Adequate measurement of its key concepts is a prerequisite for any successful science. Survey-based research in the social and behavioural sciences is no exception. Especially when studying phenomena that are not directly observable - such as attitudes, values, motivation, personality, skills or satisfaction - it is important that the measurement instruments (items, scales, questionnaires, tests) be valid, objective, reliable, and free of bias. For scholars whose research involves concepts or phenomena for which no validated measurement exists and who, consequently, have to develop their own measures, this presents a formidable challenge.

 

Fortunately, there is an established set of tools that can help ensure the quality of newly developed survey instruments. In this course, you will learn how to develop appropriate measurement instruments tailored to your research question. The focus is on short scales that are most apt for survey research.

 

The course deals primarily with the practical aspects of scale development and questionnaire design. However, it also covers relevant methodological and theoretical basics (e.g., the “psychometric” quality criteria of validity, reliability, objectivity, and others).

 

We will go through all phases of the development process and address the key objectives, best practices and challenges during each phase:
(1) definition of the phenomenon or concept to be measured
(2) generation of an initial item pool
(2) selection of appropriate items
(3) pretesting and validation of the instrument
(4) documentation and dissemination of the instrument

 

The course will equip you with the basic skills that you need to develop adequate measures for your research. It can also be valuable to researchers who do not develop their own measures but are interested in evaluating or adapting existing ones.

Researchers in the social sciences that aim to acquire basic skills needed to evaluate, develop, or adapt adequate measures for studying phenomena that are not directly observable.