DeVon Holli A, Block Michelle E, Moyle-Wright Patricia, Ernst Diane M, Hayden Susan J, Lazzara Deborah J, Savoy Suzanne M, Kostas-Polston Elizabeth
Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60153, USA.
J Nurs Scholarsh. 2007;39(2):155-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2007.00161.x.
To review the concepts of reliability and validity, provide examples of how the concepts have been used in nursing research, provide guidance for improving the psychometric soundness of instruments, and report suggestions from editors of nursing journals for incorporating psychometric data into manuscripts.
CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were searched using key words: validity, reliability, and psychometrics. Nursing research articles were eligible for inclusion if they were published in the last 5 years, quantitative methods were used, and statistical evidence of psychometric properties were reported. Reports of strong psychometric properties of instruments were identified as well as those with little supporting evidence of psychometric soundness.
Reports frequently indicated content validity but sometimes the studies had fewer than five experts for review. Criterion validity was rarely reported and errors in the measurement of the criterion were identified. Construct validity remains underreported. Most reports indicated internal consistency reliability (alpha) but few reports included reliability testing for stability. When retest reliability was asserted, time intervals and correlations were frequently not included.
Planning for psychometric testing through design and reducing nonrandom error in measurement will add to the reliability and validity of instruments and increase the strength of study findings. Underreporting of validity might occur because of small sample size, poor design, or lack of resources. Lack of information on psychometric properties and misapplication of psychometric testing is common in the literature.
回顾信度和效度的概念，举例说明这些概念在护理研究中的应用方式，为提高工具的心理测量学稳健性提供指导，并报告护理期刊编辑关于将心理测量学数据纳入稿件的建议。
使用关键词“效度”“信度”和“心理测量学”检索CINAHL、MEDLINE和PsycINFO数据库。如果护理研究文章在过去5年内发表、采用定量方法且报告了心理测量学特性的统计证据，则符合纳入标准。确定了工具具有强大心理测量学特性的报告以及心理测量学稳健性支持证据较少的报告。
报告经常提及内容效度，但有时研究的评审专家少于5人。很少报告效标效度，且发现了效标测量中的错误。结构效度的报告仍然较少。大多数报告表明了内部一致性信度（α），但很少有报告包括稳定性的信度测试。当声称有重测信度时，时间间隔和相关性常常未被纳入。
通过设计进行心理测量学测试规划并减少测量中的非随机误差，将提高工具的信度和效度，并增强研究结果的说服力。效度报告不足可能是由于样本量小、设计不佳或资源缺乏。文献中常见心理测量学特性信息不足和心理测量学测试应用不当的情况。
