Steps to run SEM

There are several books discussing about how to perform SEM.

Here, I will illustrate those steps from my experience in papers and thesis.

1. Conceptualise the model or set the hypotheses
2. Operationalise the measures in the model
3. Get the data (primary or secondary)
4. Check the data i.e., normality, reliability
5. Fitting measurement model (latent variable model)
6. Fitting the full model (structural model = measurement + path analysis)
7. Access model’s fitness i.e., fit indices,

Optional steps

8. Modify model e.g., modification indices
9. Check common method bias
10. Bootstrapping

More details in each step will follow soon.

1 June 2011
D46, Aberconway, Cardiff, UK