How to ensure validity and reliability in your research. The reliability and validity of your results depends on
creating a strong research design
, choosing appropriate methods and samples, and conducting the research carefully and consistently.
How you would ensure research is reliable?
- Why was the study undertaken? …
- Who conducted the study? …
- Who funded the research? …
- How was the data collected? …
- Is the sample size and response rate sufficient? …
- Does the research make use of secondary data? …
- Does the research measure what it claims to measure?
Why do you think your research is reliable?
The idea behind reliability is that
any significant results must be more than a one-off finding and be inherently repeatable
. Other researchers must be able to perform exactly the same experiment, under the same conditions and generate the same results.
How ensure research instrument is valid and reliable?
Statistical analyses, such as correlations, are used to determine if criterion-related validity exists. Scores from the instrument in question should be correlated with an item they are known to predict. …
If the correlations are high
, the instrument is considered reliable.
How do you know that your findings are correct?
So for your findings to be valid
they must be accurate and appropriate
, whilst referring to the question you originally aimed to answer. They must represent what you tested and they must be strong in the sense that the content validity is high; clearly showing that what you have tested represents your field of study.
What are the 3 types of reliability?
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. Psychologists consider three types of consistency:
over time (test-retest reliability), across items (internal consistency), and across different researchers (inter-rater reliability)
.
What makes good internal validity?
Internal validity is
the extent to which a study establishes a trustworthy cause-and-effect relationship between a treatment and an outcome
. … In short, you can only be confident that your study is internally valid if you can rule out alternative explanations for your findings.
Why do questionnaires lack validity?
Questionnaires are said to often
lack validity for a number of reasons
. Participants may lie; give answers that are desired and so on. A way of assessing the validity of self-report measures is to compare the results of the self-report with another self-report on the same topic. (This is called concurrent validity).
How do you ensure valid results?
You can increase the validity of an experiment by
controlling more variables
, improving measurement technique, increasing randomization to reduce sample bias, blinding the experiment, and adding control or placebo groups.
How do I display my findings and recommendations?
- Know your audience in advance. …
- Tailor your presentation to that audience. …
- Highlight the context. …
- Policy or practice recommendations. …
- Include recommendations that are actionable and that help your audience. …
- Time and practise what you do. …
- Avoid powerpointlessness.
How do you determine validity of information?
- 1) Accuracy. Verify the information you already know against the information found in the source. …
- 2) Authority. Make sure the source is written by a trustworthy author and/or institution. …
- 3) Currency. …
- 4) Coverage.
Which type of reliability is the best?
Inter-rater reliability
is one of the best ways to estimate reliability when your measure is an observation. However, it requires multiple raters or observers. As an alternative, you could look at the correlation of ratings of the same single observer repeated on two different occasions.
Which is more important reliability or validity?
Even if a test is reliable, it may not accurately reflect the real situation. …
Validity is harder
to assess than reliability, but it is even more important. To obtain useful results, the methods you use to collect your data must be valid: the research must be measuring what it claims to measure.
What are some examples of reliability?
Reliability is a measure of the stability or consistency of test scores. You can also think of it as the ability for a test or research findings to be repeatable. For example, a
medical thermometer
is a reliable tool that would measure the correct temperature each time it is used.
What is the most important type of validity?
Construct validity
is the most important of the measures of validity. According to the American Educational Research Associate (1999), construct validity refers to “the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores entailed by proposed uses of tests”.
