Editorial: A validade nos instrumentos de avaliação

Given the growing number of papers on the validation and use of evaluation instruments that are submitted to  PJBSR, it may be time to consider the question of validity. The PJBSR expects the authors in their papers to explicitly discuss the validity of the instruments in the Methods section. If the authors use a previously studied instrument with the same format, with the same characteristics of subjects and for the same purpose, then it is sufficient to cite the previous reference. If the instrument is modified, the number of items changed, the objective is different, or the cut-off point is adjusted, then additional information on adaptation must be provided. In the case of new instruments created by the authors, it is essential to clarify the elaboration process, the reliability measures, the results of the pilot study and other information that make trustworthy the use of the evaluation instrument. Here are presented some key concepts in the domain of validity and reliability.