Kvantifik

Kvantifik is a term used in multidisciplinary research to describe a methodological approach for converting qualitative phenomena into quantitative data while aiming to preserve the underlying meaning and context of the observations. The word is formed from “quant” and the suffix “-ifik,” echoing the English verb quantify.

Definition and scope: Kvantifik encompasses procedures for operationalizing constructs, selecting indicators, and constructing scoring rubrics that yield numerical values. It emphasizes explicit documentation of assumptions, limitations, and measurement error, and it often couples qualitative coding with numerical scales.

Methodology: Core components include a clearly defined target construct, a set of observable indicators, a scoring rubric or scale, calibration using anchor points or reference data, and validation through reliability and construct validity checks.

Techniques and tools: Researchers use coding schemes, Likert or multi-point scales, fuzzy logic, ordinal/interval conversions, and Bayesian or frequentist models to handle uncertainty. Normalization and weighting schemes are common to combine indicators into composite scores.

Applications and limitations: Kvantifik is applied in social science research, education, user experience studies, environmental monitoring, and digital humanities. Critics warn that quantification can oversimplify complex phenomena, introduce bias through indicator selection, and obscure qualitative nuance; transparency in methods is essential.

See also: quantification, operationalization, measurement theory.