Surveys, Using Others’

Using others’ surveys is a viable option in communication research. If researchers seek to measure a previously studied variable, scholars recommend using or adapting others’ surveys. Typically, existing surveys have been tested, refined, and selected for publication. Using a book such as Communication Research Measures II: A Sourcebook can be a useful starting point when researching existing scales. In this book, the authors provide scales from various communication contexts (e.g., family, health, intercultural). The authors also provide information regarding scale background, reliability, validity, and primary citations. Although taking advantage of others’ surveys is sensible, the simple fact that someone else has developed a survey does not automatically make it a good survey. Thus, making informed decisions about others’ surveys is vital. This entry ...