understanding reliability and validity in quantitative research

It sounds obvious, but the question type and wording itself truly steers the validity of quantitative research. None of these potential outcomes are ideal, and all severely affect the validity of the overall results. Chances are the participant will get to this type of question and: The research method you select needs to accurately reflect the type, format and depth of data you need to capture in order to suitably answer your questions.Īs an example, if you are running research with participants that are lower on the digital spectrum and aren’t confident online, I would advise against incorporating complex question types, such as large grids, into your survey. This one is fundamental to securing valid results, as it sets the tone for the entire project. Of course, there are ways to avoid this and ensure your quantitative research gets the thumbs up from both the wider industry you operate in and the stakeholders commissioning or approving the project. In summary, research isn’t helpful at all when it doesn’t answer the questions you intend it to! In fact, it’s an absolute waste of time and budget if this is the case. For research to be deemed credible, and to ensure there is no uncertainty on the integrity of the data, it is essential to achieve high validity. Validity within quantitative research is a measure of how accurately the study answers the questions and hypotheses it was commissioned to answer.

Understanding reliability and validity in quantitative research