Question

Define RELIABILITY and explain how you try to meet this criterion in collecting and analyzing

the data and information needed to answer each of your investigative questions about low sales of food product.

Answer 1

Reliability is an important term in the collection and analysis of data associated with the research methodology part. Reliability is observed when the experiments are carried out in a repetitive manner with the same data and the result of those variables is almost the same as the previous experiments. Reliability indicates the degree of stability, consistency, and originality of the research work.

A high degree of error indicates the low degree of reliability of the experiment. Repeated errors indicate the problem in the research procedure and the research has not sufficient evidence to prove the hypothesis correct. However, if the research is carried out many times and the results are almost the same as the previous then it can be said that the experiment is going is the right track and the variables correctly justify the hypothesis.

There are four ways to test reliability. These are:

• Test-retest reliability: the results should be the same in each time of experiments.
• Parallel-form reliability: the results should be the same in the two different experiments of the same content.
• Inter-rater reliability: consistency of data in independent experiments and the data would then be compared through the rater estimation process.
• Inter-consistency reliability: data should be consistent in the same experiment.