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The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association logoLink to The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association
. 1988 Sep;32(3):133–138.

Several strategies for evaluating the objectivity of measurements in clinical research and practice

Joseph C Keating Jr
PMCID: PMC2484472

Abstract

The objectivity (interexaminer reliability) of measurement in chiropractic provides a basis for judging the quality of information in clinical research and practice. Objectivity may be determined by formal measurement evaluation studies and by sampling within clinical trials. Interpretation of inter-examiner reliability requires descriptive and inferential statistics selected on the basis of the mathematical properties of data, appreciation of the clinical meaning of a particular measure, and recognition of the role of chance. Methods of data analysis include scatter-plots, contingency tables, time-series graphs, and correlational and concordance coefficients. Many kinds of objectivity evaluations are well within the capacities of private practitioners and student clinicians.

Keywords: measurement, objectivity, reliability, chiropractic

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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