What Are Research-Validated Questions and Why Do They Matter?
A good question is the seed of good data. And research-validated questions are some of the best.
But what exactly is a research-validated question? How is it different from a research-backed or custom question?
Let’s dig in.
What Are Research-Validated Questions?
This is a question that has been tested through a formal research process.
Researchers use these questions to measure specific concepts accurately. Because they’ve been validated through studies, they consistently produce reliable, meaningful data.
When you include these questions in a survey, you can trust the results. You’ll gather strong data that supports informed decisions.
What Are Research-Backed Questions?
Research-backed questions are different. They’re based on research concepts but haven’t been tested in formal studies.
In other words, no one has confirmed they measure exactly what they intend to. While they may leverage research concepts, they haven’t been proven effective through actual use in research environments.
What Are Custom Questions?
Custom questions are created for your specific context. For example, you might ask students what they’d like to see added to the playground.
This kind of feedback is attuned to your local context, helpful for that reason, and often actionable. However, because these questions aren’t based on research, tested in a study, or backed by broader data, their reliability may vary.
Why Use Research-Validated Questions?
Strong data is essential for school and district leaders. Whether you’re making decisions about school climate, culture, or learning environments, you need information you can trust.
Research-validated questions give you that foundation. They allow you to gather clear, reliable feedback without second-guessing your surveys.
Educators want to act on student, staff, and family input. But without validated questions, the data can be misleading or hard to interpret.
To support continuous improvement, it’s important to use questions that are tested and trusted.
Where Do These Questions Come From?
Most research-validated questions are created in large-scale academic or government-funded studies.
The good news? Many of these tools are now public. That means you don’t need to be a university researcher to access them.
Kelvin’s Library of Research-Validated Questions
At Kelvin, we’ve collected over 1,100 research-validated questions from more than 25 public survey instruments.
These questions were developed in large studies and are available on our platform.
With Kelvin, you can use these validated items in your own surveys, without having to start from scratch.
This means you get stronger data, faster. And you can make informed decisions that truly support continuous improvement.
It’s one more way Kelvin helps schools and districts close the gap between data and action.
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