There are no sources or anything else in common.  If anything, I'd go the other way: get rid of Unit of analysis, as it's not more than a dictionary definition, and merge its meager content into Social unit.  Dicklyon (talk) 17:30, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Comment (9 years later). Social unit now redirects to level of analysis. Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here 04:31, 28 June 2021 (UTC)

Requested move
Unit of analysis, Level of analysis The article name seems to confound the terms unit of observation and level of analysis. The more appropriate term would be "level of analysis". To be moved within 3 days. Meclee (talk) 20:36, 5 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Comment – start by clarifying whether there is even a notable topic; then title it appropriately. Dicklyon (talk) 07:59, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Oppose – I see support in lots of sources, including the one cited, for "unit of analysis"; cite sources that use the other term if you thing that's what the article should be about. Dicklyon (talk) 17:30, 7 January 2012 (UTC)

Level of Analysis
Thank you, Dicklyon, for your comment. Level of analysis, in the biological, behavioral, and social sciences generally refers to an integrated set of relationships between individuals:


 * Blalock, Hubert M., Jr. (1972). Social Statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.
 * Yurdusev, A. Nuri (1993). "Level of Analysis and Unit of Analysis: A Case for Distinction." Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 22(1): 77-88.
 * Judge, William Q. (2011). "What Level of Analysis is Most Salient for a Global Theory of Corporate Governance?" Corporate Governance: An International Review, Volume 19, Issue 2, pages 97–98. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8683.2010.00841.x
 * Pennings, Johannes M . and Kyungmook Lee (1998). "Social Capital of Organization: Conceptualization, Level of Analysis and Performance Implications" in Corporate Social Capital, New York: Addison Wesley. {http://www-management.wharton.upenn.edu/pennings/documents/social_capital.pdf Early draft]
 * Liao, Tim F. (2008 ). "Level of Analysis." Book Chapter in Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods, Paul J. Lavrakas (ed.)  DOI:10.4135/9781412963947 Print ISBN: 9781412918084; Online ISBN: 9781412963947.
 * Trostle JA, Hubbard A, Scott J, Cevallos W, Bates SJ, Eisenberg JN (2008). "Raising the level of analysis of food-borne outbreaks: food-sharing networks in rural coastal Ecuador." Epidemiology, 19(3):384-90.
 * Waltz, Kenneth N. (1954). Man, State and War. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
 * Eckstein, Harry and Ted Robert Gurr (1975). Patterns of Authority: A Structural Basis for Political Inquiry, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
 * P. 122 Powers of Theory: Capitalism, the State, and Democracy By Robert R. Alford, Roger Friedland, Published by Cambridge University Press, 1985, ISBN 0521316359, 9780521316354
 * Archer, Margaret ([1988] 2004.) Culture and Agency: The Place of Culture in Social Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 * Putnam, Robert (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, New York, NY: Simon and Schuster

There are any number of references that could be added. The term "unit of observation" is typically used in a manner identical with "unit of analysis", while "level of analysis", in my experience, almost always refers to a "micro-meso-macro" distinction. I don't like to create fractured articles by discipline, especially in an area of identity such as statistics. If there is strong objection, an article "level of analysis" could be created separately. Additional comments would be welcome. Meclee (talk) 22:37, 7 January 2012 (UTC)


 * On second thought, I will go ahead and create an article "level of analysis". I am removing the article MOVE and MERGE notices. This page can be marked for deletion if anyone so desires. Meclee (talk) 00:38, 8 January 2012 (UTC)
 * @Meclee 9 years later :) I've added a section (to both articles) trying to clarify what is the difference, as I expect many readers may want to know this. Please consider c/e-ing and expanding my addition. Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here  04:32, 28 June 2021 (UTC)