Written in easy-to-understand language, this important text
provides a systematic and commonsense approach to developing
instruments for data collection and analysis. This book can be used
by both those who are developing instruments for the first time and
those who want to hone their skills, including students, agency
personnel, program managers, and researchers.
This book provides a thorough presentation of instrument
construction, from conception to development and pre-testing of
items, formatting the instrument, administration, and, finally,
data management and presentation of the findings. Throughout
the book, the authors emphasize how to create an instrument
that will produce trustworthy and accurate data. To that end they
have included guidelines for reviewing and revising the
questionnaire to enhance validity and reliability. They also show
how to work effectively with stakeholders such as instruments
designers, decision-makers, agency personnel, clients, and raters
or respondents.
Table of Content
Figures, Exhibits, Tables, and Instruments vii
Preface: Asking and Answering ix
The Authors xv
Part One: Concepts 1
1 Introduction 3
2 Instruments and Social Inquiry 28
3 Measurement 52
4 Instrument Construction, Validity, and Reliability 64
Part Two: Application 95
5 Purposeful Creativity: First Steps in the Development of an Instrument 97
6 Pretesting 128
7 The Structure and Format of Selection Items 148
8 Guidelines for Writing Selection Items 173
9 Selection Items: Alternative Formats 208
10 Supply Items: Open-Ended Questions 227
11 Guidelines for Constructing Multi-Item Scales 247
Part Three: Organization and Administration 279
12 Organizing the Instrument 281
13 Administering the Instrument 313
14 Computers and Instrument Construction 337
15 Managing the Data and Reporting the Results 350
References 374
Index 383
About the author
David Colton, Ph.D., is adjunct professor at the University
of Virginia’s Curry School of Graduate Studies in the program in
Research, Statistics, and Evaluation, and in the Department of
Health Care Administration, Mary Baldwin College, Staunton,
Virginia.
Robert W. Covert, Ph.D., is associate professor at the
University of Virginia’s Curry School of Graduate Studies in the
program in Research, Statistics, and Evaluation.
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