Unit of analysis - Wikipedia Unit of analysis The unit of analysis is the major entity that is being analyzed in a study. It is the ' what ' or ' who ' that is being studied. In social science research, typical units of analysis include individuals ( most common ), groups, social organizations and social artifacts. The literature of international relations provides a good example of units of analysis. In `` Man, the State and War '', Kenneth N. Waltz creates a tripartite analysis with three different units of analysis : the man ( individual ), the state ( a group ), and the international system ( the system in which groups interact ). This is not to be confused with the unit of observation, which is the unit described by one 's data ( neighborhoods using the U.S. Census, individuals using surveys, etc. ). For example, a study may have a unit of observation at the individual level but may have the unit of analysis at the neighborhood level, drawing conclusions on neighborhood characteristics from data collected from individuals. See also Statistical unit References Earl Babbie, ' The Practice of Social Research ', 10th edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc., ISBN 0 - 534 - 62029 - 9 A. Nuri Yurdusev, ' Level of Analysis and Unit of Analysis : A Case for Distinction ', Millennium : Journal of International Studies ( Vol. 22, No. 1, Spring 1993 ), 77 -- 88. External links Unit of analysis Choice of unit of analysis This science article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unit_of_analysis&oldid=830877005 '' Categories : Social research Science stubs Talk About Wikipedia Edit links This page was last edited on 17 March 2018, at 12 : 05 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: in most social science research including criminological studies the units of analysis are
Answer: individuals