Development and testing of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form.

Abstract

The National Academy of Sciences stressed the need for a doctorally prepared workforce and earlier entry into doctoral study in nursing and the behavioral, social, and basic sciences. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) suggests that self-efficacy for career related skills informs career choices. Thus, increasing clinical research self-efficacy early in students' studies could increase their choice of a research career. To test interventions, a psychometrically sound measure of clinical research self-efficacy is needed. We examined the psychometrics of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form (CRAI-SF) in undergraduate and first-year graduate students (N = 268). This scale is a modification of the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory, which measures physician-scientists' clinical research self-efficacy. Content validity was supported by external review. Factor analysis revealed six factors explaining 75% of scale variance. Internal consistency of subscales and total scale ranged from .84 to .98. Differences in scores by gender (p = .016) and discipline of study (p = .000) supported construct validity. The CRAI-SF is a useful measure of undergraduate and first-year graduate students' perceived clinical research self-efficacy.