essay about research instrument

Research Methodologies: Research Instruments

• Research Methodology Basics
• Research Instruments
• Types of Research Methodologies

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Types of Research Instruments

A research instrument is a tool you will use to help you collect, measure and analyze the data you use as part of your research.  The choice of research instrument will usually be yours to make as the researcher and will be whichever best suits your methodology. 

There are many different research instruments you can use in collecting data for your research:

• Interviews  (either as a group or one-on-one). You can carry out interviews in many different ways. For example, your interview can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. The difference between them is how formal the set of questions is that is asked of the interviewee. In a group interview, you may choose to ask the interviewees to give you their opinions or perceptions on certain topics.
• Surveys  (online or in-person). In survey research, you are posing questions in which you ask for a response from the person taking the survey. You may wish to have either free-answer questions such as essay style questions, or you may wish to use closed questions such as multiple choice. You may even wish to make the survey a mixture of both.
• Focus Groups.  Similar to the group interview above, you may wish to ask a focus group to discuss a particular topic or opinion while you make a note of the answers given.
• Observations.  This is a good research instrument to use if you are looking into human behaviors. Different ways of researching this include studying the spontaneous behavior of participants in their everyday life, or something more structured. A structured observation is research conducted at a set time and place where researchers observe behavior as planned and agreed upon with participants.

These are the most common ways of carrying out research, but it is really dependent on your needs as a researcher and what approach you think is best to take. It is also possible to combine a number of research instruments if this is necessary and appropriate in answering your research problem.

Data Collection

How to Collect Data for Your Research   This article covers different ways of collecting data in preparation for writing a thesis.

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What is a Research Instrument?

• By DiscoverPhDs
• October 9, 2020

The term research instrument refers to any tool that you may use to collect or obtain data, measure data and analyse 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.

The format of a research instrument may consist of questionnaires, surveys, interviews, checklists or simple tests. The choice of which specific research instrument tool to use will be decided on the by the researcher. It will also be strongly related to the actual methods that will be used in the specific study.

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.

What are the Different Types of Interview Research Instruments?

The general format of an interview is where the interviewer asks the interviewee to answer a set of questions which are normally asked and answered verbally. There are several different types of interview research instruments that may exist.

• A structural interview may be used in which there are a specific number of questions that are formally asked of the interviewee and their responses recorded using a systematic and standard methodology.
• An unstructured interview on the other hand may still be based on the same general theme of questions but here the person asking the questions (the interviewer) may change the order the questions are asked in and the specific way in which they’re asked.
• A focus interview is one in which the interviewer will adapt their line or content of questioning based on the responses from the interviewee.
• A focus group interview is one in which a group of volunteers or interviewees are asked questions to understand their opinion or thoughts on a specific subject.
• A non-directive interview is one in which there are no specific questions agreed upon but instead the format is open-ended and more reactionary in the discussion between interviewer and interviewee.

What are the Different Types of Observation Research Instruments?

An observation research instrument is one in which a researcher makes observations and records of the behaviour of individuals. There are several different types.

Structured observations occur when the study is performed at a predetermined location and time, in which the volunteers or study participants are observed used standardised methods.

Naturalistic observations are focused on volunteers or participants being in more natural environments in which their reactions and behaviour are also more natural or spontaneous.

A participant observation occurs when the person conducting the research actively becomes part of the group of volunteers or participants that he or she is researching.

Final Comments

The types of research instruments will depend on the format of the research study being performed: qualitative, quantitative or a mixed methodology. You may for example utilise questionnaires when a study is more qualitative or use a scoring scale in more quantitative studies.

There are various types of research that are classified by objective, depth of study, analysed data and the time required to study the phenomenon etc.

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Research Instruments

• Resources for Identifying Instruments
• Assessing Instruments
• Obtaining the Full Instrument
• Getting Help

What are Research Instruments?

A research instrument is a tool used to collect, measure, and analyze data related to  your subject.

Research instruments can  be tests , surveys , scales ,  questionnaires , or even checklists .

To assure the strength of your study, it is important to use previously validated instruments!

Getting Started

Already know the full name of the instrument you're looking for? 

• Start here!

Finding a research instrument can be very time-consuming!

This process involves three concrete steps:

It is common that sources will not provide the full instrument, but they will provide a citation with the publisher. In some cases, you may have to contact the publisher to obtain the full text.

Research Tip :  Talk to your departmental faculty. Many of them have expertise in working with research instruments and can help you with this process.

