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PRACTICAL RESEARCH
Research Instruments
Research Instruments - Are basic tools researchers used to gather data for specific research problems.
Common instruments are performance tests, questionnaires, interviews, and observation checklist
Characteristics of a Good Research Instrument
Concise - Have you tried answering a very long test, and because of its length, you just pick the answer
without even reading it? A good research instrument is concise in length yet can elicit the needed data.
Sequential - Questions or items must be arranged well. It is recommended to arrange it from simplest to
the most complex. In this way, the instrument will be more favorable to the respondents to answer.
Valid and reliable - The instrument should pass the tests of validity and reliability to get more
appropriate and accurate information.
Easily tabulated - Since you will be constructing an instrument for quantitative research, this factor
should be considered.
Questionnaire Survey – Steps
1. Define the problem/ survey topic
2. Use previous studies & expert advice
3. Define research questions/ objectives
4. Define study population and sample size
5.Develop a preliminary questionnaire
6.Pretest the questionnaire (similar subjects)
7.Cover letter (Introducing the study, deadline for return, guarantees for data anonymity)
8. Stamped & self-addressed envelop
9. Follow-up letter for non-respondent
Questionnaire – Advantages
1. Broad coverage (local, national, international)
2.Frank and anonymous answers
3. Economical for large population
4. Less Time consuming
5. Quantitative data (easy to analyze)
6.Filling at a convenient time

7. Easy to respond (fixed responses)
8. Good for sensitive & ego-related Qs.
9. Original hard-to-obtain data
Questionnaire – Disadvantages
1. No clarification for ambiguous questions
2. Inadequate motivation to respond
3. Poorly worded or direct questions
4. Unattractive style and format
5. Low response rate
6. Inaccurate responses – no verification
7. Limited fixed responses
8. Cannot uncover causes or relationships for attitudes, beliefs, actions
TYPES OF QUESTIONNAIRES
Unstructured Questions: Allow respondents to reply freely without having to select one of several
provided responses (also called open-ended questions)
Structured Questions: Provide a group of fixed responses or what we called closed-ended questions
Common Scaling Responses
Likert Scale - This is the most common scale used in quantitative research.
- Respondents were asked to rate or rank statements according to the scale provided.
Semantic Differential - In this scale, a series of bipolar adjectives will be rated by the respondents. This
scale seems to be more advantageous since it is more flexible and easy to construct.
Validity and Reliability of Instruments
Validity - A research instrument is considered valid if it measures what it supposed to measure.
Types of Validity
Face Validity - It is also known as “logical validity.” It calls for an initiative judgment of the instruments
as it “appear.” Just by looking at the instrument, the researcher decides if it is valid.
Content Validity - An instrument that is judged with content validity meets the objectives of the study.
It is done by checking the statements or questions if this elicits the needed information. Experts in the
field of interest can also provide specific elements that should be measured by the instrument.
Construct Validity - It refers to the validity of instruments as it corresponds to the theoretical construct
of the study. It is concerning if a specific measure relates to other measures.
Concurrent Validity - When the instrument can predict results similar to those similar tests already
validated, it has concurrent validity.
Predictive Validity - When the instrument is able to produce results similar to those similar tests that
will be employed in the future, it has predictive validity. This is particularly useful for the aptitude test.
Reliability
Reliability - refers to the consistency of the measures or results of the instrument.
Types of Reliability
Test-retest Reliability - It is achieved by giving the same test to the same group of respondents twice.
The consistency of the two scores will be checked.
Equivalent Forms Reliability - It is established by administering two identical tests except for wordings
to the same group of respondents.
Internal Consistency Reliability - It determines how well the items measure the same construct. It is
reasonable that when a respondent gets a high score in one item, he will also get one in similar items.

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PRACTICAL RESEARCH

Characteristics of a Good Research Instrument

Questionnaire Survey – Steps

1. Define the problem/ survey topic

2. Use previous studies & expert advice

3. Define research questions/ objectives

4. Define study population and sample size

5.Develop a preliminary questionnaire

6.Pretest the questionnaire (similar subjects)

8. Stamped & self-addressed envelop

9. Follow-up letter for non-respondent

1. Broad coverage (local, national, international)

2.Frank and anonymous answers

3. Economical for large population

4. Less Time consuming

5. Quantitative data (easy to analyze)

6.Filling at a convenient time

8. Good for sensitive & ego-related Qs.

9. Original hard-to-obtain data

1. No clarification for ambiguous questions

2. Inadequate motivation to respond

3. Poorly worded or direct questions

4. Unattractive style and format

5. Low response rate

6. Inaccurate responses – no verification

7. Limited fixed responses

8. Cannot uncover causes or relationships for attitudes, beliefs, actions

provided responses (also called open-ended questions)

Common Scaling Responses

Validity and Reliability of Instruments

Validity - A research instrument is considered valid if it measures what it supposed to measure.

Reliability - refers to the consistency of the measures or results of the instrument.

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