1) Philosophical doctrine 2) Philosophical theory 
the philosophy of defining a concept as the operations that will measure the concept (variables) through specific observations.
[n] - the doctrine that the meaning of a proposition consists of the operations involved in proving or applying it
noun (philosophy) the doctrine that the meaning of a proposition consists of the operations involved in proving or applying it
the doctrine that the meaning of a scientific term, concept, or proposition consists of the operation or operations performed in defining or demonstrating it.