Instrument development: writing the items

An important step in instrument development is writing the items that are derived from concept analysis and validation. It is also important to determine if the instrument is to be constructed for criterion-referenced or norm-referenced measurement; examples for both are discussed. Also discussed are methods for developing a blueprint for a psychosocial instrument. Additional methods presented are how to construct the items as simple rather than complex sentences, to keep the sentences short and unambiguous, and to construct the items for an eighth-grade reading level to facilitate patient use.