How to Assess and Interpret Survey Psychometrics

"Pilot testing is very good and the coverage of reliability and validity is well-developed and well-written. "

—Bonnie Rader, California State University, Long Beach

"Mark Litwin does a great job of constructing 'friendly' examples, and keeping the tone of the text more of a conversation than an excerpt from a graduate level psychometrics or statistics textbook. He also includes a chapter on multicultural issues and how they affect every phase of survey design and use. "

—Patrick R. Powaser, PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY

How can you pilot test new and established surveys? How can you improve the accuracy of your survey? Chock full of examples and clear explanations, this book will show you how to assess and interpret the quality of collected survey data by thoroughly examining the survey instrument used. Litwin covers:

• Measuring reliability (including test-retest, alternate-form, internal consistency, interobserver, and intraobserver reliability)
• Measuring validity (including content, criterion, and construct validity)
• Creating and using a codebook
• How to pilot test new and established surveys
• How to scale and score a survey

"Kudos to the author. These topics represent a potentially complicated and difficult set of concepts that was well (and painlessly) explained. "

—Carol J. Lancaster, Medical University of South Carolina

"Very useful because, in addition to providing the standard definitions of the different methods to assess reliability and validity of a survey instrument, it gives concrete and clear examples of each type. The examples illustrating content and criterion validity are superior to most seen in research methodology texts. "

—Sohmi Sengupta, HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCH

"Pilot testing is very good and the coverage of reliability and validity is well-developed and well-written."
--Bonnie Rader, California State University, Long Beach

"Mark Litwin does a great job of constructing 'friendly' examples, and keeping the tone of the text more of a conversation than an excerpt from a graduate level psychometrics or statistics textbook. He also includes a chapter on multicultural issues and how they affect every phase of survey design and use."
--Patrick R. Powaser, PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY

How can you pilot test new and established surveys? How can you improve the accuracy of your survey? Chock full of examples and clear explanations, this book will show you how to assess and interpret the quality of collected survey data by thoroughly examining the survey instrument used. Litwin covers:

• Measuring reliability (including test-retest, alternate-form, internal consistency, interobserver, and intraobserver reliability)
• Measuring validity (including content, criterion, and construct validity)
• Creating and using a codebook
• How to pilot test new and established surveys
• How to scale and score a survey

"Kudos to the author. These topics represent a potentially complicated and difficult set of concepts that was well (and painlessly) explained."
--Carol J. Lancaster, Medical University of South Carolina

"Very useful because, in addition to providing the standard definitions of the different methods to assess reliability and validity of a survey instrument, it gives concrete and clear examples of each type. Theexamples illustrating content and criterion validity are superior to most seen in research methodology texts."
--Sohmi Sengupta, HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCH

Chair, Department of Urology. Professor of Urology and Public Health. He trained at Harvard and specializes in testicular, bladder, prostate and kidney cancer. Dr. Litwin’s research focuses on improving quality of care and quality of life in urologic oncology. He leads Urologic Diseases in America (www.udaonline.net), the NIH’s largest effort at documenting the burden of urologic diseases on the American people. He also created and directs IMPACT, a state-funded program that provides free medical care statewide for low-income, uninsured men with prostate cancer (www.california-impact.org).