Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / November 13, 2021
By Florencia Ucha, in Jul. 2013
The word indicator It has several uses in our language, the most used reference being that which refers to the reference points that bring us information, either qualitative or quantitative, and that it is composed of one or more data that can come from numbers, opinions, facts, among others, and that will allow following the course of a process and its later evaluation.
Reference point that provides qualitative or quantitative data to follow and evaluate a process or that which indicates something
It also allows us to express through the word that, generally a thing or an element, that has the mission of indicating something.
The indicators In this sense, they are elements whose mission is to point out something concrete, a traffic sign, the closing sign on a door, between others, although they may also involve abstract information that allows estimates to be made on a specific topic, for example, its evolution in the near future.
“On the signpost you will know when it is your turn to pass.”
Therefore, it should be noted that the indicator can be physical, such as the aforementioned poster in a public setting, a traffic sign, in the road context, a bookmark in the case of reading a book, among others.
Conditions that an indicator must meet to be effective
For an indicator to be effective and fulfill its primary objective, it must provide information in a clear manner. and precise, that is, when a person looks at or reads that indicator, he fully understands what is happening to him. warning.
For example, some basic conditions are followed when creating an indicator that provides clear communication of what you want to express ...
You must express the message simply; the data they contain must be accessible to all; provide useful information about what is being evaluated; have specificity and reliability regarding the data they offer; and they must take into account at the time of their construction to reach a heterogeneous public with the message.
Indicator classes
Meanwhile, there are various kinds of indicators: compliance indicators (they will show us what is in the process of investigation), of effect (they measure the fulfillment of objectives) and of impact (they measure fulfillment of general objectives).
The most popular synonyms for this concept are sign and poster, which also have the mission of expressing or announcing something in a public sector or place for informational purposes or to advertise something.
Influence in the field of economics, sociology and demography
Indicators are used in countless study contexts, although we cannot ignore that it is the economic universe where they have stood out especially in recent decades.
Economic indicators act as statistical indices that allow economists, other professionals, and the public to general, to know and study the evolution of some variables inherent to macro or microeconomics, as well as indexes of inflation, growth or decline rates, productive index, the trade balance if it is positive or negative, among the most popular.
Likewise, in other areas such as sociology and demographics The use of the term is common, since the indicator consists of the quantitative representation of a reality that was observed and that then allows to put it in numbers of direct and simple way so that everyone can understand it and know the evolution or development that has Dyed.
In other words, there is an event worthy of being contemplated, then, the indicators will facilitate the knowledge of its magnitude, intensity, evolution and even to be able to make a future forecast of the same.
The Index of Human development or HDI is a type of global knowledge indicator whose mission is the evaluation of the population from different parts of the planet in regards to their quality of life.
Depends on United Nations Development Program.
To obtain it, other indicators are taken into account, such as: the gross domestic product or GDP, the education and that of life expectancy.
Sign that reflects a reality
And in colloquial language, when people talk about indicator, they are mostly referring to those signs that have the mission of reflecting a certain reality.
“That Mauro has not given you flowers for this anniversary is an indicator of how far apart they are.”
Device that communicates a fact
On the other hand, also, the word indicator designates the device or signal that communicates or accounts for a fact.
Chemistry: acidic substance that is added to a sample and causes a color change
On chemistry, the indicator is a type of acidic substance that when added to a sample causes a chemical change visible, such as the color change.
This color transformation is called a turn.
Topics in Indicator