10/12/21, 9:54 PM Reliability vs Validity in Research | Differences, Types and Examples

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Reliability vs validity: what’s the difference?

Published on
July 3, 2019
by
Fiona Middleton.
Revised on
July 16, 2021.

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

It’s important to consider reliability and validity when you are creating your research
design, planning your methods, and writing up your results, especially in quantitative
research.

Reliability vs validity

What does it tell you?

The extent to which the results can be reproduced when the research is repeated under the same
conditions.

The extent to which the results really measure what they are supposed to measure.

How is it assessed?

By checking the consistency of results across time, across different observers, and across parts of
the test itself.

By checking how well the results correspond to established theories and other measures of the
same concept.

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How do they relate?

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A reliable measurement is not always valid: the results might be reproducible, but they’re not
necessarily correct.

A valid measurement is generally reliable: if a test produces accurate results, they should be
reproducible.

Understanding reliability vs validity

Reliability and validity are closely related, but they mean different things. A measurement
can be reliable without being valid. However, if a measurement is valid, it is usually also
reliable.

What is reliability?
Reliability refers to how consistently a method measures something. If the same result can
be consistently achieved by using the same methods under the same circumstances, the
measurement is considered reliable.

You measure the temperature of a liquid sample several times under identical
conditions. The thermometer displays the same temperature every time, so the
results are reliable.

A doctor uses a symptom questionnaire to diagnose a patient with a long-term

medical condition. Several different doctors use the same questionnaire with the
same patient but give different diagnoses. This indicates that the questionnaire has
low reliability as a measure of the condition.

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What is validity?
Validity
 refers
Tabletoofhow accurately a method measures what it is intended to measure. If
contents
research has high validity, that means it produces results that correspond to real
properties, characteristics, and variations in the physical or social world.

High reliability is one indicator that a measurement is valid. If a method is not reliable, it
probably isn’t valid.

If the thermometer shows different temperatures each time, even though you have
carefully controlled conditions to ensure the sample’s temperature stays the same,
the thermometer is probably malfunctioning, and therefore its measurements are not
valid.

If a symptom questionnaire results in a reliable diagnosis when answered at different

times and with different doctors, this indicates that it has high validity as a
measurement of the medical condition.

However, reliability on its own is not enough to ensure validity. Even if a test is reliable, it
may not accurately reflect the real situation.

The thermometer that you used to test the sample gives reliable results. However,
the thermometer has not been calibrated properly, so the result is 2 degrees lower
than the true value. Therefore, the measurement is not valid.

A group of participants take a test designed to measure working memory. The

results are reliable, but participants’ scores correlate strongly with their level of
reading comprehension. This indicates that the method might have low validity: the
test may be measuring participants’ reading comprehension instead of their working
memory.

Validity is harder to assess than reliability, but it is even more important. To obtain useful
results, the methods you use to collect your data must be valid: the research must be
measuring what it claims to measure. This ensures that your discussion of the data and the

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conclusions you draw are also valid.

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How are reliability and validity assessed?
Reliability can be estimated by comparing different versions of the same measurement.
Validity is harder to assess, but it can be estimated by comparing the results to other
relevant data or theory. Methods of estimating reliability and validity are usually split up
into different types.

Types of reliability
Different types of reliability can be estimated through various statistical methods.

Types of reliability

Test-retest

The consistency of a measure across time: do you get the same results when you repeat the
measurement?

A group of participants complete a questionnaire designed to measure personality traits. If they

repeat the questionnaire days, weeks or months apart and give the same answers, this indicates
high test-retest reliability.

Interrater

The consistency of a measure across raters or observers: do you get the same results when
different people conduct the same measurement?

Based on an assessment criteria checklist, five examiners submit substantially different results for
the same student project. This indicates that the assessment checklist has low inter-rater reliability
(for example, because the criteria are too subjective).

Internal consistency

The consistency of the measurement itself: do you get the same results from different parts of a
test that are designed to measure the same thing?

