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Walker, Simon --- "Challenges of human rights measurement" [2017] ELECD 719; in Andreassen, A. Bård; Sano, Hans-Otto; McInerney-Lankford, Siobhán (eds), "Research Methods in Human Rights" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017) 306

Book Title: Research Methods in Human Rights

Editor(s): Andreassen, A. Bård; Sano, Hans-Otto; McInerney-Lankford, Siobhán

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781785367786

Section: Chapter 13

Section Title: Challenges of human rights measurement

Author(s): Walker, Simon

Number of pages: 27

Abstract/Description:

The measurement of human rights has grown steadily over recent decades and is today an important element of human rights work. Measurement has been important for diverse reasons from reporting to treaty bodies to informing decisions on whether human rights should condition trade preferences. In spite of the many opportunities offered by measurement, it also faces challenges. For quantitative measurement, a significant challenge is ensuring that measurement is reliable and valid. The chapter sets out different approaches to measuring human rights, identifies the main challenges facing these approaches and makes some propositions to improve measurement initiatives. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of sound methodology, the professionalization of measurement through national coordination bodies and cross-disciplinary dialogue as a means of ensuring greater reliability and validity of human rights measurement