The construction of a research instrument is the first practical step in operationalising
your study. It is an important aspect of your research as it constitutes the input; the
quality of your output (the findings and conclusions) is entirely dependent upon the
quality and appropriateness of this input. Items in a research instrument are questions
asked of respondents. Responses to these questions become the raw data that is processed
to find answers to your research questions. The famous saying about computers,
‘garbage in, garbage out’, also equally applies to the research instrument. To a large
extent, the validity of the findings depends upon the quality of the raw data which, in
turn, depends upon the research instrument you have used or developed. If the latter is
valid and reliable, the findings should also be valid and reliable.
The quality of a research instrument largely depends upon your experience in
research. It is important for a beginner to follow the suggested steps outlined in
Chapter 9.