You design a questionnaire to measure self-esteem. If you randomly split the results into two
halves, there should be a strong correlation between the two sets of results. If the two results are
very different, this indicates low internal consistency.

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Types of validity
The validity
 Table of aof
measurement
contents can be estimated based on three main types of evidence.
Each type can be evaluated through expert judgement or statistical methods.

Types of validity

Construct

The adherence of a measure to existing theory and knowledge of the concept being measured.

A self-esteem questionnaire could be assessed by measuring other traits known or assumed to be

related to the concept of self-esteem (such as social skills and optimism). Strong correlation
between the scores for self-esteem and associated traits would indicate high construct validity.

Content

The extent to which the measurement covers all aspects of the concept being measured.

A test that aims to measure a class of students’ level of Spanish contains reading, writing and
speaking components, but no listening component.  Experts agree that listening comprehension is
an essential aspect of language ability, so the test lacks content validity for measuring the overall
level of ability in Spanish.

Criterion

The extent to which the result of a measure corresponds to other valid measures of the same
concept.

A survey is conducted to measure the political opinions of voters in a region. If the results
accurately predict the later outcome of an election in that region, this indicates that the survey has
high criterion validity.

To assess the validity of a cause-and-effect relationship, you also need to consider internal
validity (the design of the experiment) and external validity (the generalizability of the
results).

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How to ensure validity and reliability in your research

The reliability and validity of your results depends on creating a strong research design,
choosing appropriate methods and samples, and conducting the research carefully and
consistently.

Ensuring validity
If you use scores or ratings to measure variations in something (such as psychological
traits, levels of ability or physical properties), it’s important that your results reflect the real
variations as accurately as possible. Validity should be considered in the very earliest
stages of your research, when you decide how you will collect your data.

 Choose appropriate methods of measurement

Ensure that your method and measurement technique are high quality and targeted to
measure exactly what you want to know. They should be thoroughly researched and based
on existing knowledge.

For example, to collect data on a personality trait, you could use a standardized
questionnaire that is considered reliable and valid. If you develop your own questionnaire, it
should be based on established theory or findings of previous studies, and the questions
should be carefully and precisely worded.

 Use appropriate sampling methods to select your subjects

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To produce valid generalizable results, clearly define the population you are researching
(e.g. people
 Tablefrom
ofacontents
specific age range, geographical location, or profession). Ensure that
you have enough participants and that they are representative of the population.

Ensuring reliability
Reliability should be considered throughout the data collection process. When you use a
tool or technique to collect data, it’s important that the results are precise, stable and
reproducible.

 Apply your methods consistently

Plan your method carefully to make sure you carry out the same steps in the same way for
each measurement. This is especially important if multiple researchers are involved.

For example, if you are conducting interviews or observations, clearly define how specific
behaviours or responses will be counted, and make sure questions are phrased the same
way each time.

 Standardize the conditions of your research

When you collect your data, keep the circumstances as consistent as possible to
reduce the influence of external factors that might create variation in the results.

For example, in an experimental setup, make sure all participants are given the same
information and tested under the same conditions.

Where to write about reliability and validity in a thesis

It’s appropriate to discuss reliability and validity in various sections of your thesis or
dissertation. Showing that you have taken them into account in planning your research and
interpreting the results makes your work more credible and trustworthy.

Reliability and validity in a thesis

Literature review

What have other researchers done to devise and improve methods that are reliable and valid?

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Methodology
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How did you plan your research to ensure reliability and validity of the measures used? This
includes the chosen sample set and size, sample preparation, external conditions and measuring
techniques.

Results

If you calculate reliability and validity, state these values alongside your main results.

Discussion

This is the moment to talk about how reliable and valid your results actually were. Were they
consistent, and did they reflect true values? If not, why not?

Conclusion

If reliability and validity were a big problem for your findings, it might be helpful to mention this
here.

Is this article helpful?

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Fiona Middleton
Fiona has been editing for Scribbr since August 2016. She has a bachelor's degree in
geology and is currently working towards a master's degree in marine sciences. She loves
working with students based around the world to refine their writing.

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 Table of contents

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