A valid conclusion is one that is securely supported by the evidence presented. Validity is directly related to the conclusions that you reach at the end of your research. When both measure are effectively applied, it should result in research that is thorough, more critical, less-open to biases, and more generalizable. Nevertheless, by ensuring a separation between the two measure we can actually enhance the quality of research at all stages: design, data-collection, analysis and evaluation. Further confusion can also be caused due to the many different ways that the two concepts can be applied to a piece of research. However, this is not the case and each concept refers to a specific measure. In academic research the terms validity and reliability are often confused, in part because they are often considered to be interchangeable. Two measures that researchers apply throughout the research process are validity and reliability.
A significant aspect of this is to be able to recognise and produce good quality research. The critical researcher: considering validity and reliabilityīeing an effective researcher requires that you develop the ability to approach your learning critically.