

If several participants in the study–but not all them–began a new medication regimen during the course of the study, that could certainly influence the outcome and bring the validity of the data into question. One example of a threat to internal validity in the diabetes study mentioned above would be other variables that might lead to lower blood sugar. What happens to study participants when sugar intake is restricted? Basically, in a research study, internal validity shows a direct link between cause and effect. Internal validity considers causality between an action that has been taken and the resulting change that can be observed.įor example, a study of juvenile diabetes might examine the effect of a low-sugar diet on blood sugar in adolescents with diabetes over a certain period of time. These are some elements to consider when exploring both internal and external threats to validity. If you are doing a quantitative research study for your dissertation, you will likely be expected to discuss both. Threats to validity are divided into two categories: internal threats and external threats. The threats to validity section offers insight into the variables that were encountered and how the researcher compensated. Research doesn’t take place in a vacuum researchers often have to adapt.

A research study can only be as unbiased as the researcher and the circumstances that he or she is working with. The purpose of a threats to validity section in a quantitative study or dissertation is to acknowledge any factors that might have undue influence on the research or skew the data being collected. What is the Purpose of a Threats to Validity Section? In addition to that, reviewers actively look for any elements that might challenge the soundness of a study. To begin, a study must be replicable to be valid. Likewise, in quantitative research, the stakes are very high, and so are the standards for admission. Whenever I’m editing my own research for submission to an academic journal, I hear Gandalf’s voice booming in my head: “You shall not pass!” And I edit and revise one more time, looking for anything that feels amiss or overlooked. It tests the strength and endurance of new knowledge to see if it passes muster. Peer review works as a kind of gatekeeper to gauge the credibility of new research. The ultimate goal of any peer reviewed study is to contribute new information to the body of knowledge. In the context of a quantitative research study, validity refers to the legitimacy of the research being proposed. Book a Free Consultation What is Validity in a Research Study?
