Questionnaire, rating scale and checklist – How do they differ?

• Accurate data collection is an essential part of research. • Selection of an appropriate data collection instrument would reduce the possible errors in measurement and give reliable measures. • Questionnaires, checklists and rating scales are three types of instruments used for data collection. • It is important to understand that the type of reliability and validity indices to be established vary depending on what is being measured and the type of instrument used. • Type of validity measures vary depending on the response formats of questionnaires and checklists. Questionnaires and checklists with scaled responses are to be considered as rating scales and they need to establish all important validity indices.