Examining the Nature and Use of Validity in Research Design

This research report identifies and analyzes the nature and use of “validity” in designing research questions at the master’s level. It explores content validity, criterion validity, predictive validity, and construct validity, emphasizing their application in questionnaire development. The report discusses the importance of face validity and content validity for master’s level studies, highlighting the need for expert review and empirical validation. It also addresses the significance of structured questionnaires in quantitative studies and the role of validity in ensuring the accuracy of survey measurements. The report concludes that validity is crucial for ensuring the reliability and generalizability of research findings, especially when dealing with surveys and questionnaires. Desklib provides access to this document and many other solved assignments.

Running head: RESEARCH METHODS IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Research methods in Academic Research
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Content
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................3
Analysis and Discussion............................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Topic- Identify and Analyse the nature and use of “Validity” when designing a research
question at master’s level
Introduction
This research report aims to identify and analyse the nature and use of “validity” particularly
when designing and developing research questions at master’s level. In general, the idea or
concept of validity is associated with the extent which holds the measures such as what it is
supposed to measure as well as rephrase “truthfulness or “accuracy” (Moton, Kelley and
Wallerstein 2016, p.123). The purpose of the report is to identify and analyse the nature and
usage of validity in design of questionnaire.
It has been identified that question accuracy could involve examination with the inclusion of
validity of the questions and the validity of the responses collected but it is worth stating
validity is sometimes impossible to achieve and there are some steps that are usually applied
to assess as well as improve the validity of a question. When it comes to ensuring validity in
the questionnaire development, it would be wiser to look at type or nature of validity
applicable for the same. According to Tiira and Lohi (2014, p.85) gathering actionable data
or information could involve the techniques of asking questions that are usually in common
and certain in nature such as age, gender, demography and marital status. So, taking the
context into account, it can be mentioned that a way of ensuring validity to a question is
associated with the use of collective judgement of other scholars (Leko, 2014, p.276). Thus,
particular phrasing or indicator is supposed to use the expected outcome, there is a face of
validity associated with the question. However, this research report discusses the importance
and application of validity in developing the questionnaire. The report discusses all sort of
validity that are usually applied to questionnaire and on the basis of discussion report suggest
the suitable nature of validity.

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Literature Review
Content Validity: Like face Validity, there is a high probability that content validity
also depends upon agreement of other individuals but it is little different from face validity
due to due to the fact validity relies on exhaustive investigation of concept to ensure validity.
Tawalbeh and Ahmad (2013, p.175) applied the example of a driving test in which the
authors determine the preparedness of a driver could be dependent on the whole deriver
experimentation instead of depending on any sort of or two individual indicators and thereby,
driving test is only accurate when considered in its wholeness.
Criterion Validity: Gelaye et al. (2013, p.655) mentioned the fact that if the broadly
known indicator is visible, there is possibility that outcome of new indicator could be
comparable against the existing indicator. So, once it is ensure concurrent validity with the
questionnaire can be developed. This needs to be considered that both indicators tend to
measure the similar nature and concurrent validity could allow people to use a way based on
which it can be decided new indicators measure or not what people assumes it measure.
Predictive validity: It has been identified that if an indicator is visible to reliability,
can estimate a coming outcome as well as it can be assumed that it has a predictive validity.
Bell, Bryman and Harley (2018) mentioned such sort of validity is immune to situations
where indicators and consequences are different in nature but it still holds the ability to
measure similar ideas. For example, Leko (2014, p.279) performed a Scholastic Achievement
Test (SAT), which determines to measure the ability of a learner to perform in universities.
Therefore, it can be mentioned that for SAT to be stated to have a greater range of predictive
validity, those who score perfectly on the experimentation. In addition, SAT could be
considered to have lower predictive validity.

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Construct Validity: it can be mentioned that construct validity could be similar in
some particular ways to content validity; construct validity depend upon the idea that many
concepts have multiple ways in which they could be measured. It is certain that scholars
could choose to use many of these indicators and then finally combine all these into a
construct after the questionnaire is operated or developed.
However, when it comes to using validity in the content, one must have to learn about
how and what validity stands for. Belone et al. (2016, p.121) mentioned that validity
fundamentally refers to an assessment –whether or not it measures what it purports to
measure. So, when the link between the questionnaire and validity is measured it can be
mentioned that questionnaire is a pre-determined set of questions applied to collect first-hand
information. Likewise, the type of questionnaire can also be linked to validity
Analysis and Discussion
The type of questionnaire used in the study should also have a direct relation to
validity; for example structured questionnaire are usually considered with quantitative
studies. This means the research which is mainly concerned with numbers (how many, how
often and how satisfied). Nonetheless, a drafted questionnaire should always be prepared for
developing validity and validity remains the amount of systematic error in questionnaire. It
can be mentioned that validity of questionnaire should be developed with the help of a panel
of experts, which could help to explore theoretical constructs. This thing is usually denoted as
translation or representation of validity. So when developing questionnaire for master’s level,
face validity and content validity are the best match. This happens because there is a high
degree of possibility, face validity involves the expert to look at the items in questionnaire as
well as agreeing that test is a valid measure of the concept which is again being measured just
at the face of it. Therefore, it is worth stating that this validity is helping to measure items

