A case for a study quality appraisal tool in survey studies in psychology

Abstract

In this Opinion article, we argue that assessment of study quality is an important practice to promote greater precision, transparency, and evaluation of research in psychology. However, no quality appraisal tools have been developed by psychologists, for psychological research. Given the prominence of survey research in psychology, the development of appropriate means to assess the quality of survey research would yield considerable benefits to researchers conducting, and data analysts evaluating, survey research. To illustrate the longstanding problems resulting from the absence of a fit-for-purpose tool and the application of a variety of quality appraisal strategies, we provide examples from a brief summary of quality assessments from meta-analyses of psychological survey research. We conclude that a fit-for-purpose quality appraisal tool for survey studies in psychology is needed.