Original description of levels of measurement -
Stevens, S. (1946). On the theory of scales of measurement. Science, 103,
677-680.
In the following chapter (p. 30) Stevens admits that it is not always
possible to decide what type a particular scale is. He also admits (p.
26) that violation of his model can lead to fruitful results.
Stevens, S. (1951). Mathematics, measurement, and psychophysics. In S.
Stevens (ed.), Handbook of experimental psychology (pp. 1 - 49). NY: Wiley.
Stevens, S. (1968). Measurement, statistics, and the schemapiric view.
Science, 161, 849-856.
For some dissenting views -
Anderson, N. (1961). Scales and statistics: Parametric and
nonparametric. Psychological Bulletin, 58, 305-316.
Baker, B., et al. (1966). Weak measurement vs. strong statistics: An
empirical critique of S.S. Stevens' proscriptions on statistics.
Educational and Psychological Measurement, 26, 291-309.
Boneau, C. (1961). A note on measurement scales and statistical tests.
American Psychologist, 16, 260-261.
Borgatta, E. (1968). My student, the purist: A lament. Sociological
Quarterly, 9, 29-34.
Borgatta, E., & Bohrnstedt, G. (1980). Level of measurement: Once over
again. Sociological Methods and Research, 9, 146-160.
Gaito, J. (1960). Scale classification and statistics. Psychological
Review, 67, 277-278.
Gaito, J. (1980). Measurement scales and statistics: Resurgence of an old
misconception. Psychological Bulletin, 87, 564-567.
Gaito, J. (1986). Some issues in the measurement-statistics controversy.
Canadian Psychology, 27, 63-68.
Gaito, J., & Yokubynas, R. (1986). An empirical basis for the statement
that measurement scale properties (and meaning) are irrelevant in
statistical analyses. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 24, 449-450.
Kaiser, H. (1960). Review of "Measurement and statistics: A basic text
emphasizing behavioral science applications". Psychometrika, 25, 411-413.
Labovitz, S. (1973). Statistical usage in sociology: Sacred cows and
rituals. Sociological Methods and Research, 1, 13-37.
Lord, F. (1953). On the statistical treatment of football numbers.
American Psychologist, 8, 750-751,
O'Brien, R. (1979). The use of Pearson's r with ordinal data. American
Sociological Review, 44, 851-857.
Prytulak, L. (1975). Critique of S.S. Stevens' theory of measurement
scale classification. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 41, 3-28.
Velleman, P., & Wilkinson, L. (1993). Nominal, ordinal, interval, and
ratio typologies are misleading. The American Statistician, 47, 65-72.
Best wishes,
Kent.