VALID: A Checklist-Based Approach for Improving Validity in Psychological Research

01 Feb , 2024·

Susanne Kerschbaumer

Martin Voracek

Balazs Aczel

Samantha F. Anderson

Brandon M. Booth

Erin M. Buchanan

Rickard Carlsson

Daniel W. Heck

Anu Pauliina Hiekkaranta

Rink Hoekstra

Julian D. Karch

Ginette Lafit

Daniël Lakens

Zhicheng Lin

Siwei Liu

David P. Mackinnon

Emma L. Mcgorray

David Moreau

Marietta Papadatou-Pastou

Helena Paterson

Robert A. Perera

Daniel J. Schad

David K. Sewell

Moin Syed

Louis Tay

Jorge N. Tendeiro

Michael Toland

Wolf Vanpaemel

Don Van Ravenzwaaij

Lieke Voncken

Ulrich S. Tran

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Abstract

In response to the replication and confidence crisis across various empirical disciplines, ensuring the validity of research has become crucial for obtaining replicable and robust study outcomes, both when exploring new questions and when replicating previous findings. This project aimed to address this issue by developing a comprehensive checklist to assist researchers in enhancing and monitoring the validity of their research. After systematically analyzing previous findings on validity, a comprehensive list of potential checklist items was compiled. Over the course of three rounds, more than 30 interdisciplinary and psychological science experts participated in a Delphi study. Experts rated the items on their importance and were also given the opportunity to propose novel items and improve the existing ones. This process resulted in a final set of 91 items, organized according to common stages of a research project. The VALID checklist is accessible online (https://www.validchecklist.com/) and provides researchers with an adaptable, versatile tool to suit their specific needs. By focusing on adaptiveness during its development, the VALID checklist encompasses 255 unique variations, making it a one-stop solution suitable for a wide range of projects, designs, and requirements.

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Publication

Manuscript submitted for publication

Last updated on 01 Feb , 2024