Survey Questionnaires: More than Meets the Eye

In an attempt to address some objections and criticisms by line personnel concerning survey questionnaires, issues basic to test and survey development were discussed in a nontechnical manner. Three major points were made. First, questionnaire construction requires extensive training in psychology, mathematics, and some aspects of computer science. Second, prior to judging the applicability of survey results, one must ascertain the reliability and validity of the measures involved. Finally, the authors specify that implementation of a survey should be based on evidence provided by the researchers that their questionnaires are psychometrically sound. (Author)