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• Last Updated: Aug 27, 2023 9:34 AM
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RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS These are the fact finding strategies. They are the tools for data collection. They include Questionnaire, Interview, Observation and Reading. Essentially the researcher must ensure that the instrument chosen is valid and reliable. The validity and reliability of any research project depends to a large extent on the appropriateness of the instruments. Whatever procedure one uses to collect data, it must be critically examined to check the extent to which it is likely to give you the expected results. Questionnaire • This is a data collection instrument mostly used in normative surveys. This is a systematically prepared form or document with a set of questions deliberately designed to elicit responses from respondents or research informants for the purpose of collecting data or information. • It is a form of inquiry document, which contains a systematically compiled and well organised series of questions intended to elicit the information which will provide insight into the nature of the problem under study. • It is a form that contains a set of questions on a topic or group of topics designed to be answered by the respondent. • The respondents are the population samples of the study. The answers provided by the respondents constitute the data for the report. The effective use of questionnaire for data collection depends on the mode of formulation and administration of the questions, the medium of delivering the questionnaire and the method of contacting respondents for retrieval of the questionnaire. These modes affect the credibility and quality of the data obtained. Note that the respondent is not under any obligation to respond to the questionnaire. The respondent therefore has to be influenced in order to submit accurate data to the questions administered. Read more for some expect strategies.

Related Papers

paul liberty muchemwa

Elise Paradis

Ntonghanwah Forcheh

A forgollen part or generally ignored aspect of survey research is the preparation of the research instrument for suitable and efficient data entry and analysis. What ever is available appears to elude most researchers in the social sciences and humanities. The consequence is that these researchers, some of whom are authorities in their fields, frequently fall victim to poorly designed

Débora Thomas

Sapthami KKM

Burcu Akhun

In this article, as data collecting tools interviews and questionnaries used in social science and educational researches were examined. Firstly, the definitions and types of both techiques were discussed. then interwies and questionnaries were compared in terms of various aspects. these comparisions were made regarding information, bias, anonimity and confidentialty, response rate, validity, reliability and data analysis. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of both techniques were summarised in a table.

Nursing &amp; Health Sciences

Teresa Stone

Laia Canals

This chapter sets out various methods for gathering important data on the language uses of participants in a research project. These methods imply interaction between students, teachers and researchers. They are used in the design of research projects based on action research, ethnography or conversational analysis, this being the case with the studies presented in the first section of this handbook. Gathering research data following these methodologies often implies preparing situations, tasks or activities that engage participants to interact around a specific theme or to mobilize certain communication skills.

APTISI Transactions on Management

APTISI Transactions on Management , George Iwan

Writing can mean lowering or describing graphic symbols that describe a language understood by someone. For a researcher, management of research preparation is a very important step because this step greatly determines the success or failure of all research activities. Before a person starts with research activities, he must make a written plan commonly referred to as the management of research data collection. In the process of collecting research data, of course we can do the management of questionnaires as well as the preparation of interview guidelines to disseminate and obtain accurate information. With the arrangement of planning and conducting interviews: the ethics of conducting interviews, the advantages and disadvantages of interviews, the formulation of interview questions, the schedule of interviews, group and focus group interviews, interviews using recording devices, and interview bias. making a questionnaire must be designed with very good management by giving to the information needed, in accordance with the problem and all that does not cause problems at the stage of analysis and interpretation.

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What are Research Instruments

A research instrument is a survey, questionnaire, test, scale, rating, or tool designed to measure the variable(s), characteristic(s), or information of interest, often a behavioral or psychological characteristic. Research instruments can be helpful tools to your research study.

"Careful planning for data collection can help with setting realistic goals. Data collection instrumentation, such as surveys, physiologic measures (blood pressure or temperature), or interview guides, must be identified and described. Using previously validated collection instruments can save time and increase the study's credibility. Once the data collection procedure has been determined, a time line for completion should be established." (Pierce, 2009, p. 159)

• Pierce, L.L. (2009). Twelve steps for success in the nursing research journey. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 40(4), 154-162.

A research instrument is developed as a method of data generation by researchers and information about the research instrument is shared in order to establish the credibility and validity of the method. Whether other researchers may use the research instrument is the decision of the original author-researchers. They may make it publicly available for free or for a price or they may not share it at all. Sources about research instruments have a purpose of describing the instrument to inform. Sources may or may not provide the instrument itself or the contact information of the author-researcher. The onus is on the reader-researcher to try to find the instrument itself or to contact the author-researcher to request permission for its use, if necessary.

How to choose the right one?

Are you trying to find background information about a research instrument? Or are you trying to find and obtain an actual copy of the instrument?

If you need information about a research instrument, what kind of information do you need? Do you need information on the structure of the instrument, its content, its development, its psychometric reliability or validity? What do you need?

