How to Measure Survey Reliability and Validity

by Mark S. Litwin

Book Overview

Improving the accuracy of a survey is the focus of Mark S. Litwin′s book, which shows how to assess and interpret the quality of survey data by thoroughly examining the survey instrument used. He explains how to code and pilot test new and established surveys. In addition, he covers issues such as: how to measure reliability (including test-retest, alternate form, internal consistency, inter-observer and intra-observer reliability); how to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803957041
• ISBN13: 9780803957046
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Series

The series containing this text are written for people who need to assemble a survey and make it work. Easy to read and well worth the addition to your library. I recommend buying the series -- I've burned through them while working on a PhD in Education.

My opinion

Some details are very basics, other are very good presented. In general it is a good book, a little expensive for its content.

Great basic book to start with

I purchased this book in addition to "How to Analyze Survey Data" (another one in this series) and together they helped me produce survey research products for the nonprofit I work for. Reliability and validity are extremely important in survey methodology and research. This book only covers that and for that reason, I think its a great resource. Many other books discussing survey research in its entirety do not give justive to reliability/validity in a way that makes it appear very important to the analysis, evaluation, and publishing of data. There are many good examples in this book to illustrate concepts. Its a short book, about 85 pages but its packed with information and caveats of implementing certain tools or methods. Overall, this book it appropriate for the student or local public service agency and non-profit beginning or continuing program evaluation activities for their programs. It provides a very nice basic foundation to understanding validity/reliability and its impact on ensuring trust and truth in data. Couple this with "How to Analyze Survey Data", "Improving Survey Questions" (Floyd J. Fowler Jr.) and "Designing and Conducting Survey Research" (Rea and Parker) and you should have a very nice library for survey research