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Developing and Validating Rapid Assessment Instruments (Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods)
A practical, step-by-step guide for social work practitioners and researchers on how to design, develop, and psychometrically validate rapid assessment instruments using classical test theory and factor analysis.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
This book serves as an accessible pocket guide for practitioners, students, and researchers in social work and the behavioral sciences who need to create or validate measurement scales. It demystifies the complex process of psychometrics by breaking it down into a logical sequence of manageable steps, from initial instrument design and construct conceptualization to the rigorous statistical analysis required to establish reliability and validity. Grounded in established standards and classical measurement theory, the authors provide clear explanations and applied examples for crucial techniques such as reliability analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and establishing various forms of validity evidence. Whether you're developing a new tool to measure a clinical problem or seeking to validate an instrument for a research study, this book provides the essential knowledge and practical guidance to produce psychometrically sound rapid assessment instruments.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A social work practitioner, researcher, or graduate student who wants to create a credible and useful way to measure a complex client problem, a program outcome, or a theoretical construct for their work.
- The problem
- They lack a clear, practical, and step-by-step process for developing a measurement instrument that is psychometrically sound. They feel intimidated by the statistical complexity of psychometrics and are uncertain how to properly design, execute, and interpret a validation study.
- The plan
- Define the construct and design the draft instrument using best practices for item generation and formatting.
- Design a rigorous validation study with appropriate sampling and a comprehensive data collection plan.
- Systematically analyze the data to establish evidence of the instrument's reliability, validity, and factor structure.
- The payoff
- The reader can confidently develop psychometrically sound instruments that are useful for clinical assessment, program evaluation, and research. · They contribute valuable, evidence-based tools to the social work and behavioral science fields. · Their practice and research are more rigorous, credible, and ethically sound.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- Causal Inferences in Nonexperimental Research · Blalock, H. M. Jr. (1964)
Cited as a foundational text for causal modeling, which is the basis for the structural equation models used throughout the book to analyze measurement quality and correct for error.
- Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrices · Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959)
The seminal paper that introduced the Multitrait-Multimethod (MTMM) matrix, which is the core experimental design for evaluating question quality in this book.
- Questions and Answers in Attitude Survey: Experiments on Question Form, Wording and Context · Schuman, H., & Presser, S. (1981)
The classic text on experimental survey methodology, frequently cited for its split-ballot experiments demonstrating the powerful effects of question wording and format on responses.
- Mail and Internet Surveys. The Tailored Design Method · Dillman, D. A. (2000)
Referenced as the key source for practical guidance on questionnaire layout, ordering, and administration across different survey modes, topics which the book touches on but does not cover in depth.
- Structural Equations with Latent Variables · Bollen, K. A. (1989)
Cited as a comprehensive textbook for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the advanced statistical technique required to implement the MTMM models and error-correction procedures central to the book's methodology.
- The Psychology of Survey Response · Tourangeau, R., Rips, L. J., & Rasinski, K. (2000)
Frequently referenced for its comprehensive model of the cognitive processes underlying survey responses (comprehension, retrieval, judgment, and reporting), which provides the theoretical explanation for why question characteristics affect data quality.
- Survey Sampling · Kish, L. (1965)
The book frequently refers to this text, recommending it as a primary resource for its comprehensive discussions of sampling practice.
- Sampling Techniques · Cochran, W. G. (1977)
Recommended by the author as a key text for its thorough treatment of the statistical theory underlying survey sampling.
- Sample Survey Methods and Theory · Hansen, M. H., Hurwitz, W. N., and Madow, W. G. (1953)
Cited as a foundational text for its discussion of the practical application of sampling methods.
- Survey Methods in Social Investigation · Moser, C. A. and Kalton, G. (1971)
Co-authored by the book's author, it provides a broader introduction to survey methods, placing sampling in context.