Question

Which of the following would be an example of a nominal level of measurement?

property tax in dollars

ZIP code

decade in which something occurred

ranking of university innovation

Answer 1

It shall be noted that nominal level of measurement are qualitative scale of measurement whether numbers used represent a variable are used as labels and does not have any specific numerical value or meaning. Such level of measurement does not indicate quantity, order or rank as well. It is also called categorical variable scale.

Since, property tax in dollars have unit of measurement and mathematical operation performed on them result in meaningful numbers, it can not be an example of a nominal level of measurement.

The ranks used for ranking of university innovations uses numbers that indicate rank. Hence, it is not a nominal level of measurement.

The decades in something occur indicate period of time that has lapsed and can be ordered and hence, have specific meaning. Hence, it can not be nominal level of measurement.

Thus, the correct answer is Zip code. It is a nominal level of measurement as mathematical operation on two zip code is meaningless. They can not be ordered or ranked.