Constructing questionnaires to maximize construct validity : lessons and challenges from a cross-national survey of nongovernmental organizations

Author / Creator

Schnyder, Melissa, author

Available as

Online

Summary

In 2014, I administered a large-scale, international survey to migrant- and refugee-focused nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in every country of the European Union in order to study how these N...

In 2014, I administered a large-scale, international survey to migrant- and refugee-focused nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in every country of the European Union in order to study how these NGOs engage in political influence, both domestically and supranationally. In this case study, I present an account of how the survey questionnaire was designed to measure political activity. I discuss the concept of construct validity and recount how key theoretical constructs were translated into questionnaire items and subsequently assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, I discuss the key lessons learned and offer practical recommendations based on this research study.

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