What are the differences and similarities between the two?

Presented by: Shanique Grant

What is unit of observation?

unit of observation is a basic concept in quantitative research that represents the objects that are observed and about which information is systematically collected. The unit of observation is determined by the method by which observations have been selected
The

What is unit of analysis?

The

unit of analysis is the object about which generalizations are made based on an analysis.

It is the what or who that is being studied. The unit of analysis is determined by an interest in exploring or explaining a specific phenomenon.

Examples of unit of analysis

The unit of analysis is shaped by three properties:
y Social entities y Time y Space

Social entities

observations of a single social entity, such as a person or an institution observations of multiple entities with a defined relationship, such as family, employer-employee

Time

observations made at one point in time; commonly referred to as a crosssectional study

observations made at multiple points in time the data may be organized by time; commonly referred to as a time series time may structure some form of repeated measures of content or subjects

Space
observations made within a specific spatial area observations made within a hierarchy of spatial areas

When they are the same

The unit of observation and unit of analysis are the same when the generalizations being made from a statistical analysis are attributed to the unit of observation.