Methodology in research: how to assure reliability and validity of constructs in logistics research

The purpose of this article is to present the research methods in developing measurement scales for the constructs in logistics research. The objective is to determine the most appropriate method for a specific research framework and to add to the understanding of logistics research rigor through the concept of validity and reliability as it concerns logistics research. Although validity means many things in common speech, validity in research means procedures have been used to ensure that the conclusion from a research study is valid and the research results can be stated with some confidence.Briefly, we show the procedure of developing measurement scale for construct innovation in logistics outsourcing performance research. In order to assure the reliable measurement instrument the development of a multi-item scale for the construct must show strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent validity in a research sample.We test our conceptualization using data from a survey, conducted in the Slovenian market among the two largest Slovenian logistics service providers (LSPs) and their main customers. We present the scale development and refinement process in which we measure for validity and reliability with multivariate statistical methods (Explanatory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling using Partial Least Squares). Finally, we discuss measurement assessments for validity and reliability.