An indirect measure assesses a phenomenon through respondents’ perceptions or proxy indicators rather than directly observing the phenomenon itself. It translates an operationalized concept into observable data while leaving the target phenomenon partly unmeasured. section 6.2 section 6.2.1
Use indirect measures with attention to their practical strengths and limitations:
- Gather personal experiences, beliefs, or perceptions efficiently through surveys and flexible response formats. section 6.2.1
- Treat results as perceptions rather than direct evidence of behavior or the phenomenon itself. section 6.2.1
- Check for participation bias and measurement bias because wording, response scales, descriptors, and context can change responses. section 6.2.1
- Compare self-reports with behavioral measures when direct, precise evidence is more important than ease of administration. section 6.2.1
Table 6.1 Examples of self-report and behavioral data you may encounter at a software company
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Self-report data
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Behavioral data
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|---|---|
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Employee satisfaction survey
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User interaction logs (e.g., clicks, page views)
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|
User feedback survey on software features
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Time logs of employees on project management software
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Self-assessments of productivity
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Reports of software bugs or problems
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|
User surveys on software ease of use
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Version control history
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User biographies in the software
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Helpdesk ticket data
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Compare self-report artifacts such as satisfaction surveys, feature feedback, and productivity self-assessments with behavioral artifacts such as interaction logs, bug reports, and version-control history. section 6.2.1
