Researchers also need to consider the reliability of a questionnaire. The researchers could see how their questionnaire results relate to actual clinical diagnoses of depression among the workers surveyed. It may sometimes be appropriate for researchers to establish criterion validity that is, the extent to which the measurement tool is able to produce accurate findings when compared to a “gold standard.” In this case, the gold standard would be clinical diagnoses of depression. Or they could have given a questionnaire on a different construct, such as happiness, to see if the results were the opposite. In this case, the researchers could have given a questionnaire on a similar construct, such as anxiety, to see if the results were related, as one would expect. This refers to the questionnaire’s ability to measure the abstract concept adequately. When questionnaires are measuring something abstract, researchers also need to establish its construct validity. depressed mood, sleeping problems and weight changes). In our case, the researchers could turn to experts in depression to consider their questions against the known symptoms of depression (e.g. Researchers often rely on subject-matter experts to help determine this. Researchers also need to consider the content validity of the questionnaire that is, will it actually measure what it is intended to measure. That is, to a layperson, does it look like it will measure what it is intended to measure? In our example, would the people administering and taking the questionnaire think it a valid measure of depression? Do the questions and range of response options seem, on their face, appropriate for measuring depression? Ensuring the validity of measurementĪt the outset, researchers need to consider the face validity of a questionnaire. To assess the validity and reliability of a survey or other measure, researchers need to consider a number of things. You decide to take a closer look at the strength of this new questionnaire. You learn that this study used a new questionnaire to ask workers about their mental health over a number of years. Suppose you hear about a new study showing depression levels among workers declined during an economic downturn. In research, however, their use is more complex.
The everyday use of these terms provides a sense of what they mean (for example, your opinion is valid your friends are reliable).
Validity and reliability are important concepts in research.
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