Conceptual and operational definitions in research

A conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, what your constructs are by explaining how they are related to other constructs, while an operational definition only tells you how to measure it.

A conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, while operational definitions only tell you how to measure it. If you have only an operational definition, you may know how to measure it, but you won't know what you are measuring. This means that your measurements won't be worth much, considering that you don't know what the concept is, so you don't know what you measured. A concept defined only operationally may make a nice little ceremony as you carry out the steps described by the operational definition, but it doesn't mean anything and it is not related to other concepts.
In your conceptual definitions you explain what your constructs are by showing how they relate to other constructs. This explanation and all of the constructs it refers to are abstract — their existence is only as real and concrete as the thoughts you have while you watch a seagull soar past on a stiff breeze. To work with your constructs, you must establish a connection between them and the concrete reality in which you live. This process is called operationalization. 

Your operational definitions describe the variables you will use as indicators and the procedures you will use to observe or measure them. You need an operational definition because you can't measure anything without one, no matter how good your conceptual definition might be.

ref http://www.sfu.ca/personal/archives/richards/Zen/Pages/Chap3.htm


CONCEPTUAL FIT
a clear and logical fit between the conceptual definition of communication concept and its operational definition.
a clear conceptual fit makes research focused
measure what you intent to

 makes it possible to replicate the study

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