The central focus of this journal, measurement in all its many aspects, is squarely within the domain of this delightful introductory volume by David Hand, from Imperial College in London (Hand, Citation2016). The application areas in the volume cover a broad range, in terms of both history and topic, with the journal leaning toward the behavioral and social sciences contexts, which are indeed the subjects of two of the book’s chapters. When we saw this volume advertised and had a chance to read it through, it seemed a very useful and thoughtful introduction to both the history and range of applications of measurement, weaving central ideas such as reliability and representational measurement into the account. Hence, it seems worthwhile to introduce it to our readership, both as a way to build up a broader appreciation for the field we are all working in and to provide an introduction for newcomers to the field.
And what better way to introduce it than to invite interested readers to add their own comments and perspectives! Hence, we have invited commentaries from a somewhat broader range of people interested in measurement than is normal for the journal, and we are delighted to see the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints that are represented there. We have invited Professor Hand to write a rejoinder to the commentaries, but we have not provided a summary of the volume itself (as we have in similar situations in the past)—it is quite reasonably priced and easily accessible,Footnote1 so we saw no need for that.
Thus, please read on, enjoy the book, and enjoy the commentaries.
Notes
Reference
- Hand, D. J. (2016). Measurement: A very short introduction. London, UK: Oxford University Press.