ABSTRACT
In this chapter, qualitative item review methods and references to sources of more information are provided. Methods are reviewed to address how the data from each review method can contribute to item improvement and address our hypothesis regarding whether respondents interpret the item in the manner intended. The research questions for the study will provide a focus on which item review methods might be more appropriate. For example, if items are sensitive, then response latency might be more appropriate than for commonly used non-sensitive items such as gender and education level. If items are taken from published measures, then as researchers we really do not have the option of revision or deletion, so item review is not useful for those items. Item review is applied primarily with items we have ourselves created. Ex ante and group item review methods can be used to identify poor items; some form of interview might be preferred if we want to know why items do not function well. All item review methods provide evidence for or against our presumptive hypothesis that respondents understand the items in the manner intended.
