Introduction
Reliability is the extent to which an assessment tool produces stable and all way consistent results regardless the time and frequency the research is carried out. There are four types of reliability as far as Human Services Research is concerned. They include:
Test-retest reliability
This reliability entails a measure that is obtained by administering the same test twice over a given period to a group of people. The scores of the related time say A or B, in this case, can be correlated to evaluate the test for stability over time. An example of this reliability is when for instance, a test is designed to assess learning in psychology and the second results indicate correlation and stability of the research study.
Internal consistency
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reliability Inter consistency reliability a measure of reliability that can be used to evaluate the degree to which a variety test items can be applied to give similar results regardless the time and frequency the research is carried out. This type of reliability has however been subdivided into two that is, spit-half reliability and average inter-item correlation. An excellent example of inter-consistency reliability is when a test designed to study the behavior of young children, for instance, gives similar outcomes every time the test is carried out. Inter-rater reliability This is a type of reliability that assesses the degree to which different judges agree in their assessment decisions.
It is useful because different observers will not interpret the answers the same way. In this scene, some may differ and therefore give different opinions over the same issue. An example of inter-rater reliability is when different raters evaluate the degree to which particular portfolio meet specific art standards. It is thus worth to note that this kind of reliability is sufficient to use in cases of art and not Math.
Parallel forms reliability
This is a kind of reliability found upon administering different versions of assessment to the same group of people (Morse at al 2002). Scores from both versions can then be correlated to evaluate the consistency of the results. An example of such is when you conduct an assessment of critical thinking, and then you create a large set of items before splitting them again.
In the same line of reliability is the factor of validity. This is how effective a test measures what is supposed to be measured. Like reliability, there are types of validity as illustrated below:
Sampling
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validity This is the validity that ensures that the test covers a wide arrange of areas within the field of study. An example is when you design an assessment of learning in the theater department and then it is worth only to cover what is relevant to acting. Formative validity This as a measure when applied to outcome assessments, it is used to assess how well a measure can provide information to help improve the program being studied. An example is when designing a rubric for history and you can use the student’s knowledge across the subjects. Criterion-related validity This is the validity that is used to predict the future and current performance. For instance, the Chemistry teacher can use this validity to assess the cumulative students’ learning throughout the primary, and the new measure could be correlated with a standardized measure of ability in the discipline. Face validity This is the type of validity that ascertains that the test appears to be assessing the intended construct under study. The relevance of this validity can thus be applied if a measure of art appreciation, for example, is created all of the items should be related to different components and types of art. Construct validity This kind of validity ensures that the measure measures what is intended to be measured and not other variables outside the region of study (Golafshani, 2003). An excellent example is when a woman’s education program and design made an accumulated assessment of learning throughout the primary. Examples of data collection methods and data collection instruments There are various data collection methods which are also the data tools.
Their efficient and purpose, however, differ from one another. Some of these methods include questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews. The use of questionnaires, for instance, gathers information from people in a nonthreatening way thus being the most preferred among the other.
Interviews, on the other hand, are used to understand fully someone’s impression or even learn about their answers in the questionnaires. Although they are time-consuming, reliable data is collected by the researchers. Consequently, this information is accurate and valid to the people the research should assist.
Nevertheless, there is the use of document review as a method and tool. This tool ensures a researcher collects and gathers information when he or she wants an impression of how strategy operates without interrupting the same strategy.
Importance of validity and reliability of data collection tools
Collected data should be satisfactory for the researchers and the targeted group of individuals. When the data collection tools and methods are valid and reliable, one is sure that the collected data and information is then right and dependent (Read, 2013). Moreover, the validity of collection tools ensures accurate data collection hence satisfying the whole
exercise.
Where Criterion-referenced assessment is measured on what the learner can do for example a Btec level 1 is a pass or fail.
Validity refers to ability of an instrument to measure the test scores appropriately, meaningfully, and usefully (Polit& Beck, 2010). The instrument has been developed to serve three major functions: (1) to represent a specific universe of content, (2) to represent measurement of specific psychological attributes, (3) to represent the establishing of a relationship with a particular criterion. There are three types of validity; each type represents a response to one of three functions
Method used in collecting information includes qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data is used to determine the history of the community; quantitative data such as windshield survey, focus group and one on one interview were also included because both sources were important for the past and current information of the community (Stamler & Yiu, 2012, p.221).
