Abstract:
This article made a studious attempt to
make a contribution to research on the often
discussed and debated area of ‘measurability’ of
research variables. By explaining the uniqueness
of social sciences amidst other sciences; this
paper evaluated the details that underlie the
measuring of variables and measuring of research
tools in social sciences, it assessed the
measuring of ‘Influence’ in Social Sciences from
available scholarly works from political science
perspectives which defined influence as work that
is used to politically motivate an institution or
organization’s decisions in a certain direction
through advocacy, lobbying, negotiation and
knowledge uptake. The study argued that
‘influence’ is a construct (being an idea or theory
containing various conceptual elements and at the
same time an indicator variable that measures
characteristics or trait) of persons and activities in
society. This article further examined the
applicability of ‘influence’ as a measurable tool in
social sciences and observed that it has capacity
to have an effect on the character, development,
or behaviour of someone or something, or the
effect itself. There exist multiple forms of
influence in use in order to achieve organizational
or research goals which then requires that
multiple approaches should be used to evaluate
them. Using thematic approach and qualitative
analysis the study concluded that despite the
ability to measure influence, there must be
readiness to counter the inherent challenges that
are associated with it.
