Designing and Constructing Instruments for Social Research and Evaluation

David Colton, Ph.D., is adjunct professor at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Graduate Studies in the program in Research, Statistics, and Evaluation, and in the Department of Health Care Administration, Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Virginia. Robert W. Covert, Ph.D., is associate professor at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Graduate Studies in the program in Research, Statistics, and Evaluation.

• Figures, Exhibits, Tables, and Instruments viiPreface: Asking and Answering ixThe Authors xvPart One: Concepts 11 Introduction 32 Instruments and Social Inquiry 283 Measurement 524 Instrument Construction, Validity, and Reliability 64Part Two: Application 955 Purposeful Creativity: First Steps in the Development of an Instrument 976 Pretesting 1287 The Structure and Format of Selection Items 1488 Guidelines for Writing Selection Items 1739 Selection Items: Alternative Formats 20810 Supply Items: Open-Ended Questions 22711 Guidelines for Constructing Multi-Item Scales 247Part Three: Organization and Administration 27912 Organizing the Instrument 28113 Administering the Instrument 31314 Computers and Instrument Construction 33715 Managing the Data and Reporting the Results 350References 374Index 383