<P> The unit of analysis is the major entity that is being analyzed in a study . It is the' what' or' who' that is being studied . In social science research, typical units of analysis include individuals (most common), groups, social organizations and social artifacts . </P> <P> The literature of international relations provides a good example of units of analysis . In "Man, the State and War", Kenneth N. Waltz creates a tripartite analysis with three different units of analysis: the man (individual), the state (a group), and the international system (the system in which groups interact). </P>

In most social science research including criminological studies the units of analysis are