This course is the first in a two-part scale development course series that introduces students to the systematic process of developing multi-item scale measures and survey instruments. Examples include measures of various social and psychological variables that might be assessed in health, medicine, journalism, or other related research areas. After a brief theoretical introduction to topics such as defining a construct and types of validity, we will turn to applied issues such as what is the optimal scale development process and how (and when) can you deviate from that process. We will also address practical issues around questionnaire design such as how to construct a “good” survey instrument that has a natural flow, minimizes participant burden, has appropriate response options and other common concerns in scale development and design. We will focus on real-life examples to demonstrate the scale development process. Although we will briefly discuss the kinds of quantitative techniques that are commonly used in the scale development process, this course will not cover the application of these methods. Quantitative methods for scale development will be covered in Part 2 of this course series.

Register

The OVCR leadership team invites the research community to the Spring 2025 edition of OVCR Office Hours, an open forum on research operations and administration that takes place once a semester.

What to Expect for the January Session:
- The Research Roadmap, our strategic plan for continued and growing excellence
- The conflict of interest program
- The federal landscape under the new administration
- The Translational Research Building

Speakers: Vice Chancellor Penny Gordon-Larsen, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Andy Johns, and Director of the Office of Federal Affairs Kelly Dockham

There will be a dedicated Q&A session for participants to ask questions, and questions should be submitted in advance to ensure all are covered. You can submit questions during registration or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Register