Define what is measured, for whom and for which use. A scale adapted for a new population or language needs more than a copied reliability coefficient. Record permission to reuse items and the reasons for additions, removals or translations.
Start with the construct
Define what is measured, for whom and for which use. A scale adapted for a new population or language needs more than a copied reliability coefficient. Record permission to reuse items and the reasons for additions, removals or translations.
Inspect item meaning and coding
Map each item to the intended construct. Identify reversed wording, missing codes, ordinal response categories and skip rules. A coding error can make an otherwise sensible set of items behave inconsistently; statistical deletion should not substitute for content review.
Worked example: two domains
Illustrative example: a questionnaire combines access barriers and satisfaction items. A single internal-consistency coefficient across both domains may obscure the intended measurement structure. Review the conceptual model and dimensionality before deciding which items form a score.
Original validation planning sheet
Use Construct | Item IDs | Response scale | Reverse coding | Intended score | Content-review evidence | Pilot population | Planned dimensionality check | Reliability evidence | Limits. Keep reliability and validity in separate columns. No checklist can turn one threshold into validation.
Plan interpretation
Discuss sample adequacy and model suitability with a reviewer. Report how missing item responses are handled and whether scoring was pre-specified. A high coefficient cannot alone show unidimensionality, criterion validity or suitability for clinical decisions.
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