Designing and implementing research on the development editions of the test

Having completed a Development Edition phase, the test developer will have compiled information to: evaluate all test administration and scoring procedures and make necessary revisions; evaluate each test item and retain the best ones; and begin to evaluate the reliability and validity of the test. It is possible that the developer would repeat the Development Edition phase with a revised test and a different sample of test takers and examiners. This decision should be made based on the test developer's confidence in the revised version of the test and funding availability. At some point the development period must end and acceptance of the test as the final version must occur. The test is then ready for a full-scale standardization and larger reliability and validity studies. The Development Edition should not be viewed as an unnecessary step in the test development process by clinicians anxious to develop clinically relevant assessment methods. Every test will benefit from some form of Development Edition period, and the more rigorous examination of the item characteristics and the testing procedures, the stronger the test will be psychometrically. As Drotar suggests, test developers in the clinic or in the classroom should include time to conduct solid research and psychometric studies needed to demonstrate the 'robustness' of the instrument across a range of populations.

Duke Scholars

Author Janet Lynn Gwyer Orthopaedic Surgery, Physical Therapy