Replicability and generalizability are important considerations when analyzing research findings. Result replicability measures the extent to which results will remain the same when a new sample is drawn, while generalizability refers to the ability to generalize the results from one study to the population (Guan, Xiang, & Keating, 2004). If results are not replicable they will not be generalizable. Replicability is important because it determines whether results are true or a fluke. Measures of replicability can be obtained using either external or internal methods. External replicability analysis requires redrawing a completely new sample and replicating the study. Internal replicability analysis involves procedures used to investigate replicability within the current study sample (Zientek & Thompson, 2007). Although only external analysis can provide definitive answers regarding result replicability, a flawed assessment of result replicability via internal analysis is still better than conjecture (Thompson, 1994).
These concerns are the problem of 'generality ' and the problem of 'extent '. Before these concerns can be understood, we need to understand the two forms of belief forming processes, namely, belief forming process 'type ' and belief forming process 'token '. A 'type ' is a form of belief forming process whereas a 'token ' is individual sequence of events that lead to a certain belief formation. In other words a token is an instance of type. Between them only belief forming process type is repeatable and hence can be used for reliability test.
Validity is the most important requirement of all. A test must actually measure what it is intended to measure. (Content validity-the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest and Predictive validity- the success with which a test predicts behavior it is designed to predict)
Hogan and Cannon (2003) defined reliability as the consistency of a measure regardless of what it’s measuring, which may vary, however validity is based on whether a psychological test is measuring what it’s intending to measure. Reliability and validity will be assessed on the measure used in this report, using Cronbach’s alpha. This removes items not measuring what the scale measures thus increasing the consistency of items. Cronbach’s alpha takes all the items into and considers various ways to split them to give an accurate value for the measure’s internal reliability (Howitt and Cramer, 2011).
Evaluate solutions on the basis of quality, acceptability, and standards: solutions should be judged on two major criteria: how good they are, and how acceptable they will be to those who have to implement them.
... tested in the same manner for a specified purpose in order to maintain consistency and validity within results.
Reliability is the extent to which scores obtained from similar or parallel instruments, by different observers or raters, or at different times yield the same or similar results (Streiner, 2003c). Importantly, reliability applies to the scores obtained from an instrument rather than the instrument itself. This is one of the most commonly made measurement mistakes in psychology. One way to establish reliability is to create alternate forms of an instrument. To create alternate forms, we take one instrument and compile another similar instrument that measures the same construct. If they yield the same or similar results, then the instruments are said to be equivalent or parallel forms.
It is extremely vital to use an appropriate language and let the participant know that you are fully engage and listening carefully to the response. The strength of the interviewer-participant relationship is perhaps the most important aspect of a qualitative research. The quality of this relationship likely affects participants’ self disclosure, including the depth of information they may share about their experience of a problem. In general, the interview requires tremendous amount of knowledge and responsibility, practice and experience. To conduct such interviews, one must posses’ tremendous knowledge as well as the ability to clearly communicate
, Parallel or alternate forms of reliability, correlation that indicates a consistency of scores of individuals within the same group on two alternate but equivalent forms of the same test taken at the same time. An example of such, is when our student body takes a test that is worth 100 points we have the same questions, but they may be two different tests. Such as, a test A and a Test B. Crombach’s alpha, internal consistency reliability statistic calculated from the pairwise correlations between items on the measure. For instance, it will always be less than 1 and the closer it is to 1, the more reliable the scale, which can work together in an effort to measure the same
A few types of reliability include: test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, and interrater reliability. Test-retest reliability is the measure of whether a procedure yields the same results when originally tested and when retested at a later time. A test would not be considered reliable if the results were not stable after multiple retests. Furthermore, internal consistency reliability describes the requirement that the different sections of a test yield consistent results. For instance, if a test is administered to assess depression, each section of the test must be relevant to depression.
Predictive validity is research that uses the test scores of all applicants and looks for a relationship
Data collection is a process by which you receive useful information. It is an important aspect of any type of research, as inaccurate data can alter the results of a study and lead to false hypothesis and interpretations. The approach the researcher utilizes to collect data depends on the nature of the study, the study design, and the availability of time, money and personnel. In addition, it is important for the researcher to determine whether the study is intended to produce qualitative or quantitative information.