Designing and constructing instruments for social research and evaluation / David Colton and Robert W. Covert.
By: Colton, David
.
Contributor(s): Covert, Robert W.
Material type: 
BookPublisher: San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass, c2007Description: xvi, 394 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. + pbk.ISBN: 9780787987848 ; 0787987840 .Subject(s): Social sciences -- Research -- Methodology | Evaluation -- Methodology | Society | Sociology & anthropology | Research methods: general | Children's / Teenage reference: Subject-specific referenceDDC classification: 300.72 | 300.72 COT | Item type | Current library | Call number | Copy number | Status | Barcode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General lending | MTU Bishopstown Library Lending | 300.72 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 00131926 | |
| General lending | MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main | 300.72 COT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 38888000705693 | |
| General lending | MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main | 300.72 COT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 38888000705701 | |
| General lending | MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main | 300.72 COT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 38888000705669 | |
| General lending | MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main | 300.72 COT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 38888000705677 | |
| General lending | MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main | 300.72 COT (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 38888000705685 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Written in easy-to-understand language, this important text provides a systematic and commonsense approach to developing instruments for data collection and analysis. This book can be used by both those who are developing instruments for the first time and those who want to hone their skills, including students, agency personnel, program managers, and researchers.
This book provides a thorough presentation of instrument construction, from conception to development and pre-testing of items, formatting the instrument, administration, and, finally, data management and presentation of the findings. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize how to create an instrument that will produce trustworthy and accurate data. To that end they have included guidelines for reviewing and revising the questionnaire to enhance validity and reliability. They also show how to work effectively with stakeholders such as instruments designers, decision-makers, agency personnel, clients, and raters or respondents.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 374-382) and index.
Part one: Concepts -- Introduction -- Instruments and social inquiry -- Measurement -- Instrument construction, validity, and reliability -- Part two: Application -- Purposeful creativity : first steps in the development of an instrument -- Pretesting -- The structure and format of selection items -- Guidelines for writing selection items -- Selection items : alternative formats -- Supply items : open-ended questions -- Guidelines for constructing multi-item scales -- Part three: Organization and administration -- Organizing the instrument -- Administering the instrument -- Computers and instrument construction -- Managing the data and reporting the results.
Author notes provided by Syndetics
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.