Define validity, reliability, and triangulation, and explain why each of these elements is important in conducting research.

What will be an ideal response?


Validity concerns accuracy of measurement. It asks the questions, “Does my measuring instrument in fact measure what it claims to measure?” or “Is it a true and accurate measure of the subject in question?” Reliability, on the other hand, involves the consistency and/or stability of measurement. If repeated measures were made of the same entity, would stable and uniform measures ensue? Obviously, validity is a more crucial issue than reliability; if a measurement is inaccurate, the consistency of inaccuracy becomes a moot question. Triangulation involves the use of multiple methods in measuring the same entity. It is similar to the notion of corroborating evidence in law; if different measures of the same concept produce convergence or similar results, then we have greater confidence in the validity of an observation or finding.

Criminal Justice

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