The recent surge in scale development studies within tourism research necessitates a critical reevaluation of our approach to construct operationalization. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by posing a fundamental question: what is the intended purpose of the scale we are developing or using? By explicitly considering this question, researchers can make informed decisions about the most appropriate measurement model option. This article presents three common research objectives, each guiding researchers towards the most suitable modelling approach. Additionally, the article offers practical guidance on avoiding common pitfalls in scale development. This framework benefits both early-career researchers new to latent variable modelling and experienced researchers seeking to refine their approach to scale development and construct operationalization.

中文翻译：

---

选择合适的方案：为旅游结构选择测量模型的实用指南

最近旅游研究中规模开发研究的激增需要对我们构建可操作性的方法进行批判性的重新评估。本文通过提出一个基本问题来弥补文献中的空白：我们正在开发或使用的量表的预期目的是什么？通过明确考虑这个问题，研究人员可以就最合适的测量模型选项做出明智的决定。本文提出了三个常见的研究目标，每个目标都指导研究人员采用最合适的建模方法。此外，本文还提供了避免规模开发中常见陷阱的实用指南。该框架既有利于刚刚接触潜变量建模的早期研究人员，也有利于寻求完善规模开发和构建可操作性方法的经验丰富的研究人员。