Instrument
It is important for the researcher to justify the use of selected instruments. The rationale may clearly state
the advantages and disadvantages of using one tool rather than another and the literature search should
also have commented on the use of particular instruments in previous studies (Polit and Hungler 2013). The
reliability and validity needs to be considered. Reliability refers to the degree of consistency or accuracy with
which an instrument measures the attribute it has been designed to measure (Polit and Hungler 2013). Data
retrieved may look authoritative but it could be incomplete or inaccurate or may not be sufficiently reliable
to be of value in generalising to the larger population. Concurrently, validity refers to the degree to which the
instrument measures the phenomena in the first place or reflects the abstract construct being examined (Burns
and Grove 2009, p.479). Use of validated research tools can reduce the overall cost of undertaking research.