validity and reliability in research methods

The authors provide an overview of the basic principles of reliability and validity in relation to quantitative and qualitative nursing research. When reading published research or designing research projects, it is important to consider issues of reliability and validity from the outset. This trustworthiness depends on a number of research features: the initial research question, how data are collected including when and from whom, how they are analysed, and what conclusions are drawn.Īlthough Murphy and Dingwall (2003) are right in stating that following procedures alone is not sufficient to produce trustworthy results, this is not to say that procedures can be ignored.

If a hospital decides to replace one treatment with another safer and more effective treatment, then managers, clinicians and patients can justifiably expect the decision to be based on good, rather than flawed, evidence. If research is to be helpful, it should avoid misleading those who use it. Reliability and validity are ways of demonstrating and communicating the rigour of research processes and the trustworthiness of research findings. Although presenting an idealised view of science, this statement is a good starting point for a discussion that aims to demystify two related examples of research terminology: reliability and validity. The defining characteristic of that attitude is a commitment to subject any claim to rigorous evaluation and the conscientious seeking out of evidence that might contradict or modify that claim' (Murphy and Dingwall 2003). As such, science is an attitude of mind rather than a set of procedures. 'THE HALLMARK OF science is the pursuit of truth and the limitation of error. For related articles and author guidelines visit our online archive at and search using the keywords. This article has been subject to double-blind review.

These keywords are based on the subject headings from the British Nursing Index. Qualitative research Quantitative research Reliability Validity The authors discuss the basic principles of reliability and validity for readers who are new to research, This article examines reliability and validity as ways to demonstrate the rigour and trustworthiness of quantitative and qualitative research.

Validity and reliability in research methods