Ordinal Scale

An ordinal scale places categories in an order without establishing equal distances between them. Maturity levels often have this property. The labels can indicate progression while remaining descriptions of practice rather than measured quantities.

Level four is not twice level two

In a fictional rubric, level two means a recovery procedure has been demonstrated and level four adds verified improvement over time. Writing the labels as numbers does not make the second capability twice as large. Nor must the change from one to two equal the change from three to four.

Keep the underlying profile

A mean of ratings can conceal a critical missing control. If a framework reports a composite score, explain its scoring assumptions and retain the criterion-level evidence. Compare results only with attention to the rubric and assessed scope; arithmetic cannot repair incompatible definitions.

Reference: CDC: Epidemiology Glossary.