Learning and Evaluation/Archive/Learning modules/3Constructs

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Part 1: Introduction

Welcome!
Why Survey?
Why Surveys Are Useful
Constructs
Operationalize
Survey instruments
Types of information
Attributes - a special case
Survey Objective and Planning

Part 2: Reliability & Validity

Reliability & Validity
Reliability
Validity
Face Validity
Content Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity

Part 3: Question Construction

Writing Good Questions
Questions from Existing Surveys
Constructing your own Questions
Be Specific
Be Concise
Avoid Double Negatives
Minimize Social Desirability Bias
Avoid Double-barreled questions
Avoid abbreviations, jargon, technical terms, or slang
Avoid leading questions
Avoid loaded questions
Use appropriate wording
Ask useful questions
Rely on second-hand data sparsely
Use caution when asking personal questions

Part 4: Response Options

Question types
Fill-in-the-blank
Dichotomous pairs
Multiple choice
Check all that apply
Ranking
Scales
Choosing response options

Part 5: Questionnaire structure

Important considerations
Questions order
Additional Resources
Feedback

  Wikimedia Training Designing Effective Questions Menu

Constructs

Construct

Operationalize

Survey Questionnaire


A construct is typically made up of phenomena that are not measurable in the physical world. Constructs represent ideas and concepts (i.e. attitudes, beliefs, etc.) about how the the world works. Since many phenomena cannot be physically sensed (i.e. seen, heard, or touched), we must develop tools for measuring human perceptions of these ideas and concepts.


Example
A person's interest to edit Wikipedia is a good example of a construct. Interest cannot be measured with a ruler or weight scale. It is a combination of qualities in a person that need to be assessed through some other measurement tool, like asking a question about interest in a survey.