

If a method is unreliable, it is probably invalid.įor example, if the thermometer shows different temperatures each time, even if the conditions have been carefully controlled to ensure that the temperature of the sample is the same, it is likely that the thermometer will malfunction and therefore its measurements are not valid. High reliability is an indicator that a measurement is valid. Relationship between Reliability and Validity If the research has a high validity, it means that it produces results that correspond to the real properties, characteristics and variations of the physical or social world.

Validity refers to the accuracy with which a method measures what it is intended to measure. This indicates that the questionnaire is unreliable as a measure of disease. Several different doctors use the same questionnaire with the same patient but give different diagnoses.

The thermometer always shows the same temperature, so the results are reliable.Ī doctor uses a symptom questionnaire to diagnose a patient with a long-term illness. The temperature of a liquid sample is measured several times under identical conditions. If the same result can be obtained consistently using the same methods under the same circumstances, the measurement is considered reliable. What is reliability?Īccording to Russ-Eft (1980), reliability refers to the constancy with which a method measures something. However, if a measurement is valid, it is usually also reliable. A measurement can be reliable without being valid. Reliability and validity are closely related, but they mean different things. It is important to consider reliability and validity when creating research design, planning methods, and writing results, especially in quantitative research.

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, and validity to the accuracy of a measure. They indicate how well a method, technique, or test measures something. Reliability and validity are concepts used to assess the quality of research.
