Abstract
0 NE of the biggest challenges in any research study is to find or develop an instrument* that measures the study variable(s) and does so accurately. Although careful selection or development of instruments is an obligation for all researchers, it is a special burden for pediatric nurse researchers who must deal with the developing and changing skills and abilities of children. In order to make an appropriate measurement choice, researchers must evaluate the basic psychometric properties of an instrument (that is, must estimate the instrument’s reliability and validity) and the applicability of the instrument for the potential subjects. One means of determining the applicability of an instrument is to determine the reading level of the instrument. Reading level, usually expressed in school grade years, is the level of reading ability a subject must have to comprehend a major portion of the items and directions. Although reading level is crucial to the evaluation of the appropriateness and accuracy of data collection with any instrument, it is rarely assessed. This article includes two methods by which the reading level of an instrument can be evaluated. As examples of their use, methods are utilized in this article to judge a recently published scale for the measurement of chronically ill 7to loyear-old children’s perceptions of their illnesses.
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