How were the variables selected?
Georgia Tech compiled over 700 variables that might fit into a slot, or slots, within the framework (See: “What was the research process?”). The final choice of what variable would make it into the framework balanced how many countries the variable covered and its closeness to measuring, versus just indicating, the concept. Other considerations included the type of measure it was, for example, a scale “from 1 to 5,” or a ratio “gross domestic product”; but, ultimately, variable selection came down to the choice of the researchers at Georgia Tech. In some parts of the framework no measures were available. In others there may exist a “better” variable, but it did not cover more than a handful of countries.