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which could match any given conceptual domain. Moreover, Zohrabi (2013, p.254)
mentioned that face validity is rational in nature, which means face validity is very causal due
to the clear cause and effect relationship. It is certain that many scholars do not consider this
as an active measure of validity but it is most widely used form of validity in the academic
studies.
However, the validity of the questionnaire should be developed with the use of
another survey which is just like the type of field test and this could help to investigate how
effectively a given measure is related to one or more external criterion on the basis of
empirical construct. Zohrabi (2013, p.265) argue criterion validity tend to encompasses
construct validity while, Dunne, Fraser and Gardner (2014, p.855) believe that both are
separate. However, it is difficult to have one well-developed instrument or questionnaire to
measure the construct. Another situation in which equivalence could be significant is when
the measurement entails subjective judgment or the rating being made by more than one
person.
For example, it can be mentioned that a group of individual with the part of research
team whose sole purpose is to interview people about their attitude towards the health
educational curriculum for pupils. It needs to be self-evident to the scholar that each rater
applies the same standard towards the assessment of the response. This can be said for a
situation in which multiple individuals are observing health behaviour. So, when performing
the analysis or specifying the rating, it is also important to ensure the degree to which an
operation is similar to other operation it should be theoretically similar to and this practice is
treated as convergent validity. In addition to this, if a scale adequately differentiates itself or
does not differentiate between groups which should differ or not differ based on theoretical
reasons or previous research. However, it is worth mentioning that when developing the

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questionnaire, appropriate time scale, appropriate variables or demographics must be
included in the design.
Conclusion
Taking the findings presented above, it can be mentioned that validity is always a
significant concern in research and especially when preparing questionnaire. Before applying
a particularly method of validity, it is always necessary to ensure the link of validity with
topic of questionnaire or the variables used in the questionnaire. Moreover, when preparing
the questionnaire, it is also important to design the questionnaire in relation to the given
variables which could be both dependent and independent. Once these areas are covered or
considered appropriately, validity of the questionnaire can be ensured or tested accordingly.
Validity is highly required especially when there is a survey in the research. At the time of
the preparing questionnaire validity helps to relate the degree at which the survey measures
appropriate elements which should be measured. So, in a general terms, validity is referred to
how effectively an instrument as measures what it is supposed to measure. Irrespective of its
type, external validity is often considered to which study findings can be replicated to other
environment.

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References
Bell, E., Bryman, A. and Harley, B., 2018. Business research methods. Oxford university
press.
Belone, L., Lucero, J.E., Duran, B., Tafoya, G., Baker, E.A., Chan, D., Chang, C., Greene-
Moton, E., Kelley, M.A. and Wallerstein, N., 2016. Community-based participatory research
conceptual model: Community partner consultation and face validity. Qualitative health
research, 26(1), pp.117-135.
Dunne, C.L., Fraser, J. and Gardner, G.E., 2014. Women's perceptions of social support
during labour: Development, reliability and validity of the Birth Companion Support
Questionnaire. Midwifery, 30(7), pp.847-852.
Gelaye, B., Williams, M.A., Lemma, S., Deyessa, N., Bahretibeb, Y., Shibre, T.,
Wondimagegn, D., Lemenhe, A., Fann, J.R., Vander Stoep, A. and Zhou, X.H.A., 2013.
Validity of the patient health questionnaire-9 for depression screening and diagnosis in East
Africa. Psychiatry research, 210(2), pp.653-661.
Leko, M.M., 2014. The value of qualitative methods in social validity research. Remedial
and Special Education, 35(5), pp.275-286.
Tawalbeh, L.I. and Ahmad, M.M., 2013. Personal resource questionnaire: a systematic
review. Journal of Nursing Research, 21(3), pp.170-177.
Tiira, K. and Lohi, H., 2014. Reliability and validity of a questionnaire survey in canine
anxiety research. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 155, pp.82-92.
Zohrabi, M., 2013. Mixed method research: Instruments, validity, reliability and reporting
findings. Theory and practice in language studies, 3(2), pp.254-263.

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