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I have completed primary data collection, but now my supervisor has asked me to check if my questionnaire is reliable and valid. What options do I have here?

I've just finished gathering survey responses for my dissertation on organizational behavior. My supervisor rightly pointed out that my findings' credibility hinges on the instrument's quality. Since I can't go back and redesign the survey pre-deployment, I need to know what robust statistical or methodological options are still available to me post-hoc to demonstrate its soundness.

 

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By Shabir Ahmed Answered 9 months ago

This is a common juncture. Since you have the data, I would recommend starting with a reliability analysis like Cronbach's Alpha to check your scale's internal consistency. For validity, you can perform exploratory factor analysis to see if your items cluster into the intended constructs this demonstrates structural validity. I have also seen researchers use correlation patterns between scales (convergent/discriminant validity) if other measures were included. Be transparent in your limitations section about this being a post-hoc assessment; it's a valid methodological approach when handled honestly.

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