Instruments

Used in
Research
Research Instrument
The term research instrument refers to any tool that you may use to collect or
obtain data, measure data and analyze data that is relevant to the subject of your
research.
Research instruments are often used in the fields of social sciences and health
sciences. These tools can also be found within education that relates to patients,
staff, teachers and students.
What Makes a Good Research
Instrument?

A good research instrument is one that has been validated and has proven reliability. It should be
one that can collect data in a way that’s appropriate to the research question being asked.

The research instrument must be able to assist in answering the research aims, objectives and
research questions, as well as prove or disprove the hypothesis of the study.

It should not have any bias in the way that data is collect and it should be clear as to how the
research instrument should be used appropriately.
Standardized Test Questionnaires

A standardized questionnaire is one that is written and administered

so all participants are asked the precisely the same questions in an
identical format and responses recorded in a uniform manner.
 Benefits of using standardized
questionnaires:
1. Accuracy - Many of these scales are valid and reliable instruments.

2. Quantification - Standardized measurements allow practitioners to report results in finer detail than they
could by using only personal judgment.

3. Scientific generalization - Standardization is key to generalizing a finding from a sample to the greater
population.

4. Communication - It is easier for researchers to communicate findings when referring to standardized

metrics.

5. Comparisons - By using standardized questionnaires, it’s possible to compare different design iterations.
Does a client want to know how their design compares to a competitors? To provide an answer, teams will
need a common metric for comparison.
Example of a Standardized Test
Attitude Scale

Attitude scales provide a quantitative measurement of attitudes, opinions or

values by summarizing numerical scores given by researchers to people's
responses to sets of statements exploring dimensions of an underlying theme.
It is a special type of questionnaire designed to produce scores indicating the
intensity and direction of a person’s feelings about an object or event.
Example:
Checklist

The simplest of the devices, consists of a prepared list of items. The

presence or absence of the item may indicated by inserting
appropriate word or number.
It is used in descriptive and historical researches.
Rating Scale
A rating scale is a closed-end survey question that is used to evaluate how survey
responders feel about a particular product or statement.
Rating scales are popular for their ability to allow quantitative measures to be
applied to more abstract, subjective sentiments. Satisfaction, experience,
perception, and feeling are all difficult to quantify, but when done well, a rating
scale is useful for measuring performance or effectiveness and has application in
personality research.
Semantic Differential Questionnaire
It is a survey or questionnaire rating scale that asks people to rate a product, company, brand, or any
'entity' within the frames of a multi-point rating option. These survey answering options are
grammatically on opposite adjectives at each end. For example, love-hate, satisfied-unsatisfied, and
likely to return-unlikely to return with intermediate options in between.
Research Interview

An interview is generally a qualitative research technique which

involves asking open-ended questions to converse with respondents
and collect elicit data about a subject.
Interviews are a method of data collection that involves two or more
people exchanging information through a series of questions and
answers.
 Types of Interview
1. Unstructured interviews - These are interviews that take place with few, if any, interview questions.
They often progress in the manner a normal conversation would, however it concerns the research
topic under review.

2. Semi structured interviews - These are interviews that use an interview protocol to help guide the
researcher through the interview process. While this can incorporate conversational aspects, it is
mostly a guided conversation between the researcher and participant.

3. Structured interviews - These are interviews that strictly adhere to the use of an interview protocol
to guide the researcher. It is a more rigid interview style, in that only the questions on the interview
protocol are asked.
Observation

Observation, as the name implies, is a way of collecting data through observing.

This data collection method is classified as a participatory study, because the researcher has to
immerse herself in the setting where her respondents are, while taking notes and/or recording.

Observation data collection method may involve watching, listening, reading, touching, and
recording behavior and characteristics of phenomena.
Types of Observation

1. Structured or systematic observation, data collection is conducted using

specific variables and according to a pre-defined schedule.
2. Unstructured observation, on the other hand, is conducted in an open and free
manner in a sense that there would be no pre-determined variables or
objectives.