The construction of a research instrument is the first practical step in operationalizing 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.