Week 5 Measurement Strategies
Describe what reliability means in terms of research and why it is important. How does a researcher
ensure that reliability is maintained in instruments, and between raters?
Professor and classmates,
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (Houser, 2015, p. 200). A test is considered reliable if
the same results are reproduced repeatedly and precisely. If a test is conducted to measure a specific
personality trait and each time the test is administered to a subject, then the test results should be
approximately the same. In scientific research the credibility of a study is great importance. The
evidence collected relies on identifying, measuring and collecting the right data (Houser, 2015, p. 188). If
the measurement of data is inaccurate and inconsistent then the results incorrect and the conclusions
will be suspect (Houser, p. 188).
Just because a test has reliability doesn’t mean it has validity. Reliability is a measure of precision and
validity is a measure of accuracy (CCN, 2016). Both of these characteristics are important. Reliability is
necessary, but not sufficient condition for validity (i.e., you can have reliability without validity, but in
order to obtain validity you must have reliability). According to this week’s lesson, “Instruments must be
reliable in order to be valid and both attributes must exist in order to measure data in a way that inspires
confidence in the research findings” (CCN). If the researcher is able to describe the reliability and
validity of the measurements obtained this gives credibility to the findings that they researcher claims
(CCN).
According to this week’s lesson, internal reliability involves ensuring that each part of the test generates
similar results (CCN). This indicates that the instrument is stable. Researchers are human and mistakes
can be made. In order to ensure that researchers are consistent with them in the observations is to
establish inter-rater reliability. Inter-rater reliability (scorer agreement) is used to assess the degree to
which different raters/observers give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon. The raters are
stable when this occurs. If inter-rater stability is established and reliability is insufficient, then it is
presumed that the differences obtained are due to inaccurate measurement of the instruments used
(CCN). If your study goes on for a long time, you may want to reestablish inter-rater reliability from time
to time to assure that your raters aren't changing.
Reference
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2016). NR-439 Week 5 lesson: Reading research literature –
Implementing the study, data collection methods [Online lesson]. Downers Grove, IL: DeVry
Education Group.
Houser, J. (2015). Measurement and data collection. Nursing research: Reading, using and creating
evidence (3rd ed., p. 169). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Week 5 Data Collection
This study source was downloaded by 100000824189183 from CourseHero.com on 02-28-2022 03:54:41 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/14479776/Week-5-Discussion-Post-1-2/
Describe what reliability means in terms of research and why it is important. How does a researcher
ensure that reliability is maintained in instruments, and between raters?
Professor and classmates,
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (Houser, 2015, p. 200). A test is considered reliable if
the same results are reproduced repeatedly and precisely. If a test is conducted to measure a specific
personality trait and each time the test is administered to a subject, then the test results should be
approximately the same. In scientific research the credibility of a study is great importance. The
evidence collected relies on identifying, measuring and collecting the right data (Houser, 2015, p. 188). If
the measurement of data is inaccurate and inconsistent then the results incorrect and the conclusions
will be suspect (Houser, p. 188).
Just because a test has reliability doesn’t mean it has validity. Reliability is a measure of precision and
validity is a measure of accuracy (CCN, 2016). Both of these characteristics are important. Reliability is
necessary, but not sufficient condition for validity (i.e., you can have reliability without validity, but in
order to obtain validity you must have reliability). According to this week’s lesson, “Instruments must be
reliable in order to be valid and both attributes must exist in order to measure data in a way that inspires
confidence in the research findings” (CCN). If the researcher is able to describe the reliability and
validity of the measurements obtained this gives credibility to the findings that they researcher claims
(CCN).
According to this week’s lesson, internal reliability involves ensuring that each part of the test generates
similar results (CCN). This indicates that the instrument is stable. Researchers are human and mistakes
can be made. In order to ensure that researchers are consistent with them in the observations is to
establish inter-rater reliability. Inter-rater reliability (scorer agreement) is used to assess the degree to
which different raters/observers give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon. The raters are
stable when this occurs. If inter-rater stability is established and reliability is insufficient, then it is
presumed that the differences obtained are due to inaccurate measurement of the instruments used
(CCN). If your study goes on for a long time, you may want to reestablish inter-rater reliability from time
to time to assure that your raters aren't changing.
Reference
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2016). NR-439 Week 5 lesson: Reading research literature –
Implementing the study, data collection methods [Online lesson]. Downers Grove, IL: DeVry
Education Group.
Houser, J. (2015). Measurement and data collection. Nursing research: Reading, using and creating
evidence (3rd ed., p. 169). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Week 5 Data Collection
This study source was downloaded by 100000824189183 from CourseHero.com on 02-28-2022 03:54:41 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/14479776/Week-5-Discussion-Post-1-2/
