Designing and constructing instruments for social research and evaluation

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Title:

Author:

Colton, David, 1948-

ISBN:

9780787987848

Personal Author:

Colton, David, 1948-

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass, c2007.

Physical Description:

xvi, 394 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

Contents:

Introduction -- Instruments and social inquiry -- Measurement -- Instrument construction, validity, and reliability -- Purposeful creativity : first steps in the development of an instrument -- Pretesting -- The structure and format of selection items -- Guidelines for writing selection items -- Selection items : alternative formats -- Supply items : open-ended questions -- Guidelines for constructing multi-item scales -- Organizing the instrument -- Administering the instrument -- Computers and instrument construction -- Managing the data and reporting the results.

Subject Term:

Social sciences -- Research -- Methodology.

Evaluation -- Methodology.

Added Author:

Covert, Robert W., 1943-

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025559812	300.72 C725D 2007	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

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.