In this paper we suggest a comprehensive account of operationalization. The goal is to define a workflow which specifies the normative components that ensure that the results match the research question. The focus here lies on epistemic norms – as opposed to social norms – which can be understood as rules that govern processes, thoughts, and actions that ought to be followed in order to produce the intended result (cf. Wedgwood 2018). This workflow is based on a measurement workflow, which is based on input-process-output components (cf. Mari, Wilson, and Maul 2023). In order to make the workflow implementable in Digital Humanities research, we need to identify the components of a generalized method for getting from a research question to its answer. While some of the components have already been discussed in Digital Humanities’ research on operationalization, we propose to put more focus on explication, measurement, and validation.