Measuring Social Capital: An Integrated Questionnaire

Measuring Social Capital: An Integrated Questionnaire is an authoritative methodological publication published by the World Bank that introduces a standardized empirical tool designed to quantify social capital, with a primary focus on developing economies. Authored by Christiaan Grootaert, Deepa Narayan, Veronica Nyhan Jones, and Michael Woolcock, the paper details the creation and deployment of the Social Capital-Integrated Questionnaire (SC-IQ). This instrument is structured to be seamlessly integrated into broader household surveys, such as living standards measurement studies and income-expenditure analyses. The framework systematically operationalizes social capital across six core dimensions: groups and networks, trust and solidarity, collective action and cooperation, information and communication, social cohesion and inclusion, and empowerment and political action. In addition to presenting survey modules and operational questions, the guide addresses technical challenges related to sampling design, data collection protocols, and analytical implementation, drawing valuable insights from pilot tests conducted in countries like Albania and Nigeria. This publication serves as an invaluable, open-access instructional and methodological resource for researchers, policy analysts, development practitioners, and postgraduate students in sociology, economics, public policy, and international development.