Step 8: Define the empirical
referents
This is the final stage of the process.
Empirical referents are described by Walker
& Avant (2005) as ‘classes or categories of
actual phenomena that, by their existence
or presence, demonstrate the occurrence
of the concept itself. The empirical
referents facilitate measuring concepts,
subsequently giving acknowledgement
to the fact that they exist and are
important entities (Walker & Avant 2005).
Researchers can also draw upon their
identification to inform the development of
tools to measure the concept.