There concept of validity as it applies to an entire research study. Specifi cally, we examine
the quality of the research process, and the accuracy of the results. The same
word, validity, applies to both contexts. Therefore, we are careful to distinguish
between the validity of a research study and the validity of measurement, and
you should be careful to separate the two concepts in your own mind.
Any researcher’s goal is to be able to summarize a research study by stating,
“This is what happened and this is what it means.” Any factor that raises
doubts about the limits of research results or about the interpretation of the
results is a threat to validity.