Reliability and validity: Importance in Medical Research

J Pak Med Assoc. 2021 Oct;71(10):2401-2406. doi: 10.47391/JPMA.06-861.

Abstract

Reliability and validity are among the most important and fundamental domains in the assessment of any measuring methodology for data-collection in a good research. Validity is about what an instrument measures and how well it does so, whereas reliability concerns the truthfulness in the data obtained and the degree to which any measuring tool controls random error. The current narrative review was planned to discuss the importance of reliability and validity of data-collection or measurement techniques used in research. It describes and explores comprehensively the reliability and validity of research instruments and also discusses different forms of reliability and validity with concise examples. An attempt has been taken to give a brief literature review regarding the significance of reliability and validity in medical sciences.

Keywords: Validity, Reliability, Medical research, Methodology, Assessment, Research tools..

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Research*
  • Humans
  • Reproducibility of Results