If you plan to obtain an actual copy of the instrument to use in research, you need to be concerned not only with obtaining the instrument, but also obtaining permission to use the instrument. Research instruments may be copyrighted. To obtain permission, contact the copyright holder in writing (print or email).

If someone posts a published test or instrument without the permission of the copyright holder, they may be violating copyright and could be legally liable. 

What are you trying to measure? For example, if you are studying depression, are you trying to measure the duration of depression, the intensity of depression, the change over time of the episodes, … what? The instrument must measure what you need or it is useless to you.

Factors to consider when selecting an instrument are • Well-tested factorial structure, validity & reliability • Availability of supportive materials and technology for entering, analyzing and interpreting results • Availability of normative data as a reference for evaluating, interpreting, or placing in context individual test scores • Applicable to wide range of participants • Can also be used as personal development tool/exercise • User-friendliness & administrative ease • Availability; can you obtain it? • Does it require permission from the owner to use it? • Financial cost • Amount of time required

Check the validity and reliability of tests and instruments. Do they really measure what they claim to measure? Do they measure consistently over time, with different research subjects and ethnic groups, and after repeated use? Research articles that used the test will often include reliability and validity data.

How Locate Instrument

Realize that searching for an instrument may take a lot of time. They may be published in a book or article on a particular subject. They be published and described in a dissertation. They may posted on the Internet and freely available. A specific instrument may be found in multiple publications and have been used for a long time. Or it may be new and only described in a few places. It may only be available by contacting the person who developed it, who may or may not respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.

There are a variety of sources that may used to search for research instruments. They include books, databases, Internet search engines, Web sites, journal articles, and dissertations.

A few key sources and search tips are listed in this guide.

Permission to Use the Test

If you plan to obtain an actual copy of the instrument to use in research, you need to be concerned not only with obtaining the instrument, but also obtaining permission to use the instrument. Research instruments are copyrighted. To obtain permission, contact the copyright holder to obtain permission in writing (print or email). Written permission is a record that you obtained permission.

It is a good idea to have them state in wiritng that they are indeed the copyright holder and that they grant you permission to use the instrument. If you wish to publish the actual instrument in your paper, get permission for that, too. You may write about the instrument without obtaining permission. (But remember to cite it!)

If someone posts a published test or instrument without the permission of the copyright holder, they are violating copyright and could be legally liable. 

Subject Guide

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Finding Research Instruments: ERIC

• Health & Psychosocial Instruments
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What is ERIC?

ERIC is an excellent database for searching the education literature.

• ERIC (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window This database, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education, includes citations, abstracts, and full-text of scholarly journal articles, reports, and more related to all facets of education.

Important Definitions

• searchable research tool that includes records about a wide range of sources, primarily articles
• collection of information about a single item, usually an article, within a database; includes several fields
• section of a record that provides a specific piece of information about the item described (the title, the author, the abstract, etc.)

Truncation (*)

• the star or asterisk key tells the database to look for any ending of a word; one example: searching for measure* in a database would find the words measure, measures, and measurement

Searching By Topic

To find instruments about your research topic, use keywords about it in one or more of the search boxes. In the final box, try using this string of words: test* OR measure* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR scale* OR batter* OR inventor* OR checklist* OR instrument* OR pretest* OR posttest* OR interview* . It's generally unwise to limit to any particular field here, since the name of a test may show up in the abstract or the identifier, so to be comprehensive you need to search both.

To narrow your results, if they're too broad, consider using the ERIC Thesaurus to find the appropriate descriptor for your topic.

Alternately, you can use additional keywords to reduce irrelevant results.

ERIC does have a Publication Type limit for Tests/Questionnaires , but it significantly narrows your search results. That may make it difficult to find test name options that you could try in another database, even if they don't show up in ERIC.

Searching By Title

As mentioned in the Searching By Topic box above, limiting to a specific field isn't your best option here, so try putting the name of your instrument (if you know it exactly) in quotation marks. You can use the acronym instead, if you know it.

Searching For Evaluations

Follow the instructions for either Searching By Topic or Searching By Name , depending on what you're trying to do. In the final box, put this string of words: "Test Reviews" OR "Test Reliability" OR "Test Validity" OR "Construct Validity" OR "Content Validity" and use the drop-down menu next to the box to select SU Descriptors . This tells ERIC to search the descriptor field for terms relating to evaluation of tests.

If you're searching by topic, this will give you considerably more results than a more specific search. As an alternative, if you want only test reviews, just use "Test Reviews" instead, still using the drop-down to choose SU Descriptors .

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